NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS
Founded 1982
NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS are a group of national refereed, juried, peer-reviewed, blind-reviewed professional periodicals. Any article published shall earned five affirmative votes from members of our National Board of Invited Distinguished Jurors and must be recommended for national publication by members of the National Policy Board representing all National FORUM Journals. Journal issues are distributed both nationally and world-wide.
Our website features national refereed articles that are published daily within our National FORUM Journals Online Journal Division. Over 1,000 articles are available to scholars and practitioners world-wide. Over 250,000 guests visit our website yearly. About 56,000 articles are downloaded for academic purposes at no charge. We have about an 88% rejection rate. See: www.nationalforum.com
Founded in 1982, National FORUM Journals has published the scholarly contributions of over 5,200 professors with over 2,000 articles indexed. Our journals are indexed with many global agencies including Cabell’s Directories, ERIC, EBSCO, SWETS International, Library of Congress National Serials Data Program, and the Copyright Clearance Center, Danvers, Massachusetts.
Global Website: www.nationalforum.com
Parents' Perceptions and Attitudes for Denying Bilingual Education by Dr. Mar...William Kritsonis
Parents' Perceptions and Attitudes for Denying Bilingual Education by Dr. Maria Hinojosa and Luz Elena Martinez - Published in NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS - www.nationalforum.com - Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief
Closing Achievement Gaps in U.S. Public Schools: Exploring Global Models of L...Meghan Lee
Research essay on U.S. public school reformation solutions to close achievement gaps for language minority students taking into account best global models for language instruction and overall education of students.
In a study, teacher candidates who specialized in teaching English as a second language (ESL) were surveyed about their readiness to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students. The majority felt their strengths came from strategies learned in their teacher education program or from exposure to diverse groups. Some cited personality traits like patience and respect. A few felt their own diverse backgrounds prepared them. Recommendations were made to improve ESL teacher preparation programs based on candidates' perceptions of their strengths and challenges in teaching diverse students.
This document summarizes a study that analyzed reading test scores of 3rd grade English language learners in Texas from 2012-2015 based on their economic status. The study found that reading achievement was consistently lowest for students who were classified as extremely poor (qualified for free lunch), followed by students who were moderately poor (qualified for reduced lunch). Students who were not classified as poor had the highest reading scores. The study aimed to provide a more nuanced analysis of how different levels of poverty relate to student performance, compared to typical studies that only compare students who qualify for free/reduced lunch to those who don't. The results can help educational leaders and policymakers understand how economic status relates to reading achievement on Texas' state tests.
The document describes the process undertaken by U-46 school district to implement a district-wide focus on teaching vocabulary through Robert Marzano's six-step process. It discusses the need to improve vocabulary instruction based on research showing its importance. It then details how the district developed academic vocabulary lists, provided training to teachers, and supported implementation over two school years. The process resulted in improved student achievement and all elementary schools making adequate progress.
Every child should have a textbook, by UNESCO João Soares
A new policy paper released at the end of April in time for Global Action Week run by the Global Campaign for Education shows that aid to education needs to rise considerably if the world is to reach the new education goal in the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Donor countries have the means to bridge the gap. But the latest data, from 2014, show that for several years aid to education has been stuck at a level far below what is needed.
Humanitarian aid for education is also still at low levels. In 2015, out of a total amount of US$10.6 billion of humanitarian aid, the education sector received $198 million. This is less than 1.9% of total funding.
If you don´t understand, how can you learn? João Soares
A new policy paper, No more excuses: Provide education to all forcibly displaced people, jointly produced by the GEM Report and UNHCR shows the scale of the education needs for refugees and internally displaced children and youth.
The paper calls for countries and their humanitarian and development partners to urgently ensure that those forcibly displaced are included in national education plans and to collect better data to monitor their education status and progress. It reveals new data showing that only 50% of refugee children are in primary school and 25% of refugee adolescents are in secondary school.
Special Education Evaluation of English Language Learners (ELLs)- The Importa...Amanda Lee Palmer
This document discusses collaboration between general education and special education teachers to support English language learners with learning disabilities. It provides background information on English language learners and those with learning disabilities. It also discusses challenges in identifying learning disabilities in English language learners. The document advocates for teacher collaboration and recommends strategies like preventative discipline and providing structure to support these students. It suggests teacher education programs should provide opportunities for collaboration and connecting theory to practice in real classrooms to better prepare teachers.
Parents' Perceptions and Attitudes for Denying Bilingual Education by Dr. Mar...William Kritsonis
Parents' Perceptions and Attitudes for Denying Bilingual Education by Dr. Maria Hinojosa and Luz Elena Martinez - Published in NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS - www.nationalforum.com - Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief
Closing Achievement Gaps in U.S. Public Schools: Exploring Global Models of L...Meghan Lee
Research essay on U.S. public school reformation solutions to close achievement gaps for language minority students taking into account best global models for language instruction and overall education of students.
In a study, teacher candidates who specialized in teaching English as a second language (ESL) were surveyed about their readiness to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students. The majority felt their strengths came from strategies learned in their teacher education program or from exposure to diverse groups. Some cited personality traits like patience and respect. A few felt their own diverse backgrounds prepared them. Recommendations were made to improve ESL teacher preparation programs based on candidates' perceptions of their strengths and challenges in teaching diverse students.
This document summarizes a study that analyzed reading test scores of 3rd grade English language learners in Texas from 2012-2015 based on their economic status. The study found that reading achievement was consistently lowest for students who were classified as extremely poor (qualified for free lunch), followed by students who were moderately poor (qualified for reduced lunch). Students who were not classified as poor had the highest reading scores. The study aimed to provide a more nuanced analysis of how different levels of poverty relate to student performance, compared to typical studies that only compare students who qualify for free/reduced lunch to those who don't. The results can help educational leaders and policymakers understand how economic status relates to reading achievement on Texas' state tests.
The document describes the process undertaken by U-46 school district to implement a district-wide focus on teaching vocabulary through Robert Marzano's six-step process. It discusses the need to improve vocabulary instruction based on research showing its importance. It then details how the district developed academic vocabulary lists, provided training to teachers, and supported implementation over two school years. The process resulted in improved student achievement and all elementary schools making adequate progress.
Every child should have a textbook, by UNESCO João Soares
A new policy paper released at the end of April in time for Global Action Week run by the Global Campaign for Education shows that aid to education needs to rise considerably if the world is to reach the new education goal in the Sustainable Development Agenda.
Donor countries have the means to bridge the gap. But the latest data, from 2014, show that for several years aid to education has been stuck at a level far below what is needed.
Humanitarian aid for education is also still at low levels. In 2015, out of a total amount of US$10.6 billion of humanitarian aid, the education sector received $198 million. This is less than 1.9% of total funding.
If you don´t understand, how can you learn? João Soares
A new policy paper, No more excuses: Provide education to all forcibly displaced people, jointly produced by the GEM Report and UNHCR shows the scale of the education needs for refugees and internally displaced children and youth.
The paper calls for countries and their humanitarian and development partners to urgently ensure that those forcibly displaced are included in national education plans and to collect better data to monitor their education status and progress. It reveals new data showing that only 50% of refugee children are in primary school and 25% of refugee adolescents are in secondary school.
Special Education Evaluation of English Language Learners (ELLs)- The Importa...Amanda Lee Palmer
This document discusses collaboration between general education and special education teachers to support English language learners with learning disabilities. It provides background information on English language learners and those with learning disabilities. It also discusses challenges in identifying learning disabilities in English language learners. The document advocates for teacher collaboration and recommends strategies like preventative discipline and providing structure to support these students. It suggests teacher education programs should provide opportunities for collaboration and connecting theory to practice in real classrooms to better prepare teachers.
Almost all Moroccan institutions of education, as others elsewhere, of all levels from primary, secondary to higher, of all sectors, from private to public, of all shapes and sizes, from metropolitan universities to small institutions, are starting to teach English as a second language to students. These students’ learning is influenced by their parents’ involvement in and attitudes toward English language. Such influence is what the current study tires to investigate and evaluate in the Moroccan context. To this end, a quantitative approach was adopted, and 31 questionnaires were distributed on students at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University. The results showed that parents were strongly involved in their children’s learning of English though with varying degree. Parents with educational background and considerable income accompanied their children through all twists and turns of their learning journey. The less fortunate ones, however, were less engaged when it comes to orienting their children’s specialty choice. It was also found out that most parents recognized the crucial role of English language. The findings revealed also that parents’ support in and positive attitudes toward English language have significantly facilitated and contributed to the academic achievement of the students.
This document discusses identification and assessment of English language learners (ELLs) and their needs. It outlines that under No Child Left Behind, schools must demonstrate that ELLs meet academic standards and provide annual English proficiency assessments. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulates education of students with disabilities. Accurately identifying ELLs' language proficiency and academic achievement is challenging due to interactions between language and disability. Early identification of at-risk ELLs is important to provide appropriate interventions.
This dissertation examines the efficacy of in-service teacher training programs for teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) in Florida. The study analyzes whether district training sessions adequately cover the state-mandated content and if teachers feel prepared to teach English language learners after the trainings. The author conducted observations, surveys and interviews of training sessions in three large Florida school districts with high English language learner populations. The findings revealed that districts overemphasized cross-cultural awareness to the detriment of other critical areas. Participants also felt the trainings lacked specificity and practical classroom application and were redundant. The author offers recommendations to modify training focus, provide incentives, increase accountability and prioritize these programs.
This document discusses the challenges school leaders face in administering programs that serve English language learners (ELLs) and diverse student populations. It notes that the number of ELL students has grown significantly and that teachers are often unprepared to meet their needs. School leaders must work to improve achievement for all subgroups and hire culturally competent teachers. Creating a professional learning community within schools can help address the unique needs of ELLs through collaborative development of best practices. Principals play an important role in developing such communities and supporting teachers to use inclusive, cooperative practices that respect diversity.
Demonstrating Factors Causing Demotivation in Learning English as a Second La...ijtsrd
This study aimed to document factors that demotivate college students at the University of Eastern Philippines from learning English as a second language. A survey of 552 students found that they were much demotivated by internal factors like their attitude towards English and socialization, and demotivated by their English competency. Externally, students were much demotivated by teachers' behavior and competence, and the lack of classroom resources. They were also demotivated by the course content and class size/assessment. Overall, students were found to be much demotivated by both internal and external factors in learning English. The researchers proposed teaching strategies like cognitive, social and metacognitive approaches to address demotivation.
POWERFUL PEDAGOGY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS. A Case of Four Teachers. TYR...eraser Juan José Calderón
POWERFUL PEDAGOGY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS. A Case of Four Teachers. TYRONE C. HOWARD
The Ohio State University
The disproportionate underachievement of African American students may suggest that teacher effectiveness with this student population has been limited. However, amidst these widespread academic failures, characterizations of effective
teachers of African American students have emerged in an attempt to reverse these
disturbing trends. This article examines the findings from a qualitative case study
of four elementary school teachers in urban settings. The findings reveal teaching
practices consistent with various norms espoused by African American students in
a manner that could be termed “culturally relevant.” In this article, three of the
major pedagogical themes are discussed: holistic instructional strategies, culturally consistent communicative competencies, and skill-building strategies to promote academic success.
Teachers in Texas bilingual elementary classrooms face tension between state bilingual education policy that encourages gradually transitioning students from Spanish to English instruction, and state testing policy that requires students to take high-stakes tests in only one language. The study found that the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test drives teachers' decisions on students' language of instruction, with students testing in Spanish taught in Spanish and those testing in English taught in English, rather than gradually transitioning between languages as policy intends. This pressures teachers to focus on test preparation over addressing students' individual linguistic needs.
This document summarizes a study that examined how social factors influence the academic performance of first-year sociology students at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. The study surveyed 210 students and analyzed how variables like home language, type of high school attended, being a first-generation student, living/study space, and family structure impacted academic achievement. The results showed that home language, type of high school, and living/study space significantly affected student performance.
Final draft of research on sign language as a medium of instructionAmanuelEndale
The study was design to assess the practice and challenges of sign language as a medium of instruction in case of: Yekatit 23 primary school by employing purposive sampling techniques method. To achieve the purpose of the study, the main target group is Deaf student and their teacher 15 student and 7 teacher (a total of 22, M=9 F=13), were included in the study. The participant selected purposively for Yekatit 23 primary school and the student were selected from Grade 6-8 because the researcher assume that the have a better understanding and experience. The two points on practice and challenges rating scale questionnaire consisting of 15 items for teacher and a Two point rating scale questionnaire consisting of 13 items for student and for both of them the researcher use open ended question and observation check list has been used to collect the data. Depending upon the data collected both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the analysis of the collected data. The findings have shown that the majority of Deaf students (53%) have shown there is inadequate use of instructional material. The major challenges were related to accessibility of instructional material, student teacher ratio and classroom environment. The study has also confirmed that the school and most of school community (67%) have awareness about sign language as a medium of instruction. Generally, the result suggests the effective measures of need to be taken to reduce challenges of the practice of sign language as a medium of instruction by accessing instructional material and matching student teacher ratio and create an accessible classroom environment. Further research also required to fulfill the gap of practicing sign language as a medium of instruction. Some recommendations were made based on findings particularly to improve the practice of sign language as a medium of instruction and reducing the challenge of student and teachers. The study gives a direction on priory area of intervention such as giving training to teachers and students to develop their skill and providing appropriate material and hiring new teacher to match student teacher ratio.
This document summarizes a presentation about two Title 1 charter schools that have achieved academic success with high-poverty students. The presentation aims to provide research on effective practices and allow discussion between secure care school staff. It describes the background of poverty's impact on education and the schools' demographics. The findings address the research questions about the schools' success factors, such as tutoring programs, high expectations, smaller class sizes, and preparing students for college while in high school.
Practice and challemges of sign language as a medium of instructionAmanuelEndale
The study was design to assess the practice and challenges of sign language as a medium of
instruction in case of: Yekatit 23 primary school by employing purposive sampling
techniques method.
To achieve the purpose of the study. The main target group is Deaf student and their teacher
15 student and 7 teacher (a total of 22, M=9 F=13), were included in the study. the
participant selected purposively for Yekatit 23 primary school and and the student were
selected from Grade 6-8 because the researcher assume that the have a better understanding
and experience .
Geert Driessen et al. (2005) The Effectiveness of Bilingual School Programs f...Driessen Research
The Effectiveness of Bilingual School Programs for Immigrant Children
From Cure to Curse: The Rise and Fall of Bilingual Education Programs in the Netherlands
Barker, kimberly the power of play nftej v21 n3 2011 copyWilliam Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Founded 1982). Dr. Kritsonis has served as an elementary school teacher, elementary and middle school principal, superintendent of schools, director of student teaching and field experiences, professor, author, consultant, and journal editor. Dr. Kritsonis has considerable experience in chairing PhD dissertations and master thesis and has supervised practicums for teacher candidates, curriculum supervisors, central office personnel, principals, and superintendents. He also has experience in teaching in doctoral and masters programs in elementary and secondary education as well as educational leadership and supervision. He has earned the rank as professor at three universities in two states, including successful post-tenure reviews.
A Comparative Analysis of English as Foreign Language Education Programmes inventionjournals
: The purpose of this study is to examine current English as foreign language education programmes in China (Hong Kong), Finland, Southern Cyprus, Japan, and Turkey and to reveal similarities and differences between them. And, the method of this study is reviewing of literature. At the end of the study, it was concluded that these countries have different objectives of a foreign language education according to their economic, cultural, and social status. However, communication and international relations are common denominators. It was also seen that China (Hong Kong), Finland, Southern Cyprus, and Turkey start teaching English as a foreign language at young age. If it is considered that starting English as a foreign language education at an early age is an advantage, it can be seen that Japan and Turkey have disadvantage. And, Finland is the most successful country in foreign language teaching. It was reached the conclusion that supporting the individuality of a foreign language education has a major share in this success. When it was examined the approaches used in a foreign language teaching, it came to a conclusion that all countries use various methods which make students active.
This document discusses using data-driven decision making to improve early childhood language and literacy instruction and student outcomes. It presents a conceptual framework with four questions: (1) why collect data? (2) what data to collect? (3) how to collect data? and (4) how to use data for decisions. Early language and literacy proficiency is important for later school success, so data can help identify needs, monitor progress, and guide curriculum and policy changes to better support students.
Sign language as a medium of instructionAmanuelEndale
This document provides an outline for a thesis that will assess the practice and challenges of using sign language as a medium of instruction among deaf students at Yekatit 23 Primary School in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The study will employ a mixed methods research design and collect data from 15 deaf student respondents and 7 special needs teachers through surveys and interviews. The thesis will be submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for a BA degree in Special Needs and Inclusive Education at Bahir Dar University. It will consist of 5 chapters that will introduce the topic, review relevant literature, describe the research methods, analyze the results, and provide conclusions and recommendations.
Book Review: Ethical Decision Making in School Administration: Leadership as ...William Kritsonis
1. PK-12 school administrators are constantly faced with making difficult decisions. In their book, Paul Wagner and Douglas Simpson offer a framework called "moral architecture" and "pragmatic idealism" to help school leaders make purposeful and ethically consistent decisions.
2. "Moral architecture" refers to the environment leaders foster through their daily tasks and decision-making. "Pragmatic idealism" means pursuing truth through incremental progress. The book reviews the ethics of philosophers to help readers reflect on their own value systems.
3. The book is a valuable resource for practicing and aspiring leaders. It supports reflection, mentoring in leadership programs, and developing the ability to make decisions aligned with one
The document outlines a lesson plan for integrating National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) with language arts standards for kindergarten students. The lesson involves students creating a short film to reinforce a language arts concept, such as letter sounds or rhyming words. Students would brainstorm ideas, create a storyboard, film segments in small groups with supervision, and edit the final film as a class using iMovie. The goal is for students to publish the finished movie to the class website, incorporating skills in language arts, technology, collaboration, and self-esteem.
Second quarter widget sales came in under budget in total, advertising, and marketing, but exceeded projections in production and engineering. The document compares actual second quarter widget sales to predicted sales and budgets to evaluate if goals were reached and what can be implemented to increase future sales.
Almost all Moroccan institutions of education, as others elsewhere, of all levels from primary, secondary to higher, of all sectors, from private to public, of all shapes and sizes, from metropolitan universities to small institutions, are starting to teach English as a second language to students. These students’ learning is influenced by their parents’ involvement in and attitudes toward English language. Such influence is what the current study tires to investigate and evaluate in the Moroccan context. To this end, a quantitative approach was adopted, and 31 questionnaires were distributed on students at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University. The results showed that parents were strongly involved in their children’s learning of English though with varying degree. Parents with educational background and considerable income accompanied their children through all twists and turns of their learning journey. The less fortunate ones, however, were less engaged when it comes to orienting their children’s specialty choice. It was also found out that most parents recognized the crucial role of English language. The findings revealed also that parents’ support in and positive attitudes toward English language have significantly facilitated and contributed to the academic achievement of the students.
This document discusses identification and assessment of English language learners (ELLs) and their needs. It outlines that under No Child Left Behind, schools must demonstrate that ELLs meet academic standards and provide annual English proficiency assessments. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulates education of students with disabilities. Accurately identifying ELLs' language proficiency and academic achievement is challenging due to interactions between language and disability. Early identification of at-risk ELLs is important to provide appropriate interventions.
This dissertation examines the efficacy of in-service teacher training programs for teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) in Florida. The study analyzes whether district training sessions adequately cover the state-mandated content and if teachers feel prepared to teach English language learners after the trainings. The author conducted observations, surveys and interviews of training sessions in three large Florida school districts with high English language learner populations. The findings revealed that districts overemphasized cross-cultural awareness to the detriment of other critical areas. Participants also felt the trainings lacked specificity and practical classroom application and were redundant. The author offers recommendations to modify training focus, provide incentives, increase accountability and prioritize these programs.
This document discusses the challenges school leaders face in administering programs that serve English language learners (ELLs) and diverse student populations. It notes that the number of ELL students has grown significantly and that teachers are often unprepared to meet their needs. School leaders must work to improve achievement for all subgroups and hire culturally competent teachers. Creating a professional learning community within schools can help address the unique needs of ELLs through collaborative development of best practices. Principals play an important role in developing such communities and supporting teachers to use inclusive, cooperative practices that respect diversity.
Demonstrating Factors Causing Demotivation in Learning English as a Second La...ijtsrd
This study aimed to document factors that demotivate college students at the University of Eastern Philippines from learning English as a second language. A survey of 552 students found that they were much demotivated by internal factors like their attitude towards English and socialization, and demotivated by their English competency. Externally, students were much demotivated by teachers' behavior and competence, and the lack of classroom resources. They were also demotivated by the course content and class size/assessment. Overall, students were found to be much demotivated by both internal and external factors in learning English. The researchers proposed teaching strategies like cognitive, social and metacognitive approaches to address demotivation.
POWERFUL PEDAGOGY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS. A Case of Four Teachers. TYR...eraser Juan José Calderón
POWERFUL PEDAGOGY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS. A Case of Four Teachers. TYRONE C. HOWARD
The Ohio State University
The disproportionate underachievement of African American students may suggest that teacher effectiveness with this student population has been limited. However, amidst these widespread academic failures, characterizations of effective
teachers of African American students have emerged in an attempt to reverse these
disturbing trends. This article examines the findings from a qualitative case study
of four elementary school teachers in urban settings. The findings reveal teaching
practices consistent with various norms espoused by African American students in
a manner that could be termed “culturally relevant.” In this article, three of the
major pedagogical themes are discussed: holistic instructional strategies, culturally consistent communicative competencies, and skill-building strategies to promote academic success.
Teachers in Texas bilingual elementary classrooms face tension between state bilingual education policy that encourages gradually transitioning students from Spanish to English instruction, and state testing policy that requires students to take high-stakes tests in only one language. The study found that the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test drives teachers' decisions on students' language of instruction, with students testing in Spanish taught in Spanish and those testing in English taught in English, rather than gradually transitioning between languages as policy intends. This pressures teachers to focus on test preparation over addressing students' individual linguistic needs.
This document summarizes a study that examined how social factors influence the academic performance of first-year sociology students at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. The study surveyed 210 students and analyzed how variables like home language, type of high school attended, being a first-generation student, living/study space, and family structure impacted academic achievement. The results showed that home language, type of high school, and living/study space significantly affected student performance.
Final draft of research on sign language as a medium of instructionAmanuelEndale
The study was design to assess the practice and challenges of sign language as a medium of instruction in case of: Yekatit 23 primary school by employing purposive sampling techniques method. To achieve the purpose of the study, the main target group is Deaf student and their teacher 15 student and 7 teacher (a total of 22, M=9 F=13), were included in the study. The participant selected purposively for Yekatit 23 primary school and the student were selected from Grade 6-8 because the researcher assume that the have a better understanding and experience. The two points on practice and challenges rating scale questionnaire consisting of 15 items for teacher and a Two point rating scale questionnaire consisting of 13 items for student and for both of them the researcher use open ended question and observation check list has been used to collect the data. Depending upon the data collected both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the analysis of the collected data. The findings have shown that the majority of Deaf students (53%) have shown there is inadequate use of instructional material. The major challenges were related to accessibility of instructional material, student teacher ratio and classroom environment. The study has also confirmed that the school and most of school community (67%) have awareness about sign language as a medium of instruction. Generally, the result suggests the effective measures of need to be taken to reduce challenges of the practice of sign language as a medium of instruction by accessing instructional material and matching student teacher ratio and create an accessible classroom environment. Further research also required to fulfill the gap of practicing sign language as a medium of instruction. Some recommendations were made based on findings particularly to improve the practice of sign language as a medium of instruction and reducing the challenge of student and teachers. The study gives a direction on priory area of intervention such as giving training to teachers and students to develop their skill and providing appropriate material and hiring new teacher to match student teacher ratio.
This document summarizes a presentation about two Title 1 charter schools that have achieved academic success with high-poverty students. The presentation aims to provide research on effective practices and allow discussion between secure care school staff. It describes the background of poverty's impact on education and the schools' demographics. The findings address the research questions about the schools' success factors, such as tutoring programs, high expectations, smaller class sizes, and preparing students for college while in high school.
Practice and challemges of sign language as a medium of instructionAmanuelEndale
The study was design to assess the practice and challenges of sign language as a medium of
instruction in case of: Yekatit 23 primary school by employing purposive sampling
techniques method.
To achieve the purpose of the study. The main target group is Deaf student and their teacher
15 student and 7 teacher (a total of 22, M=9 F=13), were included in the study. the
participant selected purposively for Yekatit 23 primary school and and the student were
selected from Grade 6-8 because the researcher assume that the have a better understanding
and experience .
Geert Driessen et al. (2005) The Effectiveness of Bilingual School Programs f...Driessen Research
The Effectiveness of Bilingual School Programs for Immigrant Children
From Cure to Curse: The Rise and Fall of Bilingual Education Programs in the Netherlands
Barker, kimberly the power of play nftej v21 n3 2011 copyWilliam Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Founded 1982). Dr. Kritsonis has served as an elementary school teacher, elementary and middle school principal, superintendent of schools, director of student teaching and field experiences, professor, author, consultant, and journal editor. Dr. Kritsonis has considerable experience in chairing PhD dissertations and master thesis and has supervised practicums for teacher candidates, curriculum supervisors, central office personnel, principals, and superintendents. He also has experience in teaching in doctoral and masters programs in elementary and secondary education as well as educational leadership and supervision. He has earned the rank as professor at three universities in two states, including successful post-tenure reviews.
A Comparative Analysis of English as Foreign Language Education Programmes inventionjournals
: The purpose of this study is to examine current English as foreign language education programmes in China (Hong Kong), Finland, Southern Cyprus, Japan, and Turkey and to reveal similarities and differences between them. And, the method of this study is reviewing of literature. At the end of the study, it was concluded that these countries have different objectives of a foreign language education according to their economic, cultural, and social status. However, communication and international relations are common denominators. It was also seen that China (Hong Kong), Finland, Southern Cyprus, and Turkey start teaching English as a foreign language at young age. If it is considered that starting English as a foreign language education at an early age is an advantage, it can be seen that Japan and Turkey have disadvantage. And, Finland is the most successful country in foreign language teaching. It was reached the conclusion that supporting the individuality of a foreign language education has a major share in this success. When it was examined the approaches used in a foreign language teaching, it came to a conclusion that all countries use various methods which make students active.
This document discusses using data-driven decision making to improve early childhood language and literacy instruction and student outcomes. It presents a conceptual framework with four questions: (1) why collect data? (2) what data to collect? (3) how to collect data? and (4) how to use data for decisions. Early language and literacy proficiency is important for later school success, so data can help identify needs, monitor progress, and guide curriculum and policy changes to better support students.
Sign language as a medium of instructionAmanuelEndale
This document provides an outline for a thesis that will assess the practice and challenges of using sign language as a medium of instruction among deaf students at Yekatit 23 Primary School in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The study will employ a mixed methods research design and collect data from 15 deaf student respondents and 7 special needs teachers through surveys and interviews. The thesis will be submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for a BA degree in Special Needs and Inclusive Education at Bahir Dar University. It will consist of 5 chapters that will introduce the topic, review relevant literature, describe the research methods, analyze the results, and provide conclusions and recommendations.
Book Review: Ethical Decision Making in School Administration: Leadership as ...William Kritsonis
1. PK-12 school administrators are constantly faced with making difficult decisions. In their book, Paul Wagner and Douglas Simpson offer a framework called "moral architecture" and "pragmatic idealism" to help school leaders make purposeful and ethically consistent decisions.
2. "Moral architecture" refers to the environment leaders foster through their daily tasks and decision-making. "Pragmatic idealism" means pursuing truth through incremental progress. The book reviews the ethics of philosophers to help readers reflect on their own value systems.
3. The book is a valuable resource for practicing and aspiring leaders. It supports reflection, mentoring in leadership programs, and developing the ability to make decisions aligned with one
The document outlines a lesson plan for integrating National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) with language arts standards for kindergarten students. The lesson involves students creating a short film to reinforce a language arts concept, such as letter sounds or rhyming words. Students would brainstorm ideas, create a storyboard, film segments in small groups with supervision, and edit the final film as a class using iMovie. The goal is for students to publish the finished movie to the class website, incorporating skills in language arts, technology, collaboration, and self-esteem.
Second quarter widget sales came in under budget in total, advertising, and marketing, but exceeded projections in production and engineering. The document compares actual second quarter widget sales to predicted sales and budgets to evaluate if goals were reached and what can be implemented to increase future sales.
The youth attending CityArts
come from Providence’s inner-city
communities where they lack access
to the beauty of our natural world.
The Art and Nature Studio aims
to bring nature to Providence
youth, beginning an essential bond
between our environment and the
arts. The studio, an engaging space
housing specimens from all walks of life, utilizes hands-on interaction,
investigation and participation to provide outlets for a range of learning
styles, talents and interests. It is an opportunity for the kids to learn from
their natural world, to develop an understanding of our living planet, and
to become life-long advocates for the environment.
The document discusses a group traveling together and encountering various challenges along the way. It describes stopping to rest, continuing the journey, and eventually making camp for the night after a long day of traveling. The group works together cooperatively to overcome obstacles.
This document is a slide show presentation from a New Zealand intermediate school asking questions about South Africa. The questions cover topics like South Africa's national animal and currency, whether mosquitoes are a problem, details about houses and favorite foods, population statistics, pictures, similarities between the two countries, school holidays, classrooms, and floods. The presentation concludes by thanking the viewer and requesting answers to the questions about South Africa.
Egbe, rachel ten things to consider when developing a survey or assessment in...William Kritsonis
This article provides guidelines for developing effective survey instruments for research purposes. It recommends keeping surveys short (1-2 pages), establishing clear goals for the survey, and determining an appropriate sample to survey. The article outlines 10 key things to consider, such as including "don't know" options, sequencing questions logically, and using a variety of question types like multiple choice, open-ended, and rating scales. Following these tips can help researchers efficiently gather accurate data through surveys to inform decision-making.
Dr. W.A. Kritsonis, National FORUM Journals, www.nationalforum.comWilliam Kritsonis
This study examined predictors of student achievement success related to principal leadership. It analyzed dispositional characteristics like a principal's experience, education level, and self-efficacy. It also considered environmental predictors like gender, school location, and student population. The results showed that a principal's self-efficacy has a moderate influence on student achievement. Gender and student population also demonstrated some predictive influence. The study aimed to determine which principal characteristics most influence student achievement success and to what degree a principal's self-efficacy impacts achievement.
This study investigated the effects of individual counseling using Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) and Client-Centered Approach (CCA) on the social adjustment of registered widows in Rivers State, Nigeria. 60 widows were assigned to 3 experimental groups that received either RET, CCA, or a combination of RET/CCA counseling, and 1 control group. Counseling lasted 12 weeks. Results found that the experimental groups showed significantly improved social adjustment compared to the control group based on pre-test and post-test scores. RET counseling was the most effective approach at enhancing social adjustment among the widows. The study concluded that individual counseling can effectively help remedy social adjustment issues for widows.
The document summarizes a group's visit to Mithradham Renewable Energy Centre to learn about renewable energy sources. It discusses how the Centre uses solar, wind, and biomass systems as models for sustainable development. The group learned about energy security and the need for renewables due to increasing population. Global warming occurs due to increased greenhouse gases, and can be mitigated by reducing fossil fuel use and promoting renewable alternatives like solar, wind, and hydro power. The excursion highlighted how social, physical and environmental topics are interrelated, and motivated the students to reduce pollution and energy consumption.
This document discusses various facts about Africa, including that Lake Victoria is the largest lake, The Seychelles is the smallest country, Lake Tanganyika is the deepest lake, and the Namib desert is the oldest desert inhabited by several animal species.
Mr. J Heaton Barker founded Four Square Stores in New Zealand in the early 20th century. He came up with the name "Four Square" while doodling on his calendar during a phone call, drawing a square around the number 4. Four Square has since become a New Zealand icon, with over 300 stores nationwide selling a variety of merchandise bearing its logo and celebrating its history, including one 19th century store in Russell that still serves its original trading purpose.
This document provides a summary of quarterly and annual real estate market data including days on the market, sales price activity, average price fluctuations, list versus sales prices, property appreciation, and market snapshots broken down by different price brackets.
Jisc is a UK organization that supports digital technology use in education and research. There is growing pressure on universities to better manage research data due to funder policies requiring data sharing. Jisc is working with universities to build research data management capacity through infrastructure projects, training programs, and developing best practices. Barriers to progress include low researcher priority for data management and lack of funding and resources.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS - www.n...William Kritsonis
This article summarizes a study that investigated parents' perceptions and reasons for denying bilingual education services for their children. The study found that parents lacked information about bilingual programs and associated English proficiency with learning. Most parents believed their children should learn English to get ahead. While parents were generally proficient in Spanish, they did not view Spanish literacy as important. The study had limitations as the small sample size prevented generalizing findings. It highlighted a need for more research on how to better inform parents about bilingual programs.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS - www.n...William Kritsonis
This document discusses the challenges school leaders face in administering programs that serve English language learners (ELLs) and diverse populations. It notes that the number of ELL students has grown significantly and principals must support their academic achievement and cultural needs. The document recommends that principals develop a knowledge base including cultural and linguistic understanding, distribute leadership to involve community members, and create a professional learning community to improve teaching practices and support all students.
Does it Matter? Effects of Language Programs on Hispanic Academic Achievement...William Kritsonis
This document summarizes a study that examined the effects of language support programs on Hispanic student achievement. The study analyzed standardized test score data from 381 Texas school districts with at least 20% Hispanic students. It found a moderate positive correlation between participation in bilingual programs and student achievement. It also found a very strong positive correlation between participation in ESL programs and student/district achievement. Students who did not receive language support showed no significant correlation with achievement. The study concluded that participation in language support programs, especially ESL, is beneficial for Hispanic students' academic performance. However, it noted limitations and a need for further research.
Does it Matter? Effects of Language Programs on Hispanic Academic Achievement...William Kritsonis
Does it Matter? Effects of Language Programs on Hispanic Academic Achievement by Dr. Maria Hinojosa and Luz Elena Martinez - Published by NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS - www.nationalforum.com - Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief
Martinez, luz elena does it matter nfmij v0 n1 2012[posted]William Kritsonis
NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS
Founded 1982
NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS are a group of national refereed, juried, peer-reviewed, blind-reviewed professional periodicals. Any article published shall earned five affirmative votes from members of our National Board of Invited Distinguished Jurors and must be recommended for national publication by members of the National Policy Board representing all National FORUM Journals. Journal issues are distributed both nationally and world-wide.
Our website features national refereed articles that are published daily within our National FORUM Journals Online Journal Division. Over 1,000 articles are available to scholars and practitioners world-wide. Over 250,000 guests visit our website yearly. About 56,000 articles are downloaded for academic purposes at no charge. We have about an 88% rejection rate. See: www.nationalforum.com
Founded in 1982, National FORUM Journals has published the scholarly contributions of over 5,200 professors with over 2,000 articles indexed. Our journals are indexed with many global agencies including Cabell’s Directories, ERIC, EBSCO, SWETS International, Library of Congress National Serials Data Program, and the Copyright Clearance Center, Danvers, Massachusetts.
Global Website: www.nationalforum.com
Remedial Instruction in Language Disfluencies in the Non-Psycho-Expert Lensijtsrd
This qualitative case study discovered and explored the plights of languages teachers conducting remedial instruction in language disfluencies, the way teachers conduct remedial instruction in language disfluencies in the non-psycho-expert lens, and the way learners progress in the kind of remediation they receive. The informants of the study were the language teachers of Buenavista National High School. These teachers are selected purposively as those who have encounter in remedial instruction for language disfluencies in the non-psycho-expert lens. The data were gathered through interviews with the informants. The study revealed that language teachers conducting remedial instruction in language disfluencies in the non-psycho-expert lens face dire situations on insufficiency in terms of background knowledge on language disfluencies, time, and resources for remediation. Another problem that they face is the learners attitude toward remedial instruction as well as parental or stakeholder support. Weak retention of the learners, insignificant change in the learning behavior and the use of colloquial words also contribute to the unwanted scenario of students undergoing remediation. Language teachers conduct remedial instruction in language disfluencies in the non-psycho-expert lens through utilizing various teaching strategies, going back to the basics, having awareness on learner diversity, seeking parental or stakeholder support, exemplifying passion for teaching, and having an encouraging class environment. Learners progress in such kind of remediation through the use of language in praxis or utilizing the communicative language teaching by teachers where students use language practically. Learners as well show activeness in the class knowing that they both share the same learning pace among peers. Most importantly, learners progress due to the acceptance and understanding of the teachers on the type of learners they have. Mick Mars P. Silvano, LPT, Maelt | Evelyn C. Bandoy, LPT, EdD "Remedial Instruction in Language Disfluencies in the Non-Psycho-Expert Lens" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-3 | Issue-2 , February 2019, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd20303.pdf
Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/english/20303/remedial-instruction-in-language-disfluencies-in-the-non-psycho-expert-lens/mick-mars-p-silvano-lpt-maelt
Teachers need a strong understanding of educational linguistics to effectively communicate with students, support language development, and make fair evaluations. The document outlines five reasons why: 1) As communicators, teachers must understand differences in language use and structure instruction for clarity. 2) As educators, teachers must assess student knowledge and design instruction to expand linguistic skills. 3) As evaluators, teachers' judgments have serious consequences, so they need linguistic knowledge to fairly assess differences. 4) As educated individuals, teachers should understand language as an important part of human development. 5) As socializing agents, teachers must recognize home language practices to promote school language without devaluing student backgrounds. Overall, educational linguistics knowledge is crucial for teaching diverse students
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS - www.n...William Kritsonis
This study examined the effects of language support programs on Hispanic student achievement. The authors analyzed standardized test score data from 381 Texas school districts with at least 20% Hispanic students. They found a moderate positive correlation between participation in bilingual programs and student scores, and a very strong positive correlation between participation in ESL programs and student scores. Participation in either language support program was linked to higher achievement, while lack of language support showed little to no correlation with scores. The authors concluded that language support programs may benefit Hispanic students, but called for further research controlling for additional factors.
The document discusses strategies for improving fourth grade students' reading comprehension. It analyzes research showing that implementing graphic organizers and differentiated instruction can help engage students and improve test scores. The author proposes using graphic organizers across subjects to help students organize information and focus on quality work. Research cited supports that graphic organizers facilitate critical thinking skills and comprehension. The document concludes that as a committed teacher, the author will use various strategies like graphic organizers to continue improving students' reading skills.
This document discusses strategies to help Hispanic students in the Kempner school district succeed academically. It notes that while the Hispanic student population at Kempner High School has increased 10% over 7 years, their completion rate has decreased 8% over 6 years. It recommends understanding students' cultural backgrounds better, communicating earlier and more effectively with parents, and incorporating culturally-responsive teaching practices like relating instruction to students' everyday concerns and communities.
EDD614ASSIGNMENTCASE2Trident International University .docxbudabrooks46239
EDD614ASSIGNMENTCASE2
Trident International University
James Newton
EDD 614
Assignment Case 2
Dr. James Hodges
February 10, 2020
“Impact of Poverty on the Education Success of Children”
Background
Education is one of the most fundamental rights across the world. However, access to education continues to vary cross different communities, cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Numerous studies have attempted to explore the causes of variations in access and successful educational outcomes across different groups of people. Riedi, Dawn and Kim (2017) state that learners with the capacity to deliver high academic performance exist in all income levels across the United States. Nonetheless, the success rates of learners from low-income backgrounds continue to be lower than their wealthy counterparts. While the dropout rates have reduced phenomenally from low-income neighborhoods, children from wealthy families still register the lowest dropout rates. Level of income coupled with gender factors may also play a role in school dropout rates or low academic performance for children from poor backgrounds. A longitudinal qualitative study undertaken by Ramanaik et al. (2018) found that for many poor families, girls’ domestic tasks came at the cost of schooling with greater concerns regarding the need to safeguard their sexual purity. Furthermore, with the rising desire of the girls’ educational and career goals, parents often encourage girls’ agencies to communicate openly both at home and in school. Children from poor households are also less motivated to work harder in school compared to their contemporaries from wealthy backgrounds. Friels (2016) observes that scholars have tried to make efforts towards exploring the influence of poverty on student success. According to Friels (2016), a combination of factors such as poverty, race and ethnicity have been the defining indicators of student academic attainment. For instance, African American children from low-income neighborhoods continue to face challenges such as low classroom attendance and dropout rates compared to their peers from financial stable backgrounds. In light of the above, this qualitative study will investigate the effects of poverty on educational success in children.
Research Problem
The indicators of academic achievements are often widely recognized across different sides of the scholarly divide. They include hard work, student competence and abilities, school culture, as well as teachers’ competencies. While these factors have been expansively identified and explored by scholars, one major area of research has often been overlooked: the extent to which poverty or level of income impacts educational outcomes for children. Renth, Buckley and Pucher (2015) observe that even though studies exist on this problematic area of knowledge, there have been minimal qualitative explorations on the influence of poverty on children’s educational outcomes. For instance, major qualit.
Engaging Families to Support Indigenous Students’ Numeracy Devel.docxbudabrooks46239
Engaging Families to Support Indigenous Students’ Numeracy Development
Abstract
Indigenous children are performing poorly in mathematical skills compared to their non-indigenous counterparts in the classroom. Reasons such as unequal education opportunities and socio-economic factors have been put forward by education scholars to justify this statement. This paper will look at some of the learning and teaching strategies that can be used in Australian education to help indigenous students in improving their numeracy skills. https://yourhomeworkaide.info/2021/06/02/briefly-describe-an-organization-with-which-you-are-familiar-describe-a-situati/ The teaching and learning skills will revolve around engaging the families, improving the relationship between home and school, and bridging the cultural gap. The parents, the community and the educators have crucial roles in implementing these learning and teaching strategies.
Introduction
Numeracy skills have been an issue in the academic endeavors of many students in Australia. More so the numeracy skills are relatively poor in indigenous students compared to non-indigenous; the achievement gap between indigenous and non-indigenous widen over time and there is worrying evidence that the size of gap in recent years has been increasing (Klenowski, 2009). Indigenous people have not been recognized in the constitution therefore they are living as immigrants in their own mother land; this means they have been sidelined in national development activities, such as education, making it difficult to close the achievement gap between them and non-indigenous people.
Many people use the word numeracy interchangeably with mathematical skills, even though related, numeracy is a broad field that involves mathematical skills, problem solving and communication skills. Numeracy goes beyond the learning process that is mainly employed in a school setting; numeracy involves the understanding of quantitative techniques that are used to communicate, solve problems, respond to issues and help in the day to day undertakings. It is almost next to impossible to achieve numeracy skills without literacy.
Indigenous students have poor numeracy skills that are as a result economic, policy and pedagogical issues. The high levels of truancy and low performance can be attributed to the economic challenges that indigenous students undergo. Educational policies have not been able to provide a level playing grounds for indigenous and non-indigenous children, there has been unequal opportunities in terms of financing, tutelage and the curriculum. All these issues can be solved by engaging the parents and communities in the decision making processes on education issues especially those regarding indigenous students. https://intellectualessay.com/2021/05/08/mgmt2021-business-law-legal-systems-in-the-caribbean/
Literature Review
Pre-schooling
In order to improve the numeracy achievement gap between non-indigenous and indigenous s.
This study examined factors affecting the implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) as perceived by teachers in Baguio and Benguet, Philippines. The implementation of using local mother tongues as the medium of instruction for kindergarten through 3rd grade is a new policy in the country starting in 2011. The researchers conducted a study to understand implementation challenges from the teacher perspective. Overall, teachers had positive views of using mother tongues in the classroom and felt students' language acquisition and cognitive development improved. However, teachers also struggled with lack of training and limited teaching resources to support using the new mediums of instruction.
Geert Driessen & Michael Merry (2014) ER Trends in educational disadvantage.pdfDriessen Research
This study analyzes data from 1995 to 2008 to examine trends in educational disadvantage among groups in Dutch primary schools. It finds that large differences exist between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils at the start of primary school, with minority pupils substantially delayed in language skills. By the 8th grade, delays have diminished somewhat but are still substantial for minority pupils. From 1995-2008, delays declined more than 40% for minority pupils, while gains were smaller for non-minority disadvantaged pupils and their relative language position deteriorated from 2003-2008.
Stressing the importance of the native languagejhoannareyes
The document discusses the importance of families supporting their children's native language use and development. It argues that speaking the native language at home helps children's academic development and ability to learn additional languages like English. The document also suggests that bilingual educators can work with families to provide information about the benefits of bilingualism and advocate for bilingual programs.
Stressing the importance of the native languagejhoannareyes
The document discusses the importance of families supporting their children's native language use and development. It argues that speaking the native language at home helps children's academic development and ability to learn additional languages like English. The document also suggests that bilingual educators can work with families to provide information about the benefits of bilingualism and advocate for bilingual programs.
Similar to Martinez, luz elena perceptions and attitudes focus v9 n1 2012 (posted) (20)
Martinez, luz elena perceptions and attitudes focus v9 n1 2012 (posted)
1. FOCUS ON COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND SCHOOLS
VOLUME 6, NUMBER1, 2012
Parents’ Perceptions and
Attitudes for Denying Bilingual Education
Luz Elena Martinez, MEd
Doctoral Student
Department of Educational Leadership
College of Education and Human Services
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Commerce, TX
Maria Hinojosa, EdD
Assistant Professor
Meadows Coordinator
Department of Educational Leadership
College of Education and Human Services
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Commerce, TX
______________________________________________________________________________
Abstract
One of the most important decisions parents of English language learners have to do is select a
language program. This study investigated the perceptions of Hispanic parents on the bilingual
program and the reasons they had for denying bilingual services. The results reiterated previous
research on the following: a) lack of support for the bilingual program, b) lack of information
about the bilingual program in general, and c) lack of understanding of the enrollment guidelines.
The association of learning and English proficiency was the major finding of this investigation.
Keywords: bilingual services, parent perceptions, English only instruction, limited
English speakers
______________________________________________________________________________
Bilingual education despite the many years of supportive research continues to be
contentious among politicians, educators, students and parents. Many years of research on
bilingual education amount to positive outcomes with programs that utilize native language
instruction to a longer degree and the effectiveness of programs which employ late exit models
(Flores-Dueñas 2005; Gillanders & Jimenez 2004; Hasson 2008; Rinaldi & Paez 2008; Shin
2000). Most recently dual language programs have acquired more attention as they promise high
academic success and the acquisition of bilateralism and bicultarism (Ramos, 2007).
1
2. FOCUS ON COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND SCHOOLS
2____________________________________________________________________________________________
Nevertheless, parents are still rejecting bilingual services for their children in spite of all the
supporting evidence offered by current inquiry (Farruggio, 2010; Shin, 2000).
Purpose of the Article
The purpose of this article is to contribute information about the reasons parents have for
denying bilingual education services to their children. Four research questions will be answered.
Review of Literature
Additive bilingual programs provide limited English proficient students (LEP) with the
appropriate language support needed to learn the English language at the same time it fosters
content and concept mastery (Gillanders & Jimenez, 2004; Hasson, 2008; Rinaldi & Paez, 2008).
According to Stritukus and Garcia (2005), parents in general think that bilingual education
programs are beneficial.
Parents who support bilingual programs see bilingualism as important not only for its
academic benefit, but because it provides opportunities to appreciate other cultures and promote
career opportunities (Ramos, 2007). In addition, parents who are aware of the dual language
components and process, appreciate the value of the Spanish language (Ramos, 2007). Parents
are reliable raters of their child’s language ability, thus the need to consider their observations
when assessing their language proficiency (Bedore, Peña, Joyner & Macken, 2010). According
to Yan (2003), quality education for bilingual children needs to be approached from the cultural
perspective, not only at the language level.
Most parents show pride in maintaining their heritage and language (Yan, 2003). This
idea is supported in Farrugio’s (2010) research on parents’ perceptions about bilingual education.
Parents saw heritage maintenance as the most important reason for enrolling their children in
bilingual classes. In general parents think that high degrees of English and Spanish promote a
brighter future (Dorner, 2010). In the other hand, some parents think being in the bilingual
program confuse the child and do not promote English acquisition (Dorner, 2010). Among other
perceptions of parents that oppose bilingual education are the notions that bilingual programs do
not include enough English instruction, thus the need for exploration (Farruggio, 2010).
The majority of parents who support the bilingual program and enroll their children in
them are first generation immigrants with poor educational backgrounds and low economic
status in the United States (Farruggio, 2010; Rinaldi & Paez, 2008; Shin, 2000). These parents
appreciate the use of Spanish instruction and the ability to communicate clearly with teachers
and administrators in their own language. In addition, they expect the school to provide
opportunities for cultural development.
Children of immigrants born in the United States, experience difficulties learning
academic Spanish due to the lack or quality of bilingual education experiences in their lives
(Guerrero, 2003). Experts in education propose bilingualism as a necessity no longer a matter of
choice; teachers must know Spanish if they plan to adequately meet students’ needs. Parents
ignore the politics involved in the enrollment process and have therefore resigned to their
children’s education in English. Lack of information has even lead to the abolition of bilingual
3. LUZ ELENA MARTINEZ AND MARIA HINOJOSA
____________________________________________________________________________________________3
education in states like California and Arizona where parents blindly voted against this
instructional plan. Nevertheless not only Hispanic parents, but parents in general view the
benefits of additive bilingual programs (Stritukus & Garcia, 2005).
Farruggio (2010), found that the English only group in his study reported the denial of
bilingual program due to little English, no English or poor Spanish instruction. Little attention
was given to parents who deny the program because of their association of knowledge to
proficiency in English. All of the conclusions in the studies reviewed have affirmed that
bilingual programs are effective, especially the ones that employ native language development
and transition to English in the upper elementary grades along with dual language models.
Additionally, parents’ views in general favor bilingual education programs. This raises the
question for further investigation about the reasons parents had for not wanting their children to
participate in bilingual classes even though they think it’s an effective program. Many questions
come to mind with the plethora of information concerning this topic, however these stand out:
what do parents think when they prefer a bilingual program that involves more English or even
only English? What do parents consider when choosing a language educational program for their
children?
Statement of the Problem
The majority of parents, regardless of background, see the benefits that bilingual
education provides. However, there are some parents that do not want their children to learn the
Spanish language or be taught in their native tongue. The lack of literature about the reasons
parents deny bilingual programs to their children guided this study.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding on the reasons parents reject
bilingual education. This investigation will explore factors that affect parent decision when
choosing an educational program for their children. In addition, this investigation will provide
with information that will enable educators and school officials to understand parents when faced
with this situation.
Research Questions
1. What differences are present in parents that choose an English immersion ESL
program rather than a bilingual Spanish program?
2. How does proficiency of parents in the English and Spanish language affect the
determination of placing children in English dominated bilingual programs?
3. What are parents’ negative considerations for academic Spanish literacy?
4. What can schools do to aid parents in making an informed decision?
4. FOCUS ON COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND SCHOOLS
4____________________________________________________________________________________________
Research Significance
This study differs from previous research in that it focuses in the attitudes and
perceptions of parents whose children qualify for a bilingual program, but do not participate in it.
Previous investigations have only provided researchers with limited information for parental
actions, thus requiring further investigations. This study will provide the educational field with
valuable information about parental decisions, which will enable us to understand their reasoning
for choosing an ELS immersion program over a dual language program. School district officials
will get an insight to the true reasons parents have for choosing English instructional programs.
Method of Procedure
This qualitative research utilized a paper and pencil survey titled Parents’ perceptions
and attitudes for denying bilingual education with open-ended questions, close-ended questions
and semi-closed questions to obtain parent perceptions on bilingual education.
Selection of Instrumentation
A survey was chosen as the instrument to collect data due to the time limitations
implicated for this project and because the feedback would be more likely to be collected and
analyzed within the due dates. The closed-ended questions at the beginning of the 15 question
survey served as an icebreaker and provided with basic background information about
participants. Semi-closed ended questions were selected to provide opportunity to participant to
explain his opinion on the question being asked. These questions required more thought and
prepared participants for the next section of the survey. The open-ended questions purposely
placed at the end, served to gather a deep understanding of parent perceptions. These questions
required parents to explain the reasons for not choosing bilingual services for their children.
Their responses to these questions emerged themes that were later analyzed and categorized.
Selection of Participants
The sample of this investigation was chosen from a site in Texas where the minority,
Hispanics, represents the majority 97%. The participants were 15 individuals; 8 males and 7
females. The district where this site is located strongly believes in dual language models, which
have been proven to be the most effective in language acquisition. The advocacy for language is
such, that differentiated guidelines are used for students. Several categories for newcomers
(those new to the country) exist, which direct instruction according to the amount of time in US
schools. For this study homogenous sampling was found to be adequate because the Spanish
language was a characteristic among the desired group. Participants’ criteria included only one
requirement: that they qualified for bilingual education but accepted ESL or English (regular)
education. To qualify for bilingual services, students must be exposed to the Spanish language
and must be limited in English. To keep privacy of site and participants names were not used;
rather numbers were given to each survey for analyzing.
5. LUZ ELENA MARTINEZ AND MARIA HINOJOSA
____________________________________________________________________________________________5
Collection and Analysis of Data
Once surveys were administered and collected, questioners were selected for further
analysis. Of the 15 distributed surveys, only 10 were chosen as adequate participants due to
incorrect completion of questions. Due to the lack of proficiency of parents in English and
Spanish, some questionnaires were filled out for them. Because the instrument was not available
in Spanish at time of completion, questions were read aloud in both languages. The data was then
desegregated and questions 1-10 were coded. Results were then accounted for using percentages.
Results
Research Question 1
What differences are present in parents that choose an English immersion ESL program rather
than a bilingual Spanish program?
When parents were asked to describe why they chose a specific program, 60% of parents
explained they chose English immersion. Comments provided in the open ended questions
included: “I chose English Only because I want my child to get ahead.” All the parents strongly
agreed that if the child knew English, he could learn faster. In addition, all of the parents also
thought that the more English their child knew, the better he would do in the future. When asked
if they had denied bilingual services for all their children, 50% percent or half of the participants
said yes and 50% or half of the participants answered no. Out of the 10 participants, 70% were
born in the United States. Only 20% were born in Mexico and were fairly new to the country (3
months- 3 years). When parents were questioned on what language they spoke to their children at
home, 60% reported to speak both English and Spanish. 30% answered that they spoke only
Spanish at home and 10% spoke English, Spanish and Hebrew. Parents considered the following
as tools for second language learners: “helping parents help their children,” “school and
tutoring,” “teacher relationships,” “school,” “exposure to language” and “structured school
setting.”
Research Question 2
How does proficiency of parents in the English and Spanish language affect the determination of
placing children in English dominated bilingual programs?
Proficiency in Spanish was greater than the total proficiency reported in English. In
Spanish 80% reported to be proficient in the areas of reading, writing and speaking compared to
60% proficiency in English. Being proficient only in speaking the language was reported by 10%
in English and 10% in Spanish. Non proficient in Spanish was reported by 10% of participants
and the same figure was reported for English not proficient, 10%. For this particular study,
language did not seem to play a major role in determining a language instructional program for
their children.
6. FOCUS ON COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND SCHOOLS
6____________________________________________________________________________________________
Research Question 3
What are parents’ negative considerations for academic Spanish literacy?
When parents were asked if they thought Spanish was necessary for their children 50%
said no, they did not agree with this notion. The same question was asked in a slightly different
manner: “Being bilingual is important to me.” The majority did not agree with this idea either
(60%). The majority of the parents did not believe that Spanish was an asset to their children.
They did not consider their native language as an important tool for second language learners.
Research Question 4
What can schools do to aid parents in making an informed decision?
When parents were asked about their knowledge of the bilingual program, 70% reported
not to be informed. Only 10% selected “somewhat informed,” another 10% said they were
informed, but only 10% indicated to be very informed. When presented again with the same
question, this time with the option to explain in detail, 20% did not respond and left the lines
blank. Others had comments such as “I don’t understand the difference,” “don’t know much
about the bilingual program,” or “no thoughts.” One parent commented that the decision for
choosing ESL was based on room in class, but did not explain further. Another participant
reported that the school had chosen a program for them. A similar remark was made by another
parent, this time saying that the placement was done by the ISD.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Bilingual education will continue to raise the most controversial and intriguing questions,
therefore continuing to be a debatable topic among people involved with education. For the
purpose of this study it is important to note that because of the small size sample, the findings
cannot be generalized for a large population. The limitation of size does not allow us to
generalize across a population, but it reinforced some findings from previous research. It also
provided with insight that will unquestionably need further investigation.
This study corroborated what other research including cited in this article have
concluded. One such finding is that despite the advancement on procedures districts have
adopted, parents still do not feel educated about the bilingual program (Shin, 2000; Stritukus &
Garcia, 2005). None of the parents except one believed they were informed. They were not
specific as to what they knew. Were they familiar with the process? Or were they knowledgeable
of the benefits? Or did they recognize the importance of both? This is a question that needs
additional exploration. This study reinforced what Farruggio (2010) presented in his research;
parents want their children to know English and if a program does not have this exposure, then
parents do not desire it. This raises the question whether parents are aware of the benefits of
native language instruction.
7. LUZ ELENA MARTINEZ AND MARIA HINOJOSA
____________________________________________________________________________________________7
One aspect that is worth investigating in more detail and in correlation to current research
that states that bilingual programs are chosen by first generation immigrants, is to explore the
relationship between second and third generation immigrants and their lack of interest for the
Spanish language and confirm if this in fact is the determinant piece. The necessity to understand
why some parents think Spanish is important to their child, but being bilingual is not important
to them is intriguing and worth investigating. Another aspect that needs further clarification is if
parents did not deny bilingual services for all their children, what were their motives? What
made them decide was it previous experiences like Shin (2000) explained? Or was their decision
based on the individuality of their child? Going back to the concern of parent association of
Knowledge and English proficiency, this investigation fell short in answering this question.
Further investigation and different data collecting methods will be necessary to fully understand
this idea. Not enough information was collected to conclude this assumption or hypothesis
because again the sample was small, and because the questions cannot be correlated to affirm
this concern. One fact that was found with this study is that parents in fact think that knowing
English facilitates learning; however this is just the beginning.
Parents clearly did not support bilingual education, but the lack of information about the
program was also evident. Because of the limitations, groups of US born and Non US born could
not be compared, this will be the next step. In conclusion, the association of language acquisition
and knowledge, as one of the reasons for denying bilingual services, provided a start; all parents
thought that knowing English promotes learning in general.
References
Bedore. L., Peña, E., Joyner, D., & Macken, C. (2010). Parent and teacher rating of bilingual
language proficiency and language development concerns. International Journal of
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(5), 489-511.
Dorner, L. (2010). English and Spanish ‘para un futuro’ – or just English? Immigrant family
perspectives on two-way immersion. International Journal of Bilingual Education and
Bilingualism, 13(3), 303 -323. doi: 10.1080/13670050903229851
Farrugio, P. (2010). Latino immigrant parents’ views of bilingual education as a vehicle for
heritage preservation. Journal of Latinos in Education, 9(1), 3-21.
Flores-Dueñas, L. (2005). Lesson from la maestro Miriam: Developing literature identities
through early critical literacy teaching. Journal of Latinos and Education, 4(4), 237-251.
Gillanders, C., & Jimenez, R. (2004). Reaching for success: A close-up of Mexican immigrant
parents in the USA who foster literacy success for their kindergarten children, Journal of
Early Childhood Literacy, 4(3), 243-269.
Guerrero, M.D. (2003). Acquiring and participating in the use of academic Spanish: Four novice
Latina bilingual education teachers’ stories. Journal of Latinos and Education, 2(3), 159-
181.
Hasson, D. J. (2008). Self-perceptions of native language abilities in bilingual Hispanic young
adults. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 21(2), 138-153.
Ramos, F. (2007). What do parents think of two-way bilingual education? An analysis of
responses. Journal of Latinos and Education, 6(2), 139-150.
8. FOCUS ON COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND SCHOOLS
8____________________________________________________________________________________________
Rinaldi, C., Paez, M. (2008). Preschool Matters: Predicting reading difficulties for Spanish-
speaking bilingual students in first grade. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary
Journal, 6(1), 71-86.
Shin, F. H. (2000). Parent attitudes toward the principles of bilingual education and their
children’s participation in bilingual programs. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 21(1), 93-
99.
Stritikus, T., & Garcia, E. (2005). Revisiting the bilingual debate from the perspective of parents:
policy, practice and matches or mismatches. Educational Policy, 19(5), 729-744.
Yan, R. (2003). Parental perceptions on maintaining heritage languages of CLD students.
Bilingual Review, 27, 99-113.