ABSTRACT, Rebecca Duong, Dr. Wm. Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair

1. ABSTRACT
A Study of the Factors Related to the Academic Achievement of Eighth Grade Hispanic Limited
English Proficient Student in a Major Urban School District
(May 2009)
Rebecca Duong; B.A.-University of Houston
M.Ed., Prairie View University
Dissertation Chair: William Allan Kritsonis, Ph.D.
In Texas, eighth grade LEP Hispanic students ranging in age from 13 to 16 have a crucial
decision in choosing to attend high school and working towards college level pursuits or continue
attending school until they can legally dropout of school. For the past decade, Hispanics, the
fastest growing population in Texas, have been identified as a group at risk of academic failure
(Pianta et al., 2002). For these LEP students to achieve to their fullest potential, a strong
commitment must be made to their educational needs and futures. "Language minority students
are a national resource to be nurtured and encouraged to attain their maximum level of
achievement, just like any other children in our educational system" (Peterson et al., 2001).
In order to fulfill this task, school and individual factors were examined. This study used
the following school factors as variables: school climate, classroom environment, and quality of
LEP instruction. The following individual factors were used as variables: intrinsic motivation and
social goals. Individual factors were defined as components associated with a student’s
background, thoughts, beliefs, and behavior that affect the academic achievement of LEP students.
The main variable in this study was eighth grade middle school Hispanic LEP students academic

2. achievement, measured by TAKS Reading scores. This study focused on how middle
school Hispanic LEP students’ perceptions of factors that will positively or negatively
affects his/her academic achievement.