Soto, Lourdes Diaz, Ed. (2007). The Praeger Handbook of Latino Education in the U.S. Volume 2, Praeger. Latinos in the United States have fought hard to attain equality, especially in the field of education. "The Praeger Handbook of Latino Education in the U.S." focuses on this fight for equal educational access and represents a significant addition to American educational literature. The contributors to this volume reveal that many Latino children still face challenges that were present many decades ago. In addition to such obstacles as cultural conflicts and racism, they also face teachers, curricula, and assessments that are not always respectful to their backgrounds. Three major questions form the framework for this landmark work: (1) How can schools address issues of educational equity for Latino students in the U.S. (2) How can curricula be reformed to address the needs of these students? (3) How can scholars, community activists, and parents collaborate for the benefit of Latino learners in the U.S.? This book consists of two volumes. The volumes present A-Z thematic entries written by contemporary scholars capable of encouraging dialogue and further investigative readings. The entries include informative and narrative pieces describing the salient issues and the struggle for equity. The foreword to the volume is by Antonia Darder, Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The introduction is by set editor Lourdes Diaz Soto. Additional sections in the volumes include demographic tables and charts, an appendix with brief salient definitions, and photos depicting current and historical issues helping to personalize the educational daily-lived realities of Latinos/as in the U.S. Educators, parents, policy makers, and communities across the country will find this work a goldmine of detailed historical and current information. The contents of this second volume are divided into the following sections: (1) Foreword by Antonia Darder; (2) Acknowledgments; (3) Introduction; (4) Organization of the Volume; (5) Demographics; (6) Glossary; (7) Index; and (8) About the Editor and Contributors. [For Volume 1, see ED495101.]   [More]  Descriptors: Access to Education, Equal Education, Hispanic Americans, Hispanic American Students

Todhunter, Susan (2007). Instructional Conversations in a High School Spanish Class, Foreign Language Annals. This case study investigated spontaneous interpersonal communication in a high school Spanish classroom, using instructional conversation as a framework for analysis. Instructional conversations are collaborative, extended verbal exchanges in which students develop a coherent topic, supported by the teacher's contingent questions and feedback. The features, length, and frequency of instructional conversations were examined. Analysis of discourse led to a set of distinctive features adapted from the bilingual instructional conversation model. Seventeen instructional conversation episodes constituted 7% of the total time in 18 observed lessons, occurring typically before the teacher's planned lesson activities and at transitions in the lesson. The potential value of instructional conversations for developing interactional competence suggests that they deserve the attention of teachers and researchers, and a more prominent place in the language classroom.   [More]  Descriptors: Feedback (Response), Speech Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Classroom Communication

Troy, Jakelin; Walsh, Michael (2004). Terminology Planning in Aboriginal Australia, Current Issues in Language Planning. Australia, as far as Aboriginal languages are concerned, is not yet engaged in systematic language planning exercises. This is in contrast to other parts of the world where language planning is institutionalised and enforced. In this paper we chronicle some of the language planning exercises we have observed, been involved in, or have studied of from the historical record. Terminology planning will obviously vary according to the language situation under consideration and we claim here that much of the terminology planning in Aboriginal Australia has been highly localised, ad hoc and much less institutionalised than elsewhere. With 250 Aboriginal languages existing at first significant European contact, it is not so surprising that efforts should be localised. The better documented cases of terminology planning are mostly to be found in northern Australia where the effects of outside contact have been more recent, so that some languages are still being spoken by children. In recent years, some of the more endangered languages have been in a process of revitalisation. We provide some examples of terminology planning from such languages, with a particular emphasis on New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Of particular importance is appropriate consultation with the owners of these languages.   [More]  Descriptors: Language Maintenance, Language Planning, Foreign Countries, Indigenous Populations

What Works Clearinghouse (2007). English Language Learners. What Works Clearinghouse Topic Report. English language learners are students with a primary language other than English who have a limited range of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in English. English language learners also include students identified and determined by their school as having limited English proficiency and a language other than English spoken in the home. This review focuses on programs to improve the English language literacy and/or academic achievement of elementary school students who are English language learners. For a program to be included, the majority of instruction has to be conducted in English (approximately 80%) but teachers might occasionally provide some native language support. The review focuses on programs for English language learners in grades K-6. It also includes studies in which students may no longer be considered to have limited English proficiency by their school but still have limited English language skills. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) looked at 73 studies of 32 programs that qualified for review. Of these, 16 studies of 12 programs met WWC's evidence standards–8 without reservations, and 8 with reservations. Twenty programs reviewed had no studies meeting WWC evidence screens, three of which were eligible for inclusion in this topic review but did not have studies. Additionally, 20 studies could not be categorized by an intervention and are not cited in the report. (The initial identification of eligible programs, practices, and studies ended in March 2006.) The review focused on three outcome domains: reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and English language development. In looking at the three outcome domains for the 12 interventions, the following produced potentially positive effects on reading achievement and English language development: (1) Bilingual Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition; (2) Instructional Conversations and Literature Logs; and (3) Vocabulary Improvement Program. Eight other programs and practices had potentially positive effects in one domain. One program had no discernible effects in two domains. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures, and 1 footnote.) [The following studies, reviewed in this intervention report, met WWC standards: (1) Uchikoshi, Y. (2005). "Narrative development in bilingual kindergartners: Can Arthur help?" Developmental Psychology, 41(3), 464-478; (2) Vaughn, S., Cirino, P. T., Linan-Thompson, S., Mathes, P. G., Carlson, C. D., Cardenas-Hagan, E., et al. (2006). "Effectiveness of a Spanish intervention and an English intervention for English language learners at risk for reading problems." American Educational Research Journal, 43(3), 449-487; (3) Scientific Learning Corporation. (2004). "Improved language skills by children with low reading performance who used Fast ForWord Language: MAPS for learning." MAPS for Learning, 3(1), 1-13; (4) Jun-Aust, H. (1985, March). "Individual differences in second language learning of Korean immigrant students." Paper presented at the International Conference on Second/Foreign Language Acquisition by Children, Oklahoma City, OK; (5) Prater, D. L., and Bermudez, A. B. (1983). "Using peer response groups with limited English proficient writers." Bilingual Research Journal, 17 (1, 2), 99-116; (6) Serrano, C. J. (1987). "The effectiveness of cross-level peer involvement in the acquisition of English as a second language by Spanish-speaking migrant children." Dissertation Abstracts International, 48 (07), 1682-A. (UMI No. 8723149); (7) Saenz, L. M., Fuchs, L. S., and Fuchs, D. (2005). "Peer-assisted learning strategies for English language learners with learning disabilities." Exceptional Children, 71(3), 231-247; and (8) Gunn, B., Biglan, A., Smolkowski, K., and Ary, D. (2000). "The efficacy of supplemental instruction in decoding skills for Hispanic and non-Hispanic students in early elementary school." Journal of Special Education, 34, 90-103.]   [More]  Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Second Language Learning, Writing (Composition), Reading Difficulties

Simms, Laurene; Thumann, Helen (2007). In Search of a New, Linguistically and Culturally Sensitive Paradigm in Deaf Education, American Annals of the Deaf. For more than a century, educators have recognized the low academic achievement of deaf children in America. Teacher training programs in deaf education historically have emphasized medical-pathological views of deaf people and deaf education rather than appropriate pedagogies that draw upon and build on deaf students' linguistic and cultural knowledge. A recent and growing interest in educating deaf children bilingually acknowledges the value of American Sign Language and English in the classroom. The authors address the dire need for prospective teachers and teacher educators to rethink their views of deaf people and, in doing so, rethink the teaching methodologies in deaf education.   [More]  Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Teacher Educators, American Sign Language, Deafness

Kemppainen, Raija; Ferrin, Scott E.; Ward, Carol J.; Hite, Julie M. (2004). "One Should Not Forget One's Mother Tongue": Russian-Speaking Parents' Choice of Language of Instruction in Estonia, Bilingual Research Journal. This exploratory study identifies factors affecting parental choice of language of instruction, based on semistructured interviews with 16 Russian-speaking parents in three urban areas of Estonia. We investigated three different types of language programs: Russian schools, which provided education in the children's first language; Estonian schools, which provided education in the children's second language; and Russian-Estonian bilingual programs, which functioned as separate classes within Russian schools. Our interviews with parents revealed four basic types of orientation toward language and culture. We have labeled these orientations multicultural (appreciating or feeling comfortable with many languages and cultures), Russocentric (feeling most comfortable with Russian culture and/or seeing Russian language and culture as superior), bicultural (having familiarity with and/or interest in both languages and cultures, or cultural neutrality), and Estoniocentric (having a strong desire to belong to the Estonian cultural and language group). These orientations correspond to parents' choice of language of instruction for their children, suggesting that choice of school language has different meanings for parents with varying culture and language identifications.   [More]  Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Urban Areas, Russian, Bilingual Education Programs

Slate, John R.; Capraro, Mary Margaret; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. (2007). Students' Stories of Their Best and Poorest K-5 Teachers: A Mixed Data Analysis, Journal of Educational Research & Policy Studies. In this study, a multi-stage mixed analysis was used to examine stories from 72 undergraduate teacher education students regarding their best and poorest K-5 teachers, alongside responses to Likert-format survey items. Participants expressed strong agreement with items derived from the literature concerning characteristics of effective teachers (quantitative analysis phase). Themes from their stories were derived and exemplar stories of best and of poorest teachers are provided (qualitative analysis phase). Qualitative data were quantitized and statistically analyzed (quantitative analysis phase), revealing that five best K-5 teacher themes discriminated the students' ethnicity and six best K-5 teacher themes discriminated the students' major. Thus, this investigation provides a compelling example of the role that mixed analyses can play in identifying preservice teachers' perceptions.   [More]  Descriptors: Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Teacher Effectiveness, Elementary School Teachers

De Gaetano, Yvonne (2007). The Role of Culture in Engaging Latino Parents' Involvement in School, Urban Education. One of the critical issues for schools is how to actively involve Latino parents in the schooling process. Although Latino parents are often marginalized in schools due to race, class, and cultural differences, many school personnel suspect Latino parents of not caring about their children's education. This article highlights how a small group of educators working together in a project actively enlisted the participation of Latino parents in schools through a positive and consistent focus on their own cultures. The author suggests that teacher preparation programs explore the power of a culturally relevant approach to working with parents.   [More]  Descriptors: Parent Participation, Hispanic Americans, Parent School Relationship, Cultural Influences

Borman, Kathryn M., Ed.; Cahill, Spencer E., Ed.; Cotner, Bridget A., Ed. (2007). The Praeger Handbook of American High Schools. Volume 4, Praeger. Written by an interdisciplinary group of experts in education, psychology, sociology, and other fields, this landmark handbook provides a thorough examination of U.S. secondary education from the private academies of Colonial America to the comprehensive high schools and alternative schools of today. This accessible compendium is a treasure trove of reliable and authoritative information for educators, parents, and students. It includes original entries on assessment, architecture, bullying, campus life, censorship, college preparation, desegregation, disabilities, ethnic identity, family and community involvement, finance inequality, gangs, home schooling, homework, immigrants, intelligence, learning styles, magnet schools, mentoring, peer groups and peer culture, prom, reunions, rural schools, school boards, school to work programs, sex education, sports, standardized tests, student rights, teacher certification, teacher shortage, test preparation, violence, vouchers, and yearbooks, just to name a few. The text includes primary documents, each with scene and context-setting introductions, such as reports, legislation, and US Supreme Court cases will be found as well. Thorough cross-referencing enables the user to follow a topic from an entry to a primary document or another related entry. This wide-ranging, accessible and user-friendly source is an authoritative reference for anyone concerned with high schools and high school students in the United States. This fourth volume is divided into the following sections: (1) Preface; (2) Introduction; (3) List of Documents; (4) Legislation; (5) Reports and Books; and (6) Index. [For Volume 1, see ED495146. For Volume 2, see ED495109. For Volume 3, see ED495104.]   [More]  Descriptors: Reference Materials, Court Litigation, Equal Education, Access to Education

Seidl, Barbara (2007). Working with Communities to Explore and Personalize Culturally Relevant Pedagogies: "Push, Double Images, and Raced Talk", Journal of Teacher Education. Within this article I describe, with the help of my masters in education (MEd) students who are also my coresearchers, the results of a year-long, cooperative inquiry aimed at exploring and making concrete the ways in which cultural and political knowledge can be explored, understood, and personalized as prospective teachers begin to develop culturally relevant approaches. This work is not intended to describe a model or define a single style, nor do we make any claims that what is described can be linked to improved achievement. What we do attempt to communicate is how a group of prospective teachers, as participants and students of a particular African American community context, begin to develop bicultural competency and personalize cultural and political knowledge in an effort to develop culturally relevant pedagogies.   [More]  Descriptors: African American Community, Culturally Relevant Education, African American Students, Cultural Awareness

Garcia, Eugene E.; Jensen, Bryant (2007). Helping Young Hispanic Learners, Educational Leadership. Hispanics are the largest and youngest ethnic group in the United States. Moreover, young Hispanic children make up approximately 80 percent of the U.S. English language learner population. They are a heterogeneous group, born both inside and outside the United States and having origins in Mexico, Cuba, Central America, South America, and the Dominican Republic. Young Hispanics bring a set of welcome assets to the education process: They often come from two-parent families, have a strong work ethic, are healthy, value education, and often are bilingual. Nevertheless, Hispanics lag behind their white and Asian American peers at all proficiency levels of reading and mathematics throughout their K-12 schooling. To improve their education trajectory early on requires rich language environments, dual-language programs, universal prekindergarten, and high-quality, bilingual teachers.   [More]  Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Work Ethic, Bilingualism, Bilingual Teachers

Bowering, Margaret; Leggett, Bridget M.; Harvey, Michael; Hui, Leng (2007). Opening up Thinking: Reflections on Group Work in a Bilingual Postgraduate Program, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. As the number of off-shore content-based courses presented by Western universities increases, the issue as to the suitability of elements of constructivist pedagogy arises. This paper reports on mainland Chinese student views of two different types of collaborative work conducted bilingually within a Master of Education program specializing in Educational Leadership. Despite the fact that the literature is divided on the appropriateness of such activity within Confucian-Heritage contexts, initial student evaluations voted the two group activities as the most valuable of all the course components. This encouraged the team to investigate the phenomenon by gathering both quantitative and qualitative evidence relating to the value, the organization and the contribution of individuals in each case. The extent and the nature of the generally positive responses are reported in the paper before a discussion reflecting on what the comparison of "think, pair, share" with "team activities" reveals for future courses. The conclusion is drawn that the study underscores confidence that group work can be very effective in such bilingual, content-based courses in China and elsewhere.   [More]  Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning), Student Evaluation, Group Activities, Foreign Countries

Burnaby, Barbara; Philpott, David (2007). Innu Oral Dominance Meets Schooling: New Data on Outcomes, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. In light of a major study on educational outcomes, this paper explores how Aboriginal language dominance and virtually exclusive use of oral communications in one Aboriginal group has been affected by its interaction with Western institutions. For several years negotiations have been undertaken among the Innu Nation of Labrador, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the federal government over band status for the Innu, reserve creation and the development of locally controlled institutions. As part of the negotiations, a series of studies with Labrador Innu children, their families and teachers have produced rare data on Aboriginal children in relation to their schooling. The paper sketches factors relating to the history and practice of formal, Western schooling in Canada, followed by indicators of Canadian Aboriginal people's responses to schooling. A brief description follows of the Innu of Labrador, emphasising their unique history relative to Canadian Aboriginal groups in general. Following this, data from the recent study are outlined, providing evidence of almost complete failure of schooling for the Innu. Finally, these data are discussed as insights into how the Innu, and those responsible for providing schooling for them, value and react to factors in the situation.   [More]  Descriptors: Language Dominance, Canada Natives, Educational Objectives, Outcomes of Education

Zernovoj, Alexander (2007). Do We Need a National Standards-Based K-12 Deaf Studies Curriculum? An Analytic History of Trends and Discourse in Development of Deaf Studies Curriculum, Online Submission. This study provides a complete review of discussion and development leading up to the current trends in Deaf Studies curriculum development, and also analyzes existing known curriculum (or curriculum-like) materials to help inform development of an ideal standards-based Deaf Studies curriculum. The common shared arguments identified in this study's literature review for using the Deaf Studies curriculum were to empower the deaf students and integrate a Deaf Studies curriculum across various academic subject areas. This study also shows a lack of emphasis on integrating Deaf Studies in any school curriculum due to its limited publications in a literature review of all deaf-related academic journals and other deaf-related periodicals and magazines. The findings from this study led to eight recommendations for the next several courses of action that need to be undertaken to make possible the infusion of the Deaf Studies curriculum into our legislation-dictated (e.g., NCLB) and standards-based deaf education. (References are provided by section.) [Masters Thesis, Gallaudet University.]   [More]  Descriptors: Deafness, Curriculum Development, Elementary Secondary Education, National Standards

Jaffe, Alexandra (2007). Codeswitching and Stance: Issues in Interpretation, Journal of Language, Identity, and Education. This article explores the long-standing problem of ascribing meaning to individual acts of codeswitching. Drawing on ethnographic data from bilingual classrooms in Corsica, I situate the analysis of codeswitching within the more general question of the interpretation of speaker stance, which is defined as speakers' positioning with regard to both the content and the form of their utterances. Close analysis of recorded classroom interaction focuses on the teacher's codeswitches, and documents the way she distributes Corsican and French across different classroom discourse functions. This analysis reveals how the teacher simultaneously strives for balance and parity between the two languages, while privileging Corsican as a language of discovery and learning. In addition, the analysis reveals how this relates to the social and political context of Corsican language learning. Finally, this data is used to make an argument for the necessity of an ethnographically grounded analysis of speaker intentions and stances.   [More]  Descriptors: Ethnography, Bilingual Education, Classroom Communication, Code Switching (Language)