Education Commons^™

Equitable Assessment For Elementary Dual-Language Learners, Joliette Mandel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis points out the contradictions between the goals of standardized testing and the goals of dual-language elementary education. I argue that dual-language elementary schools in the New York City Department of Education would be better served by a performance assessment model to measure student and school accountability for several reasons. Performance assessment is more equitable for students who are marginalized by their race, language, or class. Many students who attend dual-language schools in the NYCDOE fall into all these categories. I will discuss in depth why standardized testing is failing students, particularly those in dual-language elementary programs. Next, I …

Racial Acceptance And Behavior Incidents While Being Educated In An Elementary Dual-Language Classroom, Heather Hodal

Ed.D. Dissertations

Districts and schools are not looking at the data on racial judgments, segregation, and neighborhood quality, along with children’s friendship choices, open-mindedness, and social emotional factors to fully understand and educate others on the benefits of multiculturalism. This case study describes the impact that English-only classrooms and two-way dual language classrooms have on racial acceptance and behavior incidents for kindergarten, first, and second graders in a school located in a Midwest suburb. In utilizing The Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Ruffle, 2000) and Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs) to determine specific behavior problems and the Modified Subtle and Blatant Prejudice Scale …

Rethinking The Hispanic Teacher Shortage: Dual Language Schools As Identity-Affirming Organizations, Elena Sada, Katie Ward

Journal of Catholic Education

Research has established the connection between the academic success of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and their schools’ ability to recruit and retain teachers that reflect such diversity (Shirrell et al., 2019). Studies have also highlighted the criticality of the students’ home language use as a way to enhance academic growth and develop their sociocultural competence and well-being (Feinauer & Howard, 2014). There is no research, however, addressing the differences between the experiences of Hispanic teachers in bilingual Catholic education compared to those in monolingual English Catholic education. This article highlights the differences captured by a recent study, and discusses …

Strengthening And Sustaining Dual Language Education In Catholic Schools, Laura Hamman-Ortiz, Katy Lichon, Clare Roach, Patricia Salazar Harty

Journal of Catholic Education

The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, we seek to make a case for the promise of dual language programs to enhance Catholic schooling and enrich educational opportunities for Latinx students. Second, we offer insights into the current landscape of Catholic schools with dual language programs, drawing upon data from a national survey conducted by University of Notre Dame researchers in 2020. Through our presentation of the findings, we consider characteristics of current program models and identify areas of success, challenges, and opportunities for future growth. We conclude with a discussion of the possibilities for strengthening and sustaining dual …

Dual Language Catholic Schools: Innovation And Equity--Considerations For Making The Transition To Dual Language, Carrie Fuller, Elena Sada

Journal of Catholic Education

The multiple academic and social advantages of a dual language education are well known; yet there is little practical guidance for Catholic school leaders who are taking on this whole school change. This paper explores the necessary steps for Catholic school leaders to develop equitable dual language schools. Guided by the Gospel principles of love and justice and using the Community of Practice theoretical framework, the authors argue that taking thoughtful risks in transforming one’s school can lead to meaningful learning in service to culturally and linguistically diverse students. Seven main implementation areas for developing a dual language Catholic school …

Translanguaging Views And Practices Of Indiana Dual-Language Bilingual Education Teachers, Amanda Shie

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Black Lives Matter In Teaching English As A Second Language!, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

The Winter 2020 issue of theIllinois Reading Council Journal published a special issue focusing on “action for equity,” with thoughtful articles and abundant family and classroom resources. This issue of the “wELLcome”column, which is dedicated to topics regarding English language learners (ELLs), continues in that same vein. In this issue, we place the spotlight on ELLs of African descent, their teachers, and their schools.

Dual Language Effectiveness To Narrow Achievement Gaps: A Quantitative Correlational Study, Belinda Reyes Ed.D.

Journal of English Learner Education

An increase in the English learner (EL) population is evident in public schools throughout the United States. Academic achievement gaps between ELs and non-EL peers persist from early childhood through the post-secondary level (Florida Department of Education, 2019c). The gap in the literature is the lack of studies analyzing the language acquisition of ELs enrolled in dual language programs to narrow the achievement gap of ELs. Transformative Learning Theory and the Dynamic Systems Theory are the foundation of the theoretical framework. Key research questions seek data on the relationship between standardized assessments measuring language acquisition and academic performance of third-grade …

Beyond Language: Critical And Sustainable Sociocultural Competence In A Dual Language Program, Verónica González

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Despite the ideological controversies and political backlash that surround the field of bilingual education in the United States, current research indicates a growing interest in dual language (DL) programs—an additive bilingual education model. However, this growing interest has been accompanied by inequities in the implementation of DL programs that negatively affect minoritized students. One recommendation is for DL programs to center equity through sociocultural competence—the third goal of DL education (Howard et al., 2018). Through an analysis of administrator and teacher interviews, school documents, and field observations, this single case study examines educators’ ideologies and practices in regards to sociocultural …

Bicultural Development Of Students In A Dual Language Program, Quinn Wulbecker

Dissertations

Dual language programs are often viewed as enrichment programs for students of various language backgrounds. This study evaluated the long-term bicultural impact on students who participated in the Hawkins School District (pseudonym) Spanish-English dual language program. The participants in this study were graduates of the Hawkins Spanish-English dual language program who were in college or beginning their careers. These graduates participated in an interview to offer their perceptions on their current level of biculturalism and the extent to which their participation in the dual language program shaped it. The results of this study revealed that biculturalism is a possible outcome …

Vocabulary Instruction: Impacts Of Using A Science Notebook In A Dual Language Setting To Teach Science Vocabulary And Content., Manuel Andazola

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Language learners and students in general often struggle to close the achievement gap in monolingual schools because they lose academic content due to lack of vocabulary. To combat this issue, programs such as dual language schools have been introduced and have gained popularity due to their ability to help students keep learning academic content in their native language while becoming literate in the second language and also maintaining literacy in the content areas. Although these programs offer different instruction models and teaching techniques that teachers are implementing to improve science literacy, many teachers still struggle to find creative and effective …

A Comparison Of Two Language-Supported Instruction Programs For English Language Learners, Maria De Los Angeles Barreto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite language differences, English Language Learners (ELLs) in U.S. public schools are assessed by the same standardized tests of English Language Arts (ELA) skills as are their English-speaking peers. ELLs have routinely performed poorly on the New York State ELA standardized assessment. ELLs are a significant portion of the population in New York City public schools; therefore, their continued poor performance puts some of these schools at risk for closure. Guided by Thomas's and Collier's framework for understanding Dual Language Immersion programs, the purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental, archival study was to determine if significant differences in ELA standardized assessment …

The Impact Of Dual Language Programs In Elementary Schools, Melanie Callihan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The presence of dual language programs in Elementary schools is becoming increasingly popular across the United States. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the intent of such programs, the successful implementation of the programs, and the outcomes these programs produce. This was done through a literature review and research. The research was done on the current Dual Language Program that has been implemented in the Harrisonburg City Public schools. This study found that typically these programs are implemented to support populations of students in schools who are English language learners. In order to implement such a program there …

Teaching Emergent Bilingual Learners With Disabilities And Challenging Behaviors In Preschool, Pamela Brillante, Karen N. Nemeth

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Challenging behaviors in young children can result from a variety of factors that may interact to make it difficult for teachers to find effective instructional solutions. The authors of this article provide an overview of research that focuses on understanding challenging behavior in young children. It describes a research-based model, the Pyramid model, intended to support the development of social competence in young children. Classroom practice suggestions with some vignettes are provided to illustrate how teachers may implement this model with children that experience challenging behaviors and ways in which their practice could be transformed. The article concludes with recommendations …

Understanding The Level Of Achievement Bilingual Education Fosters In Students, Erica Mallett

Master's Theses

Traditional approaches to examining the effectiveness of bilingual programs typically compare them to monolingual programs and rarely discuss the meaning and complexity of the notion of achievement therein. A vertical case study framework is used to examine this local phenomenon at a bilingual elementary school in Chicago, Illinois across local, national, and global contexts. This vertical case study aims to answer the question; how does a bilingual program define the notion of achievement and work to facilitate that achievement for students? To do this, I conducted interviews and analyzed policy documents to examine how achievement is defined in bilingual education …

The Effects Of A K-12 Dual Language Instruction Program On Student College Readiness, Danielle Adair Cortes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diverse student populations are increasing in local, state, and national settings. There are achievement gaps in college readiness which must be closed between various student demographic groups. It is important for schools to know what methods work best for language acquisition to close the gaps and open postsecondary opportunities for all students. The purpose of this sequential, explanatory, mixed-method, formative program evaluation study was to examine the effects of a dual language (DL) program on improving the college readiness of students. Guided by the framework of learning and second language acquisition, college readiness levels between DL and non-DL students were …

Self-Esteem And Identity: A Case Study Of Two Bilingual Education Students, Julia Gomez Montalvo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This qualitative study focused on the self-esteem, sociocultural identity, and academic performance of transitional and dual language students as they moved through their respective programs. A case study was conducted on two randomly selected students, one from the transitional program and one from the dual language program. The two students attend the same school and have participated in their respective programs for 12 years in the same school district. Both students were asked to complete surveys on self-esteem and participate in an interview where they were asked various questions about their self-esteem, sociocultural identity, and academic performance. Data collected from …

Middle School Transition: How It Affects The Achievement Of Hispanic Students Relative To Ell Status, Socioeconomic Status, Gender, And Previous Test Scores, Kevin D. Gordon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomena of middle school transition and achievement as it relates to Hispanic students. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there are more than 35 million registered Hispanic citizens. Of those, 3.6 million are public school students. The literature indicated that there was a marked regression in student achievement during the transition to middle school.

Through the use of descriptive statistics and regression analysis, sixth grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading and math developmental scale scores (DSS) were analyzed to determine if the mean achievement improved or declined after the transition …

Parental Involvement In Education: A Comparison Of English And Spanish Speaking Parents, Lisa Kelly-Vance, Collette Nero, Juan F. Casas, Carey S. Ryan, Bridget O. Ryalls, Sarah A. Kurien, Angela Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publications

We examined the educational involvement of English speaking and Spanish speaking parents of students in a Dual Language Program. Parents responded to open-ended questions about how they were involved, what they would like to be involved in but were not, and what barriers prevented them from being more involved. Monitoring/assisting with homework was the most frequently mentioned involvement activity fir both groups, followed by reading with their children, school involvement and communication, and providing social and emotional support to their children. The top areas in which parents wanted to do more were school involvement and communication, social and emotional support, …

Dual Language: It's Effectiveness And How It Impacts Learning With Regards To Science Taught Thematicly In Elementary, Elsa J. Gonzalez

All Graduate Projects

The primary purpose of this project is to develop a month long integrated thematic unit for 2nd graders in a dual language program that address research findings in the area of effective student learning in dual language programs. Incorporation of science methodology, ESL strategies, and thematic teaching are also researched for effectiveness and addressed in the project. Dual Language and its effectiveness will also be compared to other bilingual programs. Dual language with appropriate implementation increases student achievement in learning a second language (Kirk, 2002).