Education Commons^™

No.1, December 2007: Parent Involvement And The Education Of English Learners And Standard English Learners: Perspectives Of Lausd Parent Leader, Magaly Lavadenz Ph.D., Elvira G. Armas Ed.D., Irene Villanueva Ph.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

This policy brief reports findings from a survey of parent leaders in 2007 that sought to understand what parents of English Learners and Standard English Learners think about the education of their children and about parent education and involvement in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Surveys with 513 LAUSD parent leaders revealed low ratings for LAUSD’s parent education efforts as well as for student academic programs. Open-ended responses point both to educational as well as policy recommendations in the following areas: 1) home/school collaboration; 2) professional development, curriculum and Instruction, and tutors/support; and 3) accountability. This policy brief …

Revista Digital Amigos - Vol 18, Número 4, Aspectos Culturales, Semos Unlimited

Amigos Revista Digital

Cover 1
Contenido 2
A Seasonal Game: 2
Dreydl or Sacapón 3
Una Actividad: Hacer un Sacapón 4
Recetas con Miel para Regalar 5
Autores de Nuevo México 3
"Arranging Marriages in 19th Century New Mexico" by Robert Tórrez 6,7
"Frogs" by David Roybal 8,9
"Carlos Tobías Maes" part 2 by Mercedes Roybal 10,11
Respuesta al Crucigrama (#3) 9
New Deal 2
Artistas Hispanos del WPA 12
Otro Edificio del WPA: De Baca County Courthouse 13
Idiomas Indígenas: Keres 14
Una Leyenda de Cochití: La Institución de Alfarería 15
Estaciones Agrícolas de Experimentación 16
Comisionados del Condado de Bernalillo 17,18 …

Attitudes Toward And Knowledge Of Affirmative Action In Higher Education, Erika Ann Carr

Dissertations

Affirmative action has become an increasingly important topic in higher education because colleges and universities are key battlegrounds regarding how affirmative action policies are enacted. Senior-level higher education administrators have historically taken the lead in shaping affirmative action policies in higher education, and knowing their own community's standpoints on the policies could assist them in deciding how to proceed in defending affirmative action in the face of increasing opposition.

This study measures individuals' attitudes toward and knowledge of affirmative action within one university in the state of Michigan, where affirmative action was banned through a state-wide election in November 2006. …

Gender Disparity In Nigerian Education: Women’S Experience Of Barriers To Equal Educational Opportunity, Eugene Okoli

Dissertations

Discrepancies between males and females in access to schooling, school completion rates, and participation in employment opportunities are still more the norm in some regions of the world than others. Limited access to education plagues women in Nigeria as well as in Sub-Saharan Africa. Disparity in access to educational opportunity is a pressing gender equity issue in Nigeria (World Bank, 2003).

Relatively few studies have focused on obtaining the viewpoints of women who experience this phenomenon. To hear the voices of these women regarding how they gained or were denied access to education in the Nigerian context, a cross-section of …

Cultural Disparities Of Sat Scores And The Influence On Higher Education Opportunities For African American And Latino Students, Nichelle Hoover

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Inequalities in the distribution of education resources and cultural identification can lead to lower SAT scores for African American and Latino students. By using SAT scores as one of the primary sources to determine admission to institutions of higher education, educators may be denying minority students admission to a variety of colleges and universities, depriving the student of his or her best choice and the college of an engaged and diverse student body, and contributing to the perpetuation of inequalities in the system. The evidence contained in this literature review shows that, given the current system, those students' SAT scores …

Resilient Teachers: A Qualitative Study Of Six Thriving Educators In Urban Elementary Schools, Paul Giroux

Dissertations

This qualitative research study used elements of phenomenological and narrative research methodology to explore the common characteristics and experiences of a sample of resilient elementary teachers working in urban schools. The six research subjects in this study’s sample each had at least eight years of teaching experience, and each participated in a cycle of three in-depth interviews designed to determine their degree of resilience and to develop a portrait of their personal and professional characteristics, experiences, attitudes and beliefs. Once the data collection phase was complete, data was coded and then analyzed to identify which of the characteristics and experiences …

Exposing Star Teachers Of Children In Poverty, Bobbi Morehead

Dissertations

Public schools have control over whom they choose to hire to serve as teachers. When quality teachers are hired, all students have a better chance at achieving academic success. It is the responsibility of every public school principal to truly understand common patterns, which can assist teachers to become outstanding teachers, defined in this study as Star Teachers. It is also the principals' responsibility to make sure the work conditions of such Star Teachers are conducive to personal and professional renewal.

The passion to educate all children drives the following research questions: (1) How do Star Teachers describe the significant …

The Influence Of Teacher Expectations On Black And White Students' Academic Achievement: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Analysis, Syprose A. Owaja

Masters Theses

This study examined the influence of teacher expectations based on student's and teacher's race on academic achievement of white versus black students using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study. Modeling of interaction terms in level-1 resulted in six separate models (two for reading, and four for math). A two-level hierarchical linear modeling with students at level-1 and schools at level-2 was used in each model with application of a three-step modeling procedure in each analysis.

The results of the study were consistent with previous research that black students had lower achievement, and also elicited lower teacher expectations regarding achievement …

It's Never Too Late To Get Involved: The Role Of Families And Parents In Their Children's Education, Sherwood Thompson

Sherwood Thompson

No abstract provided.

Revista Digital Amigos - Vol 18, Número 3, Aspectos Culturales, Semos Unlimited

Amigos Revista Digital

Cover 1
Contenido 2
New Deal 2
Artistas Hispanos del WPA 3
Otro Edificio del WPA: Curry County Courthouse 4
Autores de Nuevo México 3
"Ranching in New Mexico" by David Roybal 5
"The Smallpox Epidemic of 1780-81" by Robert Tórrez 6
"Carlos Tobías Maes" by Mercedes Roybal 7,8
Otros Escritores 9
Thaddeus Lucero, Gerente del Condado de Bernalillo 10
Pensamientos del Agradecimiento 11
Una Actividad del Diccionario 12
El Idioma Apache 13
Una Leyenda Apache 14
Estaciones Agrícolas de Experimentación 15
Sustainable Energy: Solar 16
La Salud e Hispanos: Accidentes 17
La Historia de la Merced de Atrisco. Traducido …

The Acquisition Of Two Phonetic Cues To Word Boundaries, Melissa A. Redford, Christina E. Gildersleeve-Neumann

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study evaluated whether durational and allophonic cues to word boundaries are intrinsic to syllable production, and so acquired with syllable structure, or whether they are suprasyllabic, and so acquired in phrasal contexts. Twenty preschool children (aged 3 ; 6 and 4 ; 6) produced: (1) single words with simple and complex onsets (e.g. "nail" vs. "snail"); and (2) two-word phrases with intervocalic consonant sequences and varying boundary locations (e.g. "this nail" vs. "bitty snail"). Comparisons between child and adult control productions showed that the durational juncture cue was emergent in the four-year-olds' productions of two-word phrases, but absent elsewhere. …

The La Aurora: New Beginnings Project Final Evaluation Summary, Steven Rogg

Steven R Rogg

Citation: Rogg, S. (November, 2007). The La Aurora: New Beginnings Project – Final Evaluation Summary. U.S. Department of Education. Office of English Language Acquisition. Bilingual Education Professional Development Career Ladder Program (CFDA #84.195E, grant #T195E010024). Submitted to: Aurora University, Aurora, Illinois.

Background: A discretionary grant of $1.1M from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Language Acquisition was awarded to Aurora University to execute a five-year Career Ladder Program with a start date of 1-September, 2001 and completion date of 31-August, 2006.1 The stated intent of the Career Ladder Program is summarized here: “The program provided discretionary grants to upgrade …

Beyond The Classroom Walls: A Study Of Out-Of-Class English Use By Adult Community College Esl Students, Tracey Louise Knight

Dissertations and Theses

Research in Second Language Acquisition indicates that using English outside of the classroom is an important part of the language learning process. However, studies done on university level ESL and EFL students indicate that students use English minimally when outside of the classroom. This thesis furthers the research on English use outside of the classroom in order to more fully understand all types of language learners and the link between language proficiency and out-of-class English use.

Mind Your Accent, Zahid Ali

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Developing The Whole Child: An Evaluation Of The Latino After‐School Initiative (Lasi), Virginia Diez

Gastón Institute Publications

This report presents findings from an evaluation of the Latino After-School Initiative (LASI), an umbrella organization that provides funding, educational guidelines, staff development, and networking opportunities to after-school programs in the Greater Boston area. LASI funds seven Latino-led after-school programs servicing children ages 7-14. The programs are located in Lynn, Cambridge, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and Chelsea. LASI was established in 2001 by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay as a five-year demonstration project to improve academic achievement—as measured by MCAS scores and high school retention rates—among Latino children.

Review Of The Book: English Language Learners In The Mathematics Classroom, Brooke Kandel-Cisco

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Dr. Kandel-Cisco's review of: Coggins, Debra; Kravin, Drew; Coates, Grace Dávila & Carroll, Maria Dreux (2007). English Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Revista Digital Amigos - Vol 18, Número 2, Aspectos Culturales, Semos Unlimited

Amigos Revista Digital

Cover 1
Contenido 2
New Deal 2
Artistas Hispanos del WPA 3
Otro Edificio del WPA 4
Autores de Nuevo México 5
Adalucía Quan 5
Excerptos de La Chica de Mendiburo 6
Una Actividad: Escribir un Cuento 7
My Grandfather’s House by David Roybal 8
The Richest Men in New Mexico by Robert Tórrez 9,10
Respuesta al Crucigrama (#1) 10
El Idioma Navajó 11
Bernalillo County Organizational Chart 12
La Historia de la Merced de Atrisco. Traducido de información por Barbara Armijo, Atrisco Heritage Academy 13
La Salud de Gente Hispana: el Cáncer 14
Estaciones Agrícolas de Experimentar 15
Sustainable …

Reflective Reactions: Learning What It Means To Read And Reread Self Within A 6th Grade Social Action Project, Joy L. Wiggins

Woodring College of Education Faculty Publications

This article focuses on the ways in which social action can be read and reread through one white female teacher’s experience. More specifically, how I read my actions and how I was read by them illustrates the compelling need to consistently reevaluate our perception of what we believe aligns with the ideals of building socially just and safe communities and what could subvert the very causes we are trying to help. This article originally started as a tribute to the success of my sixth-grade students writing letters to the mayor about the problems with drugs, gangs, and homeless people in …

Analyzing An Urban University's Diversity Dilemma, Melodee Landis, Angela Ferguson, Ana Carballal, Wilma Kuhlman, Sandra Squires

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Lack of diversity in the teaching force is proving to be a grievous problem for our country. Across the nation the percentage of teachers of color in our schools remains stagnant as the percentage of students of color increases (Gay, Dingus & Jackson, 2003; Gordon, 2000; Gursky, 1999). Councils have been convened and conferences held to confront the issue (National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teaching Force, 2004). This disparity between the supply and demand for a diverse teaching force not only violates our standards of equity, it also appears to have a deleterious effect on achievement of students, particularly …

Fostering Writing Development Of Secondary English Language Learners: Overcoming Fears, Tears, And The Dreaded 5-Paragraph Essay, Susan Adams

Susan Adams

Presentation at the Indiana Teachers of Writing Annual Conference, October 2007.

Does Religious Behavior Predict Academic Success For English Learners?, Jeanmarie Hamilton Boone

Jeanmarie Hamilton Boone

This study examined the religious practices and behaviors of predominantly Hispanic high school English learners to determine whether their religious behaviors, such as attending church, enjoying church attendance and wearing religious symbols were associated academic achievement. In the sample of 126 primarily Christian students, religiosity was determined not to be associated with academic achievement.

Bilingual Special Education, Rebecca A. Neal, Aydin Bal, Federico R. Waitoller

Rebecca Neal

Training For Service Providers, Sherwood Thompson

Sherwood Thompson

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Functional Diversity Training, Using The Mbti Instrument, On Workgroup Performance, Dale S. Sugerman

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Little empirical research has focused on the personality and behavioral differences of individuals assigned to work together in workgroups. This study found that providing functional diversity training to a workgroup, using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator' (MBTI), positively impacted workgroup performance when compared with the workgroup performance of those who did not receive the same training.

Over the last few decades, organizations have shown great interest in the concept of using teams in the workplace. Employees who work side-by-side in the same unit are routinely referred to as being part of a team. Often, organizations put groups of individuals together in …

Mind Your English, Sadia Hanif

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Revista Digital Amigos - Vol 18, Número 1, Aspectos Culturales, Semos Unlimited

Amigos Revista Digital

Cover 1
Contenido 2
Educación 3
La Palabra Escuela en Varios Idiomas 3
Leer, Leer, Leer por Miguel Unamuno 4
Grant Middle School by Nichole Prochazka 4
New Deal 5
El Aniversario 75 del New Deal 5
Ejemplos de proyectos del WPA 6
Sin Nombre por Tey Marianna Nunn 7
Excerpt from Sin Nombre 8
Artistas Hispanos del WPA 9
Bernalillo County Departments 10,11
Estaciones Agrícolas de Experimentar 12
Energía Alternativa: Etanol 13
Consideraciones de la Salud de Hispanos 14
Una Actividad: Hacer Frases 15
Autores de Nuevo México 4
A Poem by Michael Baldwin 16
Yolanda Nava 17,18
Voices …

Making Use Of Bilingual Interview Data: Some Experiences From The Field, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper describes the challenges faced, and rules devised, while dealing with bilingual interview data as part of a life history study of a female science teacher’s conceptions of the nature of science while teaching in a school in Karachi. The interview data generated was both in Urdu and English, which underwent a number of processes (transcription, translation, and transliteration) to evolve into “interim texts,” to finally become a part of the data analysis process. I have called these translated materials “transmuted texts,” as they reflect the original, but have been recreated. This paper is significant because as globalization connects …

Teachers’ Experience Of Working With Underachieving Students: A Comparative Phenomenological Study Of Teachers In South Africa, Russia, And The United States, Maria J. Oreshkina

Doctoral Dissertations

This research project presents three phenomenological studies: (1) teachers’ experience of working with underachieving students in South Africa, (2) teachers’ experience of working with underachieving students in Russia, and (3) teachers’ experience of working with underachieving students in the United States. It also involves a comparative study of teachers’ experience of working with underachieving students in the three countries. All teacher participants in these studies were recommended as expert teachers who displayed qualities of teacher professionalism such as (1) commitment to learners; (2) the ability to make decisions in complex and ill-defined contexts; (3) reflective practice; and (4) a body …

The Design And Implementation Of An International Day Project To Foster Cultural Awareness And A Global Perspective In Tukwila Elementary School, Zakariya Salim Palsha

All Graduate Projects

The primary purpose of this project was to successfully design and implement cultural awareness and a global perspective at Tukwila Elementary School utilizing an International Day project, as there are a large number of ethnic groups and various cultures represented in the school. This provided students and parents from different cultures with an avenue to celebrate their own cultural heritage while simultaneously they learned about and celebrated the diverse cultures of the entire school community. The project had five components, which included: 1) a flag ceremony that included forty-nine different flags; 2) cultural dances (performed by students, parents, and community …

Transformation In Teaching Practice Of Chinese Teachers Blending Western And Chinese Educational Approaches For Orphan Children In China: A Mixed Methods Study, Wen Zhao

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The goal of this study is to investigate how a group of twenty teachers who work in an intervention program for institutionalized children in the Guangzhou Children Welfare Institution adapt Western educational concepts and approaches to transform their Chinese teaching practice. The intervention curriculum integrates the Italian Reggio Emilia approach and the American approach to teacher education with the practice that underlies Chinese national guidelines for early childhood education. This mixed methods design uses both qualitative and quantitative data to explore the adaptation process in order to study how their teaching beliefs and perceptions of teaching and learning are transformed …