The current state of the knowledge base on the effectiveness of specific instructional practices for English-language learners was examined by conducting an exploratory meta-analysis on eight studies of instructional interventions and using qualitative synthesis to supplement this analysis. The first data source was the eight intervention studies located through electronic searches. The second data source consisted of studies of the learning environments of English-language learners that focused on analyzing and describing instructional practices. The third data source consisted of information gathered from 5 professional work groups, which differed from focus groups in that all 44 participants were professionals. Within the eight empirical studies, no clear pattern emerged regarding effective instructional practices for English-language learners. A synthesis of these studies and other data sources suggests that a good English language development program should include three components: (1) a focus on the development of fluency and proficiency in English; (2) a concern with more formal, grammatical aspects of English; and (3) an emphasis on learning new academic content. (Contains 4 figures, 6 tables, and 79 references.) (SLD)