Leveraging Teachers' <scp>ELL</scp> Literacy Instruction Through Professional Development: From Coursework and Coaching to Classroom Practices

ABSTRACT This study uses a sequential exploratory mixed‐methods design to examine the impact of a year‐long teacher professional development (PD) program on literacy instruction for multilingual learners classified as English language learners (ELLs) in the United States. Addressing the challenge of scripted curricula that often fail to meet the linguistic needs of ELLs, this study examines how sustained PD and coaching can empower teachers to transform scripted lessons into inclusive, language‐rich instruction. The PD consisted of coursework and instructional coaching for some of our treatment teachers, focusing on enhancing teachers' skills in an English language development framework centered on oral language, vocabulary usage, and immersive writing. Participants for this study included eight Grade 2 teachers who were part of the larger cohort of elementary school teachers participating in the PD program (treatment teachers), and four Grade 2 teachers who were not part of the PD training (comparison teachers). Three of the treatment teachers also received instructional coaching. Quantitative results showed that treatment teachers devoted significantly more time to essential literacy components and achieved higher rubric scores in vocabulary and oral language development. Qualitative analysis revealed increased attention to oral language and vocabulary instruction among treatment teachers, who implemented ELL‐specific literacy strategies more frequently, consistently, and effectively. These findings suggest that the synergy of systematic coursework and iterative coaching is essential for advancing best practices in linguistically diverse educational contexts worldwide.