This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Linda Hirsch, Mary Fink, JoAnne Willette, Barney Berube, Shelley M. Fischer-Wylie, Brooklyn New York City Board of Education, Thomas L. Newcomb, Armando A. Arias, TX. Office of Research and Evaluation. Austin Independent School District, and Yellowknife. Special Committee on Education. Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.
(1988). Title VII 1987-88 Final Technical Report. This document comprises the final technical report of the evaluation of the 1988-89 secondary bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language programs for Hispanic limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD); these programs are enhanced with federal funding under the Emergency School Aid Act of 1972 (Chapter VII). The following major findings are reported: (1) Title VII funds, in combination with AISD programs, appear to have a positive effect for most students after three years, based on the performance of those first served in 1985-86; (2) evaluation results for the 1987-88 program alone are more mixed; and (3) evaluation results do not support the overall effectiveness of the Title VII tutoring program because non-tutored students show patterns of growth similar to or greater than those of tutored students after 1, 2, or 3 years. Twelve appendices making up the bulk of the document comprise the following material: (1) detailed discussions of all assessment tools used in the evaluation; (2) an evaluation of a continuing education program leading to certification to teach English as a Second Language; (3) evaluation of a curriculum development project; (4) results of a dropout study; and (5) results of a 3-year study of program participants. Statistical data are included on 19 tables and graphs. An 11-item bibliography is also appended. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, English (Second Language), Federal Programs, Hispanic Americans
(1992). Alaska Native Education: Issues in the Nineties. Alaska Native Policy Papers. This booklet identifies several crucial problems in Alaska Native education, for example: (1) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) occur in Alaska Native populations at relatively high rates and can produce mental retardation, hyperactivity, attention deficits, and learning disabilities; (2) while many Native rural school districts have exceptionally low achievement test scores, a few do not, the success of these few appears to arise from widespread community support for educational goals, support that is conspicuously absent in many Native communities; (3) efforts to introduce the study of Native languages and cultures into the classroom are frequently unsatisfactory to students and communities due to lack of instructional materials, insufficient attention to staff development, and uncertain funding; (4) in recent decades, educational policy on secondary education has swung from a system of boarding schools to one of small high schools in rural villages, each system has its advantages and disadvantages; (5) Native students in general have a lower college attendance rate than White students, but Native female college graduates greatly outnumber Native male graudates; (6) Native students in urban schools suffer prejudice and academic disadvantages and have high dropout rates; (7) only 5% of Alaska teachers are Natives, and some districts have no Native teachers; (8) the basic issues of Native education have been on the public policy agenda for many years and no longer command attention. Recommendations are made for changes in public policy for alleviating crucial problems. This booklet contains 24 references. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Alaska Natives, American Indian Education, Bilingual Education
(1993). Foreign Language Immersion Programs. ERIC Digest. Immersion is defined as a method of foreign language instruction in which the regular school curriculum is taught through the medium of the language. The foreign language is the vehicle for content instruction; it is not the subject of instruction. Different questions pertaining to the following subjects are answered: (1) long-range goals of a program, (2) eventual effects on verbal and mathematical skills in English, (3) keys to successful programs, (4) advantages and disadvantages of total and partial immersion, (5) the best grade level to begin a program, (6) the commitment required for participants and their parents, (7) program staff, (8) materials used, (9) effect of immersion programs on existing foreign language programs, and (10) the number of students a school should plan for. (Contains 16 references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Educational Objectives, Elementary Secondary Education, FLES
(1987). Data Collection Report on Language Minority Children. Data on Maine's population of minority language children consists of three sections. The first contains summative data in tabular or graphic form on: the distribution of monolingual-English and bilingual children, including: children of limited English proficiency (LEP); distribution of languages spoken by school-aged children; current trends in refugee enrollments; language minority enrollments in public and private schools; and state department of education technical services to schools enrolling LEP children. The second part presents information on language minority children's performance on the Maine Educational Assessments in 1985-86 and 1986-87, which include grades 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, and 12. Subgroup data on natively bilingual children and those identified as LEP include performance in reading, writing, writing conventions, mathematics, science, social studies, and the humanities. The third part contains data collected for federal reporting on Maine's Title VII project sites, including Indian education at three sites, and two Portland public school sites. [More] Descriptors: American Indians, Bilingual Education Programs, Bilingualism, Children
(1982). Learning: Tradition & Change in the Northwest Territories. In 1981-82 the Legislative Assembly's Special Committee on Education held 43 public hearings throughout the Northwest Territories to gather information on all aspects of public concern about education. Written in English and Inupiaq, this document outlines problems related to: (1) preparation for a traditional Native life versus preparation for the wage economy; (2) choosing among bilingual, Native language, and English-as-a-Second-Language programs; (3) the need for culturally appropriate curriculum and instructional materials; (4) poor attendance and high dropout rates; (5) discipline problems; (6) lack of Native teachers; (7) inadequacy of preservice and inservice teacher education in preparing southern teachers for northern schools; (8) the need for parent education and parent-school liaisons; (9) the need for adult and continuing education; (10) limited funding; and (11) large differences between educational policies and classroom practices. The Special Committee made several major restructuring recommendations, including the creation of: 10 divisional boards of education to govern schools with the advice of local educational authorities; a Secretariat of Learning to respond to demands for learning from the private and public sectors; two centers responsible for curriculum development and teacher education; and an Arctic College. In addition, 49 specific recommendations address issues of administrative structure, school programs and curriculum, language of instruction, teacher education and recruitment, special education, adult education, and policy implementation. This document contains a bibliography of approximately 270 items. Descriptors: Adult Education, American Indian Education, Bilingual Education, Canada Natives
(1992). Promising Practices for Home/School Partnerships. This report contains profiles of 18 innovative and successful parent involvement programs for migrant families. The programs were selected based on recommendations from State Directors of Migrant Education and migrant educators and on a search of the ERIC database. Each profile includes sponsoring institution or agency, program format, program components, special features, description of services, eligibility requirements, method of identification or recruitment, funding source(s), and contract person. The programs are: Brevard County (Florida) Parental Involvement Program; Coalition of Florida Farmworker Organizations, Inc. and Redlands Christian Migrant Association; Cooperative Communication between Home and School (New York); Dysart Migrant Head Start/Preschool Program (Arizona); East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (Florida); ESL Teen Parent Program (Oregon); Family Math/Matematica para la Familia (California); Home School Partnership Training and Wonder Years (California); La Familia Unida (Arizona); Life Management Skills Parent Retreat (Texas); four Migrant Education Even Start programs (Louisiana, New York, Oregon, and Texas-Michigan-Washington); Parent Empowerment Sessions (Massachusetts); Parents as Trainers (New York); Title VII Bilingual Early Childhood Project (Alaska); and Vermont Summer Program. Also included are definitions and a chart of program features. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Educational Practices, Elementary Secondary Education, Migrant Education
(1988). Models of Vocational Training for Limited English Proficient Adults. This document describes various models of vocational training directed specifically at adults with limited English proficiency (LEP). An introduction explains how the information was obtained (through interviews with staff and officials at state agencies that administer such programs in six states). Section 2 presents a conceptual framework of vocational training for adults with LEP, which involves language, vocational, and support services components. Each of the next three chapters explains one of those components in detail. Chapter 6 describes three typical programs and identifies the program practices of each within the overall conceptual framework. A short summary and a nine-item bibliography conclude the document. [More] Descriptors: Access to Education, Adult Basic Education, Adult Vocational Education, Bilingual Education Programs
(1991). The Bilingual Academic Services and Integrated Career Systems (Project BASICS). 1990-91 Final Evaluation Profile. OREA Report. This document contains the final evaluation profile for the Bilingual Academic Services and Integrated Career Systems (Project BASICS). A brief extract presents an overview of salient points of the project: funding cycle; enrollment figures; background of students served; admission criteria; and programming features, strengths, and limitations, including the outcome of all objectives. The extract is followed by the body of the report, which includes information on staffing, program implementation, and outcome and implementation objectives. Instructional objectives are presented first, followed by noninstructional objectives. The report then addresses those aspects of programming mandated by Title VII regulations that do not have specifically stated objectives. Included is information on attendance and dropout rates, grade retention, mainstreaming, referrals out of the program to meet special needs of the students, and withdrawals. It is noted that Project BASICS was fully implemented and that students received guidance for furthering their education and for career enhancement; that the project met its objectives for English as a second language, staff development, curriculum development, and parental involvement; that it met its objectives for content area subjects in mathematics and social studies but not science; that it failed to achieve its objectives for attendance and dropout prevention; and that it met two career development objectives but did not provide the data necessary to evaluate a third objective. A case history concludes the report. Data for the profile are described in the appendix. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education Programs, Career Development, English (Second Language)
(1988). Case Studies of Vocational Education Services and Policies for Limited English Proficient Adults. This document contains the results of case studies of programs and policies relative to vocational training and other employment-related services for adults with limited English proficiency (LEP). Data were collected from officials and staff at state agencies that administer vocational educational programs in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas. Among the findings reported are that state agencies have not selected the LEP programs (or any other program) as a statewide priority; local program administrators have no incentive to identify the number of adults with LEP served nor to identify the number in need of services in the future; less than half of funding from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act is targeted at programs for adults, with the majority of funding going to secondary-level programs as decided at the state level. Although vocational training services are readily available in most jurisdictions, their requirements for oral English, reading, writing, and math skills result in the exclusion of adults with LEP. English as a second language (ESL) programs are the most frequent service offered to and used by these adults. LEP programs were seldom funded by the Job Training Partnership Act, nor were they the focus of community colleges. The LEP adults were found to need training in occupational skills, basic skills, employability skills, and, while in training, they needed support services such as child care and transportation. Among the barriers to extending training are the lack of precise numbers of adults with LEP, the lack of coordinated planning among state agencies, the difficulty of finding bilingual teachers, and the lack of strong advocacy leadership groups lobbying for increased services. [More] Descriptors: Access to Education, Adult Basic Education, Adult Vocational Education, Bilingual Education Programs
(1990). Losing Entitlement: Does Grade Make a Difference. A study examined how long it took 23,044 K-12 limited-English-proficient (LEP) students to lose their legally mandated entitlement to bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes. All students had been in an English-language school for one year or less as of spring 1982 and all were followed until spring 1986. Three groups roughly corresponding to elementary, middle, and high school grade cohorts were examined. Results show that although most new-entrant LEP students will lose entitlement after 4 years, students in lower grades are more likely to exceed the 20th percentile on the Language Assessment Battery (LAB) and do so more quickly than students in upper grades. At the high school level, nearly two-thirds leave school while still entitled. In light of the results and a recent New York State Education Department recommendation that the entitlement cutoff point be raised to the 40th percentile on the LAB, it is recommended that administrators (1) consider developing accelerated programs or programs articulated with jobs or postsecondary education, for those students still entitled; (2) consider developing programs for students who will score low despite length of service; and (3) monitor academic progress of formerly entitled students and provide services when necessary. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Elementary Secondary Education, English (Second Language), High School Graduates
(1989). Bilingualism in School. School Research Newsletter, School Research Newsletter. This newsletter discusses a Swedish research project investigating the command immigrant school children living in Sweden have of their native language and of Swedish as a second language. The project's objective is to describe the children's language proficiency and factors promoting or inhibiting it in the classroom. The study is undertaken in the context of Swedish policy promoting active bilingualism in immigrant children. Factors affecting bilingual instruction are outlined, including student background characteristics (group and individual), language use, and teaching models and processes. The sample groups for the pilot and main 3-year study are described, data collection methods are chronicled, the analysis of language proficiency is sketched, and the applicability of the results is discussed briefly. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Bilingualism, Classroom Communication, Elementary Secondary Education
(1988). An Analysis of Vocational Training Needs and Services for Limited English Proficient Adults. This document presents the major findings from a study of vocational training and other employment-related services for adults and out-of-school youth with limited English proficiency (LEP). An introduction describes the study and its purposes. Chapter 2 presents estimates and projections of the LEP population to the year 2000 and describes this group in terms of their English proficiency, race/ethnicity, age, education, year of immigration, geographic distribution and urbanicity, labor force status, income and earnings, type of household, and whether or not they are native born. Chapter 3 describes models of vocational training, addressing the language, vocational, and support services components. Chapter 4 presents the findings from six case studies conducted to examine services and policies concerning the provision of services to LEP adults in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas. Chapter 5 offers conclusions and recommendations regarding the federal role, services needed, populations and geographic areas to target, the distribution of funds, and eligibility for services. [More] Descriptors: Access to Education, Adult Basic Education, Adult Vocational Education, Bilingual Education Programs
(1988). Educating the Amish Child. The Old Order Amish community is a unique minority group that does not receive adequate public school services. While a majority of Amish children attend an estimated 470 Amish parochial elementary schools, some Amish enrollment is in small rural public schools. However, six states with large Amish populations have no significant public school programs serving the special needs of Amish children. The religious values, folkways, and customs of the Amish easily place their children at a disadvantage in public school. School facilities, social customs, instructional materials, course content, and the English language could be unfamiliar to these children, nearly all of whom speak a German dialect, "Pennsylvania German," at home. To better meet the needs of these children, school administrators and teachers should (1) cultivate an awareness of basic Amish religious beliefs, cultural values, language differences, and educational and life goals; (2) develop a cooperative relationship with Amish parents and nearby Amish parochial schools; (3) recognize the rights of the Amish child as a minority and a culturally different learner; and (4) remember that Amish children are normal children in nearly every way. Educators and researchers familiar with the Amish culture should be active in providing information and guidance to public schools; such information is rare and difficult for small rural schools to locate. This report contains 34 references and an overview of Amish history and beliefs about education and child rearing. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Cultural Background, Cultural Traits, Educational Responsibility
(1989). Are Principles of Writing across the Curriculum Applicable to ESL Students in Content Courses? Research Findings. Two research studies conducted at the bilingual Hostos Community College of the City University of New York suggest that the classroom performance of adult, advanced, and post English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students benefits from the students' participation in tutor-led groups that focus on a particular course's content and employ talk and writing as learning aids. The first study of 60 students found significant differences between the mean grades of students participating in the tutor-led groups and the mean grades of a control set of students. In the second, corroborative study of 164 students, the tutored students received higher average grades and were less likely to fail or drop out of a class. The results of these studies demonstrate the importance of writing and talk in the learning process, and, based on qualitative evaluation of the data, it appears that expressive talk is an equal if not greater contributor to the learning process than is writing. The results also raise questions about the effectiveness of the lecture mode as an instructional tool with the ESL population. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Course Content, English (Second Language), Expressive Language
(1988). BESTNET: Binational English & Spanish Telecommunications Network. Final FIPSE Report. The final evaluation of BESTNET (the Binational English and Spanish Telecommunications Network) is described. Undertaken as a collaborative effort to experiment with new telecommunications media in distance education and to attract Hispanic students into the science and engineering fields, the project involved the development of a number of bilingual telecourses in mathematics and computer sciences. A number of the telecourses utilized lectures on videotape supplemented by computer conferencing and electronic mail, and several others were wholly delivered via computer communications. Several universities in the United States and Mexico collaborated, and Mexican faculty taught video lectures in Spanish under the technical supervision of U.S. faculty. Those courses were offered to Spanish-as-a-first-language students in the United States. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Networks, Computer Science Education