This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Fred Tempes, James R. Yates, Norman Abramowitz, Christina Bratt Paulston, Stephen M. Barro, Robert L. Egbert, Eduardo Hernandez-Chavez, Joshua Fishman, Alba A. Ortiz, and Washington Office of Education (DHEW).
(1981). New Opportunities for Interprofessional Cooperation. The historical development of education in the United States has favored the compartmentalization of studies over a global approach. Apart from a few encouraging developments, international studies is in a state of neglect. The universities have helped to remedy this situation through inservice programs, while the formation of consortia among colleges has permitted the development of multidisciplinary international programs. The efforts of professional organizations such as ACTFL and NCSS to marshal public opinion have been crowned by the report of the President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies. Still, one can only point to relatively few international programs in the schools. Professionals can now focus on working with the community, reaching citizens, and building academic ties. Domains of education that are susceptible to efforts to augment interprofessional cooperation include teacher education, teacher foreign language competency, bilingual education, model programs, and basic competencies. The international studies profession may be restructured within a framework of professional visibility, international awareness in the community, reforms of the international studies infrastructure, and changes in curriculum and method. Descriptors: Educational Cooperation, Global Approach, Interdisciplinary Approach, International Studies
(1988). State Vocational and Technical Education Curriculum Centers. State of the Art Report. Two studies examined the status of state vocational and technical curriculum centers. The first was a survey of state liaison representatives (with 36 of 57 responding), and the second was a survey of curriculum center directors (with 41 of 68 responding). The majority of the curriculum centers surveyed serve the vocational subject areas that are considered traditional (such as agriculture, business and distributive education, health, home economics, cooperative education, and industrial arts) plus areas of special concern (special needs, sex equity, guidance, and bilingual education). Resource information is available from all of the centers, with eight centers having more than 11,000 titles in their collections. Dissemination of curriculum materials was considered the centers' most important function by those surveyed. Sales of resources are also important, with 25 centers being involved in such sales. All of the centers provide services to the public even though their staff sizes range from 2 to 102, their budgets range from $12,000 to $655,000. and their work space ranges from under 99 to between 20,000 and 20,999 square feet. (The second half of this document contains 44 curriculum center abstracts arranged alphabetically by state. Each abstract includes the following information: center name, director, address, phone number, major functions, subject areas served, staff positions, square footage, collection size, budget range, and use of public relations.) Descriptors: Abstracts, Curriculum Development, Curriculum Research, Curriculum Study Centers
(1983). Acquisition of Literacy Skills in First and Second Languages: Knowledge Utilization in Understanding. Final Report. A two-year study is reported of the transfer of two literacy skills, narrative comprehension and learning from text, from elementary school children's first language (Spanish) to their second (English). For each skill, the primary research question was the degree to which the students' first language (L1) performance was predictive of their second language (L2) performance. Subjects were from bilingual education programs in two southern California school districts, in kindergarten through sixth grade. Comparison groups of monolingual English-speaking students were used. Students answered comprehension questions about modified versions of Aesop's fables. General results indicate that for both skills, use of previously acquired knowledge is about the same for L1 and L2. This is limited only by the child's code breaking skills for L2, in listening comprehension for younger subjects, and in reading comprehension for older children. Once the basic parsing skills are acquired, the higher order comprehension processes are similar, whether material is presented in L1 or L2. Comparisons with monolingual English-speaking students indicate no negative effect of dealing with both Spanish and English in school. There was some indication that bilingual students with training in Spanish as a second language were slightly more proficient in English than their monolingual counterparts. In addition, English performance of the students of English as a second language equaled that of their monolingual counterparts by the fourth grade, and L1 performance of the two groups was equivalent at all levels. Pedagogical implications are discussed. [More] Descriptors: Bilingualism, Comprehension, Context Clues, Elementary Education
(1982). The Study of Graphic Sense and Its Effects on the Acquisition of Literacy. Final Report. This report describes a study on the development of children's conceptualizations of written language, that is, their graphic sense. The study investigated three issues: (1) whether acquisition of literacy is a developmental process common to all normal children, (2) whether the levels of graphic sense tend to be associated with particular sociographic background variables, and (3) whether a relationship can be demonstrated between graphic sense level and performance on traditional measures of readiness and achievement. A total sample of 114 children from kindergarten and first grade were chosen. Of these, 43 children were in the general school enrollment and the others were from the bilingual education program of Calistoga in Napa Valley (California). A card sorting task was devised to test the development of the children's graphic sense. Data were also collected on the children's socialization to literacy, reading readiness and achievement, and oral language proficiency. The data and results of analyses are discussed at length. It was found that: (1) graphic sense is developed by all children, (2) the level of graphic sense is strongly related to the nature of a child's exposure to written language at home, and (3) there is no demonstrated relationship between graphic sense and readiness for school. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Students, Child Language, Cognitive Development, Concept Formation
(1982). A Theoretical Framework for Bilingual Instruction: How Does it Apply to Students in Special Education?. This paper presents a rationale for educating limited English proficiency (LEP) students and considers implications of that rationale for the education of LEP pupils requiring special education. Research in areas of bilingualism, bilingual education, and second language acquisition has provided a basis for an educational framework. A model of language proficiency that identifies two major dimensions of language proficiency (communicative language skills and academic language skills) is described, and a key implication for LEP students (that basic communicative skills in a language do not predict academic skills) is noted. Implications of the viewpoint stressing a common underlying proficiency (that academic language proficiency will be enhanced through using the language of greatest facility are considered. The area of second language acquisition is examined, and the importance of exposure to comprehensible English in a postive affective environment is stressed. Application of these findings to LEP special education students suggests that screening should be performed in English and the students' home language; screening results should be analyzed to determine the presence of a learning disability or the negative effects of subtractive bilingualism; bilingual rather than English only instruction will be most helpful to many LEP special education students; and second language teaching approaches should stress acquisition rather than learning. Descriptors: Communication Skills, Disabilities, Elementary Secondary Education, Language of Instruction
(1984). Time as an Element of School Success. An overview of research studies on the relationship among time factors and student achievement is presented. The California Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study is cited as a seminal work in this area. A brief summary of findings on allocated time, engaged time, and academic learning time includes a discussion on how these studies have been expanded and refined by further studies. A discussion on how the "time for learning" concept has become a mechanism for studying other dimensions of the educational experience refers to studies on collective bargaining, bilingual education, mainstreaming, high and low achievement, minority and disadvantaged groups, nontraditional settings, and reading instruction. An analysis is presented of the problems and difficulties associated with observation as a research methodology in studying academic learning time. Implications for teaching are considered and some recommendations are made on ways in which the time-on-task concept can be used for the improvement of education. The concluding discussion offers suggestions on how time-on-task research can be integrated with other forms of research in teacher education programs. Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Classroom Observation Techniques, Classroom Research, Elementary Secondary Education
(1983). Federalism, Equity, and the Distribution of Federal Education Grants. Partly because of the rise of block grants, federal distribution mechanisms raise the issues of federal control and distributional equity in elementary-secondary grant programs. Data–drawn from such major programs as aid for education of the disadvantaged, aid for education of the handicapped, vocational education, and bilingual education–were analyzed according to three topics: the requirement for funding and eligibility in the programs, the distribution roles of federal and state governments, and the formulas for distributing federal funds. The fund allocation formulas and discretionary allocation processes appear to be widely varied, uncoordinated, and, in some cases, vague. Federal and nonfederal programs thus require better coordination, or, as an alternative, an effective allocation of authority to the states, in order to ensure both federal and state interests in the distribution of funds. The present federal formulas are insensitive because they fail to take account of educational or local needs, local fiscal factors (such as revenue-raising ability or variations in cost), or program goals, nor do they make explicit the discretionary criteria for funding. Future allocation procedures will be affected by the increasing number of state compensatory education programs, and indeed should be changed by more effective intergovernmental cooperation on formulas to fund handicapped, vocational, and bilingual programs. [More] Descriptors: Educational Equity (Finance), Elementary Secondary Education, Equalization Aid, Federal Aid
(1983). Preparing Personnel to Serve Learning Disabled Hispanics. Factors that can both facilitate and restrain the preparation of teachers of learning disabled Hispanics, and areas that should be included in such preparation are identified. Twelve similarities between bilingual education and special education are identified, including the following: specialized populations, specially defined instructional procedures and materials, specially identified and trained teachers and staff, and special financial resources and budgets. Constraints to the preparation of bilingual special educators are as follows: a history of difficulties in the integration of complementary disciplines, problems of power and territoriality, a trend toward reduction in the number of areas of preparation programs, constraint of teacher preparation time, and insufficient numbers of personnel for recruitment. Among the eight facilitating forces are the following: commonalities of experiences and backgrounds; legislated, litigated mandates to serve the unique populations; significant resources available; and developing awareness of unserved groups of students on the part of professionals. The following specialized content areas for the preparation of bilingual special educators are also briefly discussed: language skills, linguistics, social foundations, cultural foundations, educational foundations, human development and learning, psychopersonal domains, interpersonal relations, educational programming, developing and adapting curriculum, evaluating and selecting learning materials, producing learning materials, school-commmunity relationships, and assessment. A conceptual model for teacher training in this field is also addressed. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Teachers, Educational Cooperation, Elementary Secondary Education, Higher Education
(1986). Cross-Cultural Issues in Parent Involvement. Four papers address cultural issues related to the involvement of limited-English-proficient parents in public schools in the United States. "Cultural Issues in Indochinese Parent Involvement" (Bach-Tuyet (Pham) Tran) outlines the linguistic, social, and practical barriers to Indochinese immigrant parent involvement and makes suggestions for changing that situation. "Parental Involvement: Building on Overseas Initiatives" (J. Patrick Redding) examines the ways in which U.S. pre-immigration programs are building potential and expectations for participation in the schools among parents. "Cross-Cultural Policy Issues in Minority and Majority Parent Involvement" (Virginia P. Collier) reviews a variety of concerns related to majority and language-minority parent involvement in general, parent advocacy in bilingual education, parents as teachers' aides and on advisory councils, parent leadership training institutes, parent education, and integrated majority-minority parent involvement. "Why Parent Tutors? Cultural Reasons" (Jose Oliva) gives reasons for training Hispanic parents to be tutors for their children, illustrated with experiences from Family English Literacy programs in five New Jersey communities. A response to the presentations by two specialists is also summarized. Descriptors: Acculturation, Elementary Secondary Education, Family English Literacy, Hispanic Americans
(1978). Annual Evaluation Report on Programs Administered by the U.S. Office of Education: Fiscal Year 1978. Based on data available through June 30, 1978, this report covers all programs administered by the Office of Education (OE). Introductory sections describe OE's evaluation strategies (involving impact and process studies, technical assistance, and identification of effective programs); present highlights from OE evaluation studies in fiscal year 1978; and discuss the uses of evaluation activities, including their effects on budget, program, and legislative decisions. Federal programs' impact on access to quality education is reviewed in eight areas, including basic skills, improving educational practices, and reducing financial barriers. Program-by-program descriptions look at each program's funding history, mandating legislation, goals and objectives, operations, scope, effectiveness, progress, and evaluation studies. OE's 15 elementary and secondary programs include such areas as disadvantaged and bilingual education, educational innovation, and equalization. Thirty postsecondary education programs range from student financial aid to legal training. For the handicapped, 13 programs extend from preschool grants to regional resource services. Career, occupational, and adult education includes 10 programs. The 22 developmental programs go from teacher training to educational media. Two appendices list OE evaluation contracts as of January 1979 and discuss implementation of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. [More] Descriptors: Access to Education, Adult Education, Disabilities, Early Childhood Education
(1986). Trends and Issues in English Instruction, 1986–Seven Summaries. Information on current trends and issues in English instruction, compiled by directors of the following National Council of Teachers of English groups, is presented in this report: Commission on Composition (Charles Schuster); Commission on the English Curriculum (Eileen Lundy); Commission on the English Language (James C. Stalker); Commission on Literature (Darwin T. Turner); Commission on Media (David A. England); Commission on Reading (Dorothy J. Watson); and Standing Committee Against Censorship (John M. Kean). Some of the topics discussed include curricular matters, teacher training, computer assisted instruction, academic partnership arrangements between colleges and high schools, legislative mandates, the disappearance of texts in classrooms, the dangerous circularity inherent in the "effective schools" research and modeling, the "whole language" concept, developments in the area of bilingual education, the place of literature in the English curriculum, teachers' lack of discrimination in the selection of literary works, the effect of budgetary restraints on the teaching of literature, the integration of all the media into the language arts curriculum, reading materials that do not respond to the needs of students, reliance on standardized testing, the Hatch Amendment, and pornography. [More] Descriptors: Censorship, Computer Assisted Instruction, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Educational Development
(1981). Selected Dissertations in Indian Education (from 1972 through 1980). Indian Education Resource Paper. Compiled to identify past research in Indian education, generate future research topics, and provide students, parents, and educators with access to such materials, this resource index lists 128 doctoral dissertations completed between 1972 and September 1980 and addressing various aspects of Indian education. Each entry includes dissertation title, author, degree granting academic institution, date, pagination, and Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) number. Entries are arranged alphabetically by title under 32 subject headings. Subject categories and number of dissertations listed under each topic are: academic achievement (11), administration (8), adult education (3), art education (1), attitudes of parents and students (8), bilingual education (1), careers (2), communication skills (2), counseling (1), creativity (1), culture (9), curriculum (5), educational needs (6), federal legislation (4), federal schools (2), higher education (17), issues in Indian education (3), language (15), math education (1), music education (2), physical fitness education (1), preschool education (3), self-concept and values (8), student rights and responsibilities (1), teacher aides (2), Teacher Corps (1), teacher education (2), teacher evaluation (1), teacher orientation (1), testing techniques (3), urban Indian education (1), and vocational education (2). Abstracts of each dissertation appear in DAI and can be obtained from University Microfilms International using the attached order form. Descriptors: Academic Achievement, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, American Indians
(1978). The Spread of English: A Worldwide Factor in the Making and Breaking of Bilingualism. CATESOL Occasional Papers, No. 4. English is spreading throughout the world far more rapidly than any other language; however, the level of sentimental attachment or genuine liking for English falls far short of the level of necessity-based desire to learn it. There is a possibility that the spread of English is decreasing: given some rapid economic or military change around the world, there could be a concomitant separation of peoples' attachment to English. In many countries, local authorities are engaged in language planning to foster the positive image of the national language for many functions for all people, and simultaneously to foster the spread of English in its function–a difficult set of co-occurring goals. As the spread of English makes the rest of the world increasingly bilingual, the Anglophone world remains predominantly monolingual. There is substantial bilingual education in the United States, but it is primarily non-transitional; the level of functional bilingualism in the Anglo world is very low. The survival of America as a democratic civilization depends upon the survival of a pluralistic mythology through greater balance between English and the other languages in the U.S. It is the responsibility of CATESOL and all the TESOL's to work toward such a balance. Descriptors: Biculturalism, Bilingualism, Cultural Pluralism, Developing Nations
(1981). Incidence of Exceptionality among Hispanics: Implications for Manpower Planning. Based on Texas Education Agency data, the study examined the incidence of handicapped Hispanics with systematic implications for manpower planning. Incidence figures are analyzed in terms of trends from 1974-1979 in special education services to Hispanics, demographics, variables affecting service incidence (policy/law, litigation, lack of assessment personnel, inadequate procedures, lack of bilingual personnel, bilingual education, increased awareness, and manpower needs). Noted among findings are that large percentages of emotionally disturbed, auditorially handicapped, and visually handicapped students are not receiving services; there has been a decrease in level of services to Hispanics who are mentally retarded or speech handicapped; the 1980 census showed Hispanics to be the fastest growing language minority in this country; and there has been an increase in litigation and a growing trend toward malpractice suits directed at individuals participating in identification, placement, and teaching processes resulting in real damages to minority children. A five step plan for determining manpower needs is outlined and applied to project manpower needs for exceptional Hispanic students. Tables with statistical data are provided. [More] Descriptors: Demography, Disabilities, Educational Trends, Elementary Secondary Education
(1985). Communicative Competence and Language Teaching: Second Thoughts. Discussions of the communicative approach to language teaching are often confusing because different definitions are ascribed to communicative competence in the teaching context. Its definition as the appropriate use of the sociocultural rules for language use in spontaneous interaction is preferred; this definition makes possible more precise testing of communicative proficiency. An ethnographic study of features of effective classroom activities in bilingual education has these implications for the communicative approach and instruction in English as a second language: (1) good teachers do make a difference; (2) methods and materials are not as important as meaningful and interesting activities, on-task focus, clear activity objectives, and comprehensible feedback; (3) to the degree that teachers can incorporate these principles in their classroom activities, students should learn English. It seems, moreover, that communicative language teaching by its nature already does, or easily can, incorporate all of these features. Whether or not the communicative approach is adopted, an approach to language teaching that incorporates genuine communication in the classroom is desirable. [More] Descriptors: Classroom Techniques, Communicative Competence (Languages), Cultural Context, Definitions