This 1999 observational study provided a school district with clear information about the experience of immigrant students in two elementary English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) models, giving administrators, teachers, and school board members a window into the daily classroom life of ESL students. This program evaluation involving observational research design was implemented in a Wheaton, Illinois, school district. An innovative, self-contained elementary ESL program located at two of the district's elementary schools was evaluated through a matched-pairs research design that compared the experience of students in this program with the experience of similar students in the district's ESL pull-out programs. This report describes the observational research methodology and the results. A statistical analysis found significant differences between the level of engagement and teacher student interaction in the two program models, with the results favoring the experimental pod of the ESL program. These results are illustrated with qualitative data, collected through ethnographic narratives, which are presented in the report in the form of case study comparisons. Six appendices are included, containing a glossary of terms, detailed displays of data, sample forms, and other background information regarding the research methodology used. (Contains 10 references.) (KFT)