Education Commons^™

Long-Term English Learners In Middle School: Perspectives On Growth In Language Acquisition And Academic Learning, Barbara Doerfler

Dissertations

Middle schools in the United States today have a large population of English learners (ELs), and many of them have been educationally labeled as long-term English learners (LTELs). In some middle schools, over half of the ELs in seventh and eighth grades meet the criteria for classification as LTELs. This is especially concerning as these students will shortly be moving on to high school with limited English proficiency, which will continue to affect their academic performance and may limit their choices in higher education and career paths. This study explored the educational experience of LTELs in middle school by seeking …

No One Can Whistle A Symphony: Analyzing Growth In Proficiency For English Learners In Coteaching, Debra Ann Cole

Dissertations

K-12 ELs in the U.S. are increasing in number and diversity (Park, et al., 2018), requiring schools to establish and grow language instruction education programs (LIEPs) that facilitate language acquisition for a wide range of learners, while also providing equitable opportunities to learn. The study used a quantitative, pretest-posttest, research design to address gaps in the literature noted by Takanishi & Menestrel (2017), regarding which LIEPs are most effective for various EL subgroups, and to explore the effects of Coteaching for ELs (COTEL) on growth in proficiency. Data from 723 ELs in two Midwestern districts was disaggregated three ways to …

Narratives Of Black Female Elementary School Teachers: Navigating The Normative Discourse Of Whiteness, Thera Tilmon

Dissertations

This narrative research study illuminates the experiences of Black elementary school teachers as they navigate through whiteness on their identity journey. The purpose of this study was to examine the counter-narratives of identity by Black female elementary school teachers within the discourse of Whiteness that remains dominant in the U.S. culture and public school system. This study included semi-structured interviews with six participating teachers from several school districts in a large Midwestern metropolitan city. critical race theory, Black feminist theory, intersectionality, and transcendental theories comprised the theoretical underpinnings of the study. Narrative research design was employed for data analysis resulting …

Black Beyond Measure: An Antideficit Exploration Of Cultural Capital Within A National Society Of Black Engineers (Nsbe) Chapter At A Predominantly White Institution (Pwi), Rhonda Harley

Dissertations

Historically, Black students have been excluded from Predominately White institutions (PWI) longer than welcomed to attend and matriculate (Harper et al., 2009). Due to this lack of inclusion, African American students' educational experiences often center on academic disparities, inequality of opportunity, and under-preparedness in career planning within the American education system. While there has been a fair amount of research on the lack of representation of Black students in the engineering disciplines, the heavy focus on quantitative data offers little insight into the unique ways students succeed and overcome institutional and systemic barriers in pursuit of their degree. Undergraduate experiences, …

The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round: Rethinking The St. Louis Busing Program, Tango Walker, Ketosha Harris

Dissertations

This autoethnography shares our personal experiences and counter-narratives in the St. Louis busing program. Through our mission we expound on experiences and real-life situations as seen through our lens as a student and a mother in the St. Louis busing program. Critical race theory (CRT) was used as an essential framework allowing us to focus on the following four tenets: counter-stories, permanence of racism, whiteness as property, interest convergence. (Anderson, et al., 2017). Critical race theory (CRT) is the framework in social sciences that examines society and culture as it relates to categorization of race, law and power (Lynn & …

The Effect Of Preschool And Kindergarten Participation On Later Achievement Of Language-Minority Student, Xin Li

Dissertations

Evidence has suggested that preschool and kindergarten experiences affect the cognitive and social-emotion development of language-minority students (LMS). This quantitative study aims to illustrate the LMS’ preschool and kindergarten experience by investigating the preschool and kindergarten experience, family environment, and school environment. Longitudinal data from the U.S. nationwide Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten (ECLS-K), was used to apply a hierarchical linear model (HLM). Due to a gap in the literature regarding how school and family environments influence the holistic development of LMS, this study explores whether and how preschool and kindergarten experiences are associated with LMS’ cognitive and socioemotional outcomes …

Writing Instruction For Multilingual Learners, Leticia Kiwan

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the benefit of three key elements of instructional writing strategies: structured writing, visual learning, and collaborative tasks to assist Title 1 middle school site administrators and teachers in assessing the impact of the instructional writing strategies for multilingual learners to achieve reclassification to Fluent English Proficient.

Methodology: The qualitative case study included a thorough analysis of one-on-one interviews with seven teachers and seven administrators with more than three years of experience in a middle school from the Sacramento area.

Findings: Examination of the data indicated the following findings: (1) …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion At Faith-Based Institutions: A Quantitative Study At Two Seventh-Day Adventist Institutions Of Higher Learning In North America, Erin Doggette

Dissertations

Problem

The need to address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at university campuses is critical. The campus climate impacts college students' overall collegial relationships and academic abilities. Since 1976, there has been an increase of 19.1% marginalized students enrolled in college. For these students, a sense of belonging is believed to aid in improved collegial relationships and better academic performance. According to the research, students who have positive perceptions of the campus climate tend to be more satisfied with their overall college experience and become more academically successful. Private, faith-based institutions must consider conducting campus climate surveys to assess potential diversity, …

Racial And Cultural Competence Through The Eyes Of Public-School Educators, Laquita Mcmillion

Dissertations

The discussion of racial and cultural competence in public schools today is necessary. The student population of public schools across the United States has significantly grown racially and culturally diverse. Through the use of a narrative inquiry and a critical lens, this study explored the perception and experiences of public-school educators focused on the topic of racial and cultural competence as it relates to their classroom practice and educational policies. The focus of this research (1) describes and analyzes my personal experiences through the use of qualitative approaches, (2) shares the experiences and perceptions of three public-school educators, and (3) …