This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Ronald W. Wilhelm, Sue Fernandez, Hilandia Neuta, Maui John Mitchell, Richard P. Duran, MaryEllen Patterson, Steven J. Rakow, Carlos Gabler, Tony Holmes, and Hilary Anne Mitchell.
(1993). Examining Identification and Instruction Practices for Gifted and Talented Limited English Proficient Students. Underrepresentation of minority students in gifted and talented (G/T) programs is a well established fact. A study examined procedures and criteria used to identify, place, and instruct gifted and talented students with limited English proficiency (GT/LEPs) in Texas, California, Colorado, Florida, Arizona, and New York public schools, to help identify factors contributing to underrepresentation of this population in gifted and talented (GT) educational programs. GT program coordinators (n=268) in a cross-section of schools responded to a survey. Less than 20 percent had established a means for identifying GT/LEPs. Respondents identified characteristic GT student behaviors that might be masked by linguistic and cultural differences, including a variety of language, cognitive, inter-/intrapersonal, academic, and artistic skills. Almost 80 percent acknowledged the need to use different means of assessment than for mainstream students. Most used multiple sources in identifying GT/LEPs. Only about 30 percent found their identification processes successful. A majority had no community input in identification. Under 10 percent had programs to serve the students identified. Although most respondents agreed that technology was important in the education of these students, there were no recommendations for effective software. Very few established GT/LEP programs used differentiated instructional materials, as recommended in the literature, but a majority followed theoretically-based program models. Parent involvement was less extensive than parental support. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Classroom Techniques, Educational Strategies, Elementary Secondary Education
(1993). ESL and Bilingual Program Models. ERIC Digest. Nowadays all schools must be prepared to meet the challenge of an increasingly diverse student population, including many students who are not proficient in English. The effectiveness of various program models for language minority students remains the subject of controversy, and there are several factors to consider when selecting a program model: (1) district or school demographics, (2) student characteristics, and (3) district or school resources. English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs (rather than bilingual programs) are likely to be used in districts where the language minority population is very diverse and represents many different languages. There are several different types of ESL programs: ESL pull-out, ESL class period, and ESL resource center. Bilingual program models, which use the students' home language, in addition to English for instruction, are most easily implemented in districts with a large number of students from the same language background. There are three types of bilingual programs: early-exit, late-exit, and two-way . There are other programs that provide neither instruction in the native language nor direct instruction in ESL, but that have adapted instruction to meet the needs of students who are not proficient in English. Two such programs are sheltered English or content-based programs, and structured immersion programs. Researchers have identified a number of attributes that are characteristic of effective programs for language minority students. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Demography, Elementary Secondary Education, English (Second Language)
(1988). Center for Bilingual Studies Report. The report details the development of the Center for Bilingual Studies (CBS) at St. Augustine College (Illinois), a bilingual junior college founded by Hispanic educators and targeting a nontraditional Hispanic student population. The CBS was founded to address issues of educational excellence for nontraditional students, acknowledging the tension between the curriculum offered and the characteristics of the population served. The 3-year period of the federal grant for program development had three stages. The first involved initial research and needs assessment. During this stage, three studies were conducted: theoretical approaches to curriculum development; assessment of the college's curriculum design in comparison with those of other Illinois higher education institutions; and characteristics and circumstances of the college's population that affect learning. Findings of the last study are summarized. The second stage consisted of development of curricular strategies and design, using this information. Testing plans and courses developed during this stage are described, highlighting design considerations. The third stage involved evaluation and assessment of the changes introduced. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Community Colleges, Excellence in Education, Federal Aid
(1992). The Literacy Assessment of Second-Language Learners. The first part of this report reviews the different types of formal assessment measures that have been used to evaluate the language and literacy performance of second-language learners of English in the United States, including language proficiency tests, reading readiness tests, standardized reading tests, basal reading tests, and statewide reading tests. The second part of the report explains informal assessment and describes the various types of classroom activities that teachers can use to evaluate and facilitate the literacy development of second-language students in both bilingual and non-bilingual settings. Activities presented include classroom observation, oral miscue analysis, story retellings, tape recordings of oral reading, reading logs, reading response logs, think-alouds, writing folders, and student-teacher conferences. The report concludes by noting some of the limitations of informal assessment and by pointing out that an informal assessment program can provide classroom teachers with a comprehensive profile of second-language students' literacy strengths and weaknesses. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Class Activities, Elementary Education, English (Second Language)
(1992). State Bilingual and ECIA Chapter 1 Migrant Product Evaluation Report, 1992-93. In 1992-93, Saginaw (Michigan) School District bilingual and migrant programs operated as one program at 24 elementary schools, 4 junior high schools, and both high schools. Enrollments were 677 students, primarily Hispanics, in the bilingual program and 585 students in the migrant program, but there was considerable overlap between enrollments. Services consisted primarily of supplemental instruction for 30 minutes per week on a pullout basis. Kindergarten through sixth grade students received instruction in reading, while students in grades 7-12 received instruction in the basic skills as well as counseling and support services. The product evaluation of the program consisted of comparisons between reading and math pretest and posttest scores on the California Achievement Tests. The performance standard used to evaluate program success was mean posttest normal curve equivalent (NCE) scores improvement over pretest NCE scores. In the bilingual program, 75 percent (12 of 16 grades) attained the performance standard in basic and advanced mathematics and 50 percent attained the standard in basic and advanced reading. In the migrant program, 62.5 percent attained the performance standard in mathematics and 25 percent attained the standard in reading. Recommendations for program improvement include reducing variations in the program between building sites, offering inservice training for regular educators, centralizing instructional sites, and involving parents. Tables throughout the text detail achievement gains by grade level. Appendices list program enrollments by building, explain identification and eligibility procedures, and provide tables of achievement gains. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Achievement Gains, Bilingual Education, Elementary Secondary Education
(1993). Construction of Learning and Interaction of Language Minority Children in Cooperative Learning. Report No. 45. This report analyzes the moment-by-moment construction of interaction by language minority children in a cooperative learning activity. The interaction occurred among students in a Spanish-English bilingual 3rd grade classroom as part of a cooperative learning curriculum known as Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC), which was especially adapted for use in bilingual classrooms by language minority students. The analysis of interaction reveals that under supportive social circumstances, children are very active in probing and questioning their own knowledge and they rely on their shared expertise to attain instructional goals and supplemental goals that are related to their own expertise and concerns. The report supports the importance of promoting learning as a constructive process wherein students actively develop new knowledge through manipulation and questioning of their existing knowledge. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Classroom Environment, Classroom Techniques, Cooperative Learning
(1993). Masks: Culture and Kids. This guide describes a 7-day lesson plan to be used with bilingual 3rd and 4th graders and 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes. The guide shows how mask making can be tied into each class, and then how to pull the classes together for the older students to become peer tutors to the younger ones in the mask-making activities. All activities are described in detail. Appended materials include dittos of written materials to be used in different exercises. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Classroom Techniques, Cultural Awareness
(1994). More Than One Language: A Challenge to Head Start. This paper addresses questions and concerns of Head Start staff who strive to develop and implement programs to meet the needs of preschoolers who are linguistically and culturally different. The first concern addressed is the educational rights of children whose primary language is not English, and the nature of language assistance programs provided by Head Start. Preventing erroneous interpretation of linguistic and cultural differences as learning disabilities or behavior disorders and consequent inappropriate referrals of children is the second concern discussed in the paper. This is followed by some important questions about second language acquisition: what are the typical characteristics of children who are learning two languages; how can English be taught effectively as a second language; and how can Head Start teachers become role models for children who are learning a second language? In addition, developmentally appropriate strategies and practice for linguistically and culturally different preschoolers are considered, such as acceptance and respect of their language and culture, and promotion of pride in their linguistic talents. The final concern is ways of collaborating and communicating with parents of these children to promote their preschool success. Four categories of behavior are examined–sharing space, touching, eye contact, time ordering of interactions–that must be taken into account while communicating with families of differing cultural backgrounds. The paper concludes that the most challenging task facing the Head Start staff is to serve a multicultural population. Contains a 13-item bibliography and a list of additional resources. [More] Descriptors: Biculturalism, Bilingual Education Programs, Bilingual Students, Developmentally Appropriate Practices
(1993). Evaluating the Efficacy of Rater Self-Training. This paper examines whether individuals who train themselves to score a performance assessment will rate acceptably when compared to known standards. Research on the efficacy of rater self-training materials developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics for the Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT) is examined. Rater self-materials are described and analysis of data is reported from a study conducted during their development. Eight individuals worked through the materials on their own and submitted qualitative feedback on the materials and on their experience with them. They also participated in a calibration study in which they independently rated recorded segments from a TOPT administration. These ratings were analyzed by traditional approaches and by a multifaceted Rasch approach. Findings indicate that the raters as a group scored the TOPT consistently, although differences in rater severity led to some important disagreements with the rating key. The study illustrates the role of background characteristics and motivation in the success of rater self-training. (Contains 8 references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Comparative Analysis, Evaluators, Individual Characteristics
(1993). Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 4, German. This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages representing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Australian education (Arabic, Modern Standard Chinese, French, German, Modern Greek, Indonesian/Malay, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). These languages were categorized as the Languages of Wider Teaching. Key areas addressed in this profile include: (1) the place of German in Australian education; (2) issues in the teaching of German including teacher preservice training, language proficiency among teachers of German, and teachers' concerns about the delivery of German language programs; (3) sociolinguistic data on the German-speaking community in Australia; and (4) German as a world language. Findings show that the position of German in Australian education is relatively strong. Numbers of students enrolled in German language courses are on the rise, and availability of German as a Language Other Than English (LOTE) in primary, secondary, and tertiary education is also increasing. Some problematic issues affecting German in Australian education are discussed and recommendations are offered. Appendices contain a bibliography, a list of scholarships and in-country education, a list of individuals consulted, and an attitudinal survey form. (Contains 101 references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Educational Policy, Elementary Secondary Education, Foreign Countries
(1993). Maori Teachers Who Leave the Classroom. Interviews with 74 Maori teachers in New Zealand who had resigned from teaching and with 23 other educators examined issues in the retention of Maori teachers. Former Maori teachers are described in terms of: (1) gender and geographical distribution; (2) type of teacher training; (3) colleges of education attended; (4) level of educational attainment; (5) length of teaching career; (6) years since resigning; (7) career history prior to resignation; and (8) current occupation. Former Maori teachers describe their motives for entering and leaving the teaching profession and their experiences in colleges of education, schools, and the education system. They also describe the difficulties faced by many Maori teachers in being Maori in a non-Maori school environment, in being a teacher of Maori language, and in being an advocate of Maori students and their families. Retention issues include the process of applying for teacher training and the teacher training itself, workload, pay and teaching conditions, treatment of Maori children in schools, inability to influence policy and participate in decision making, and other factors affecting Maori teachers. A literature review outlines why teachers leave the profession and factors specific to Maori education. This study concludes that there is a need for Maori teachers, and that addressing the issues might reduce the loss of good teachers from the classroom. Contains 59 references, the interview questions, a list of participants, data tables of results, and related newspaper clippings. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Career Choice, Educational Policy, Elementary Secondary Education
(1992). Columbus's Legacy, Conquest or Invasion? A Guatemalan Example of Counterhegemonic Teacher Practice and Curriculum. Evidence is presented that demonstrates the projection in some school settings of nuanced interpretations of the historical events and meanings related to 1492 and to the subsequent Spanish settlement of the Americas. In particular, the Maya language-Spanish language bilingual curriculum (Programa Nacional de Educacion Bilingue, PRONEBI) and Maya teachers in Guatemalan public elementary schools question traditional interpretations of Spanish-indigenous interactions and promote new symbols and images to Guatemala's Maya school children. An analysis of the emancipatory potential of these efforts is presented in this paper. An attempt is made to broaden the constructs of resistance and counterhegemonic practices to include the role of school and interethnic relations. This report presents and analyzes findings of research on teacher practice and textbook content in which the traditional justification for existing interethnic relationships and power domains in Guatemala are questioned. The discussion focuses on teacher practice and curriculum in two schools that participate in the Ministry of Education's PRONEBI program. Although 21 different Maya languages are spoken in Guatemala, the PRONEBI program encompasses only the 4 most widely spoken Maya languages and involves only approximately 20 percent of the Maya school population. The two schools discussed are located in the third largest Maya language region inhabited by more than 350,000 Kaqchikel speakers. Basically, a content with counterhegemonic potential replaced traditional content: that is, Spanish"invasion" of a flourishing Maya culture replaced Spanish "conquest" with its attendant images of cultural superiority; however, the learning process remained unchanged and, therefore, the emancipatory potential of the curriculum was weakened. This Guatemalan dilemma raises a problematic question that merits further study beyond the Guatemalan case: To what extent can students who learn potentially emancipatory content through nonemancipatory methodology use their knowledge for social and self-transformation? Contains 22 references. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Ethnic Groups, Foreign Countries, Indigenous Populations
(1993). Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 2, Chinese. This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages representing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Australian education (Arabic, Modern Standard Chinese, French, German, Modern Greek, Indonesian/Malay, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). These languages were categorized as the Languages of Wider Teaching. This particular volume aims to describe the position of Chinese language in the various education systems in Australia, the direction and quantity of change since the introduction of the National Policy on Languages, and factors promoting and/or inhibiting expanded language teaching and study. This profile will then be set against Australia's international economic and strategic context, as well as the current dynamic situation for Chinese language usage in Australia. Recommendations are offered on how best to achieve an efficient and equitable provision of Chinese language in Australia. Appendices provide a list of references and a bibliography, language map of China, gender breakdown for primary secondary statistics of the Chinese language in Australia, and a language study questionnaire. (Contains 86 references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Chinese, Educational Policy, Elementary Secondary Education
(1991). Indigenous Bilingual EC Programmes in Aotearoa, Wales and the U.S. This paper examines bilingual early childhood programs in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in Wales, and among the indigenous people of the United States. The first section of the paper describes bicultural programs as programs that promote an acknowledgement of the ways people of each culture live, communicate with one another, and understand their world. A bilingual program is a bicultural program that involves the learning of a minority language. The advantages of bilingual programs in Aotearoa, New Zealand include fostering the Maori people's access to their language and culture, providing individual and societal enrichment, and promoting enhanced academic achievement. The second section of the document outlines the history of Maori educational initiatives. Research that exposes nonegalitarian practices in New Zealand educational policy is cited and Maori attempts to achieve autonomous control over their educational development are described. The third section contains observations on programs within American Indian reservations and in Wales. Only on the Crow reservation around Pryor, Montana, had a program successfully brought about widespread use of the native language. In contrast, Welsh control over educational resources has enabled full implementation of bilingual policies in community schools. The fourth section of the document applies lessons learned from studying American and Welsh bilingual programs to the development of bilingual programs in Aotearoa. A 41-item bibliography is provided. Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Acculturation, Bilingual Education Programs, Early Childhood Education
(1993). Enhancing Learning through Bilingual Expressions = Mejorando el apprendizaje a traves de expresiones bilingues. This document is designed to assist teachers and school personnel serving the needs of non- and limited-English Spanish-speaking students in Colorado schools so that teachers can create a nurturing environment that enhances learning among Spanish-speaking students. Expressions common to the school environment are given in English and in Spanish for personal greetings, student praise, and classroom directions. Other expressions pertain to course content, including mathematics, science, and social studies, and to dialogue in various situations such as being in the cafeteria and in the library, asking for help or giving explanations, and parent meetings. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Instructional Materials, Bilingual Students, Elementary Secondary Education