Education Commons^™

Investigating Vocabulary And Reading Strategies With Middle Grades English Language Learners: A Research Synthesis, Brooke Kandel-Cisco, Yolanda Padrón

Brooke Kandel-Cisco

Recent data indicate that many adolescent English language learners (ELLs) comprehend English texts at only a limited literal level. The purpose of this research synthesis was to systematically identify and describe the research related to the English reading comprehension of middle grades ELLs while also making practical connections to instruction. Parameters were established to determine whether the collected research studies met the purpose of the synthesis and the standards for quality research, using the guiding principles for scientific research set forth in the National Research Council’s Scientific Research in Education. Three themes emerged across the 11 identified studies: (a) the …

Using A Resiliency Perspective To Inform Bilingual Teachers’ Classroom Inquiry, Brooke Kandel-Cisco, Yolanda Padrón

Brooke Kandel-Cisco

Recent research has established the importance of teacher quality in the academic success or failure of students (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Sanders, Wright, & Horn, 2004) and policy initiatives, such as NCLB, have propelled the issue of teacher quality to the forefront of educational reform in the U.S. While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has been successful in establishing minimum teacher quality standards for general educators, the act has failed to highlight the importance of quality for teachers of second language learners (Nieto. 2003). Teacher quality is especially impo1tant for second language learners. both because of the pedagogic and Iinguistic complexities inherent …

Test-Based Accountability Systems: Concerns For Indiana’S Multilingual Learners And Their Teachers, Kathryn Brooks, Brooke Kandel-Cisco

Brooke Kandel-Cisco

Indiana’s current test-based accountability system grew, in part, out of decades of federal-level educational reform initiatives. This article reviews the history of Indiana’s test-based accountability system for schools and details how the system calculates evaluative ratings for Indiana teachers and schools. Additionally, the article analyzes how the Indiana accountability system contradicts what is known about appropriate measurement of English language learners and lists psychometric and validity concerns such as valid assessment, non-random assignment, norming groups, and ceiling/bottom effects. This article calls for a system in which multiple assessments offer rich data for school and teacher evaluations.

Assessment Of English Language Acquisition In Young Dual Language Learners: Towards The Development Of An Observational Tool (Book Chapter), Cristina Gillanders, Dina C. Castro

Cristina Gillanders

No abstract provided.

What Are Effective Teacher Behaviors And Interaction Styles To Support Ell Students Prek – 3rd? (Book Chapter), Cristina Gillanders

Cristina Gillanders

About the book: Young Dual Language Learners provides clear and concise expert responses to questions that early childhood and elementary education administrators and preschool directors are asking about educating young children who come from homes where languages other than English are spoken. This practitioner friendly guide helps all constituents navigate the landscape of early childhood education in linguistically and culturally responsive ways. It addresses such topics as the role of a child’s home language in the educational process, proper identification of young dual language learners (DLLs); standards and regulations, customizing instructional programs, interviewing and staffing, leadership and professional development, collaborating …

Research Reports: Diversity Preparedness In Teacher Education, Donna Sobel, Sheryl V. Taylor

Sheryl Taylor

No abstract provided.

Feeling White: Whiteness, Emotionality, And Education, Cheryl Matias

Cheryl Matias

Formal English Education In Japan: What Causes ‘Unsuccessful’ English Language Learning?, Masanori Matsumoto

Masanori Matsumoto

Formal English education in Japanese high schools was examined on the basis of its unsuccessful outcome in the acquisition of communication skills in English despite the government's strong initiative to implement communication-oriented teaching and learning in its 2003 Action Plan. The primary cause of this is assumed to be the discrepancy between the official goal advocated in the Action Plan and the realistic goal that both teachers and students are forced to confront the entrance examinations to universities. Due to the severe gap between the dual objectives in the teaching/learning of English, high school teachers and students face pedagogical and …

Immersion In Esl Culture: Oral Output Through Acting, Chamkaur Gill

Chamkaur Gill

Many ESL learners exhibit diffidence in situations where they are required to speak in English. They retreat into their shells because of the threat of embarrassment and a loss of face which are consequences of making errors in grammar and pronunciation. One effective method of inducing them to speak is drama. By putting them in imaginary situations and creating make-believe identities, teachers can give them incentives to participate in oral interaction, thereby increasing the quantity of speech produced and providing increased practice in speaking in the target language. Classroom activities imbued with drama are often enjoyable and evidence indicates that …

Special Topics | Critical Research Methods: Hermenuetics To Phenomenology [Rsem 7500], Cheryl Matias, Melissa Burrows

Cheryl Matias

Analysis Of The Cdf Early Learning Community Trust Process Phase I, Sherrill W. Hayes

Sherrill W. Hayes

The Relationship Between A College Preparation Program And At-Risk Students' College Readiness, Jennifer Cates, Scott Schaefle

Scott Schaefle

This study evaluates the relationship between elements of a college preparation program and the college readiness of low-income and/or Latina/o students at the completion of 6 years of participation in the program. Hours of participation in tutoring, mentoring, advising, college campus visits, summer programs, and educational field trips are examined in relationship to students' college-track course completion and Preliminary SAT (PSAT) participation. In addition, the relationship between students' expectations for college and their ranking of program activities is examined. Results indicate that key program elements related to college readiness include advising, college campus visits, and college information through booklets and …

Expanding White Racial Identity Theory: A Qualitative Investigation Of Whites Engaged In Antiracist Action, Krista Malott, Tina Paone, Scott Schaefle, Jennifer Cates, Breyan Haizlip

Scott Schaefle

This article presents outcomes of a qualitative exploration of White racial identity. Ten participants whose characteristics were reflective of Helms's (1990) autonomy status defined their racial identities and related lifestyle choices. Findings are conceptualized within the framework of Helms's (1990, 1995) theory of White racial identity development. Suggestions are intended to enhance White racial identity theory and provide empirical support for characteristics of Whites who are engaged in antiracist activities.

Reaching For Success: A Close-Up Of Mexican Immigrant Parents In The Usa Who Foster Literacy Success For Their Kindergarten Children, Cristina Gillanders, Robert Jimenez

Cristina Gillanders

The purpose of this study was to examine the home environment of immigrant Mexican kindergarteners of low socio-economic status in the USA who display high levels of emergent literacy when compared to their peers. To examine the home environments, the study focused on the literacy beliefs and practices of four families. Findings highlight the role of parental active support and corresponding literacy practices at home, as promoters of positive effects of bilingualism and consequently literacy learning. In addition, the school’s use of Spanish facilitated the dynamic of the families’ belief in active support of their children’s literacy learning and subsequent …

An English-Speaking Prekindergarten Teacher For Young Latino Children: Implications Of The Teacher…Child Relationship On Second Language Learning, Cristina Gillanders

Cristina Gillanders

This case study was designed to describe how an effective English-speaking prekindergarten teacher develops strategies for communicating with and teaching young English language learners. The teacher’s classroom practices to enhance her own relationship with the children promoted opportunities for the Latino children to become full participants in the classroom community. At the end of the year, the Latino children showed progress in formal and informal measures of receptive vocabulary in both English and Spanish. Findings from the study suggest the importance of the affective and social nature of second language learning in young children. Implications for practice and research are …

Study Guide. Storybook Reading For Young Dual Language Learners, Cristina Gillanders, Dina Castro

Cristina Gillanders

No abstract provided.

The Language And Literacy Development Of Young Dual Language Learners: A Critical Review, Carol Scheffner Hammer, Erika Hoff, Yuuko Uchikoshi, Cristina Gillanders, Dina Castro, Lia Sandlos

Cristina Gillanders

The number of children living in the United States who are learning two languages is increasing greatly. However, relatively little research has been conducted on the language and literacy development of dual language learners (DLLs), particularly during the early childhood years. To summarize the extant literature and guide future research, a critical analysis of the literature was conducted. A search of major databases for studies on young typically developing DLLs between 2000 and 2011 yielded 182 peer-reviewed articles. Findings about DLL children's developmental trajectories in the various areas of language and literacy are presented. Much of these findings should be …

Reading Aloud To English Language Learners, Cristina Gillanders, Dina Castro

Cristina Gillanders

No abstract provided.

What Kind Of School Would You Like For Your Children? Exploring Minority Mothers' Beliefs To Promote Home-School Partnerships, Cristina Gillanders, Marvin Mckinney, Sharon Ritchie

Cristina Gillanders

The purpose of this article is to describe an approach that can be used by schools to understand low income minority parents' goals for the education of their children and to design responsive strategies to support these goals. Focus groups of minority mothers with low income levels are conducted and the information collected is used by schools for promoting dialogue and self-reflection to potentially improve the quality of the school's home-school partnerships. The article includes examples of information collected through focus groups with two groups of mothers: Latina and African-American. Findings from the focus groups are used to design home-school …

With Affection And Love: Latino Families Prepare Their Families For Success In School, M. Sanchez, Cristina Gillanders, Y. Criolani

Cristina Gillanders

No abstract provided.

Toefl Is Not An English Test, Richard Stirling

Richard Stirling

The Complicity Of Silence: How Emotional Frozen-Ness Upholds Whiteness And Denigrates The Hopes Of Racially Just Education, Cheryl Matias

Cheryl Matias

Republic And Nation Are Just Metro Stations: Value, Language And Play In Urban France, Cat Tebaldi

Cat Tebaldi

It Is A Different World? Providing A Holistic Understanding Of The Experiences And Perceptions Of Non-Black Students At Historically Black Colleges And Universities., Andrew Arroyo, Ed.D, Robert T. Palmer, Phd, Dina C. Maramba, Phd

Robert T. Palmer, PhD