Berney, Tomi D.; Lista, Carlos A. (1990). Project Recurso, 1988-89. Evaluation Section Report [and] Executive Summary. OREA Report. Project Recurso, funded through Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, was implemented at 12 elementary schools under the aegis of the Office of Bilingual Services, Division of Special Education of the New York City Board of Education. The project provided instructional services to 321 special education Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency. Project Recurso also provided staff development for 43 teachers and 360 School Based Support Team members, and it provided the parents of participating students with information on special education and classes in English as a Second Language. The project met its objectives in mathematics, teacher and support team development, and parent involvement. It did not meet its objectives in science and social studies. Data were not sufficient to evaluate students' attainment of English language skills. The evaluation report includes two recommendations: provide principals with information related to project activities and goals in order to improve communication between project and school administrators, and improve data collection procedures.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Disabilities, Elementary Education, English (Second Language)

Buchanan, Keith (1990). Vocational English-as-a-Second-Language Programs. ERIC Digest. There are an estimated 30 million people in the United States with native languages other than English. Within this group are a number of limited-English-proficient individuals. Whether seeking a first American job or better employment, this group encounters a job market that is changing drastically in the number of jobs it can offer to individuals with limited English skills. As a result, growing numbers of these individuals are seeking courses in Vocational English-as-a-Second-Language (VESL) that combine language education with job specific skills. VESL refers to the language needed to interact with English speaking customers or employees, to fill out job applications, or to use manual or catalogues, and its goal is to teach the language required for successful participation in training programs and for job performance. Several different program models have evolved to meet the different skills, education levels, and vocational goals of students. These models include: (1) the ESL approach; (2) the vocational approach; (3) the work experience approach; and (4) the workplace approach. Another model that should be mentioned is the bilingual vocational training model. The following should be considered when designing a VESL program: finances; administration and staff development; curriculum development; needs assessment; support services; and cross-cultural training.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Cooperation, Cross Cultural Training, Curriculum Development

Manitoba Dept. of Education, Winnipeg. (1988). English-Ukrainian Bilingual Program, Grades 1-6. This curriculum for Manitoba's bilingual heritage language instruction program in Ukrainian outlines the objectives, content, and design of instruction of the bilingual program, open to all children regardless of language background. Introductory sections describe the program's rationale, goals, and objectives, and provide notes on program implementation, student evaluation, and curriculum adaptation for special needs. Three subsequent sections include the following: (1) the general cognitive and language goals and specific objectives in each language skill area (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) at each grade level; (2) a scope and sequence chart of linguistic skills, entirely in Ukrainian, for each grade level; and (3) minimum vocabulary acquisition lists, in Ukrainian, and phrase lists, in English and Ukrainian, for grades 1-3. Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Curriculum Design, Curriculum Guides, Educational Objectives

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. (1990). Chinese Opportunities in Career Education (Project Choice) 1989-90. Final Evaluation Report. OREA Report. Chinese Opportunities in Career Education (Project CHOICE) served 547 Chinese-speaking limited-English-proficient students in two New York City high schools during the 1989-90 school year. Project CHOICE provided instruction in English-as-a-second-language (ESL), native language arts (NLA), bilingual content area subjects, and career education. The project also offered supplementary student services, staff and curriculum development, and parent involvement activities. The project met or exceeded all of its objectives in the following areas: (1) ESL; (2) NLA; (3) content area subjects; (4) career education; (5) attendance; (6) staff development; (7) curriculum development; and (8) parent outreach. Strengths included effectiveness as a liaison between school staff, students, and parents; excellent student academic achievement and attendance rates; and a wealth of staff-developed curriculum materials. Statistical data are presented in two tables.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Career Education, Chinese Americans, English (Second Language)

Leach, Valerie (1991). Hispanic Cultures through Literature. A method for planning multicultural lessons for both regular and gifted and talented students, and sample lessons, are presented. The approach was developed in order to introduce Hispanic culture through literature in a bilingual classroom. All materials are constructed based on Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. The lessons were developed to show similarities between people and their roots, celebrate the positive aspects of diversity, and develop pride in heritage. The units are suggested for use in cooperative learning groups or as bases for discussion, individual work, and more advanced assignments for individual students. Lesson format includes initial input (pre-reading, reading, and post-reading activities), small group activities for both regular and gifted students, and culminating activities (pre-evaluation, revision, presentation of unit product, post-evaluation, and product display). Seven lessons, in both English and Spanish and including reproducible visual aids, have the following topics: family; favorite things; sweet foods; adventure; interpersonal relationships; a Nicaraguan legend; food and ecology; creation; and the meaning of legend. Suggested grade levels are indicated. Additional generic activities for each level of cognitive functioning are appended. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Class Activities, Cooperative Learning, Cultural Awareness

Garcia, Delia C. (1990). Creating Parental Involvement: A Manual for School Children and Parents Interacting Program. The Children and Parents Interacting program is a federally funded Title VII project designed to create and promote greater Hispanic parent involvement in the educational system. The program represents a joint effort of Monroe and Dade County Public Schools and Florida International University's Center for Latino Education. The major thrust of the program is to involve Hispanic parents and children in parent-child training sessions, with specific activities designed to improve the students' academic achievement and English language proficiency. This guide for school personnel in the program is comprised of the following sections: (1) program description; (2) definition of parent involvement; (3) history of parent involvement; (4) discussion of the need for parent involvement; (5) factors influencing Hispanic parent involvement; (6) parenting in the Hispanic home; (7) common problems and solutions in interacting with parents; (8) strategies for promoting Hispanic parent involvement, including needs assessment strategies, strategies for facilitating involvement, strategies for dealing with parents of limited English proficient children, and specific ways Hispanic parents may be involved; (9) curriculum and materials, including state and national resources, associations, a bibliography, publications for sale, ERIC sources, and a list of magazines and journals; (10) Spanish survival language phrases; (11) staff biographical data; and (12) appendices which include a checklist for parents and a parent invitation. Sections 2 through 9 include bibliographies.  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Hispanic Americans, Learning Activities

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. (1990). Great Opportunities for Optional Resources To Improve the Talents of Gifted Bilingual High School Students (Project Go-For-It). Final Evaluation Report, 1989-90. OREA Report. This final evaluation report describes third-year activities of Project GO-FOR-IT (Great Opportunities for Optional Resources to Improve the Talents of Gifted Bilingual High School Students) which provided supplemental instruction in English as a Second Language, content area instruction, and native language arts instruction to 271 gifted and talented but limited English-proficient students in three Brooklyn (New York) high schools. Participating students were native speakers of Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, and Russian. At each school, bilingual educational enrichment centers offered guidance counseling, career and college advisement, instruction in microcomputers, field trips, the publication of multilingual student magazines, parental contact, staff development, and tutoring. In its final year, the project partially met its objectives in attendance, staff development, and parent involvement; it did not meet its objective in the content area subjects. Gains in English language skills appeared to be achieved. In its 3 years of operation, the project met most of its objectives with its major strength being the bilingual enrichment centers and its primary weakness its inability to implement the curriculum development objective.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Bilingual Students, Career Counseling, Curriculum Development

Rosebery, Ann S.; And Others (1990). Appropriating Scientific Discourse: Findings from Language Minority Classrooms. The Cheche Konnen (Haitian Creole for "search for knowledge") project was designed to address the following concerns in the education of language minority children: limited access to science and mathematics education, separation of science and mathematics from literacy development, isolation in and outside of school, and inadequate teacher preparation in science and mathematics. In Cheche Konnen, students plan and carry out investigations of phenomena in the natural world. The students pose questions, plan and implement research to explore them, build and revise theories, collect, analyze, and interpret data, and draw conclusions and make decisions based on their research. An evaluation of the program's first year focuses on the extent to which students began to acquire scientific ways of talking and reasoning. Data are both quantitative and qualitative, drawn from problem-solving protocols administered individually in interviews at the beginning and end of the 1988-89 school year. Students were in a combined 7th-8th grade self-contained bilingual classroom (n=20) and in a basic skills program within a large high school bilingual program (n=22). Interview excerpts and interpretation are presented. It is concluded that the approach has been successful in teaching scientific thought and discourse through authentic scientific activity.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Elementary Secondary Education, English (Second Language), Language Role

Cantrall, Becky; And Others (1990). Navajo Culture: A Bridge to the Rest of the World. This document describes a Navajo Indian program for making Navajo education more responsive to Native American cultural and educational needs. A survey of existing literature examines American Indian students' historical struggle between cultural identity and Anglo-American assimilation. As Navajo children may lack the schema for traditionally defined educational success and competition, schools might reexamine their customary teaching methods. The Greasewood Toyei Consolidated School began emphasizing bicultural education by weaving Navajo culture into the regular curriculum. Teachers were empowered to create their own culturally relevant study programs as part of a schoolwide curriculum reassessment. Student-testing and discipline policies were reevaluated. Teachers and assistants attended language workshops that exposed them to the Whole Language approach, a holistic learning method. An evaluation committee determined that the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) were inappropriate for Navajo students, and suggested that other achievement measurements be used. Surveys indicated growing use and popularity among teachers and students of the Whole Language approach, prompting additional training and curriculum changes. Greasewood staff developed a school philosophy encouraging further integration of Navajo culture into the curriculum, parental involvement, and the use of the Whole Language approach. As a result, the staff developed an entire new curriculum that balances Indian cultural requirements with state and CTBS testing standards. The document describes further curriculum revision procedures and summarizes new educational objectives for helping Navajo children achieve the balance that is one of the basic tenets of Navajo philosophy. Descriptors: Achievement Tests, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, American Indian Studies

New Jersey State Dept. of Education, Trenton. (1989). Norming Study of the Language Assessment Battery and the Maculaitis Assessment Program–Practitioner's Report. In spring 1988, 103 bilingual/English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and ESL-only school districts in New Jersey participated in a study to establish norms for the Language Assessment Battery (LAB) and Maculaitis Assessment Program (MAC) in grades K-12. This manual is designed to provide local district staff with the study's results and to make recommendations for how bilingual/ESL and ESL-only districts can use the results for placement and evaluation. The manual consists of three main sections and appendixes. The first section presents the purpose of the study and a description of the sample population. The second section explains the methods used to establish cutoff scores for the MAC and both forms of the LAB. Section 3 contains information on how to use the norms and cutoff scores for placement and evaluation. Appendixes consist of a list of the study's participating districts, norm tables, and fall and spring cutoff scores. Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Cutting Scores, Elementary Secondary Education, English (Second Language)

New York State Div. for Youth, Albany. (1990). The Education of Youth in DFY Residential Programs. This report describes educational programs at New York State Division for Youth (DFY) residential facilities. It provides an overview of the services offered to prepare adjudicated youth for successful return to the community. The Division's residential education services encourage student growth in cognitive, affective, and vocational skill areas. Division programs aim to engage students in the learning process and to impart transferable skills needed for future academic and employment success. The report is divided into four sections. Section I, "Introduction," contains an overview of the Division's system, describes its mission and goals, and includes a profile of the youth to be served. Section II, "Preparation of Youth During Placement," outlines the spectrum of educational services tailored to meet individual needs of Division youth and summarizes the learning environments and innovative academic approaches employed. Section III, "Facility Education Services," presents descriptions, narratives, and outcomes for a range of facility programs, and highlights specialized curricula and model programs in different academic and vocational areas. Section IV, "Integration into the Community," describes programs and initiatives designed to help youth reenter the community upon facility release, including community partnerships, specialized transitional programs, and the development of interagency mechanisms to promote services for at-risk youth.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Daily Living Skills, Delinquency, Delinquent Rehabilitation

Lamarre, Nicole (1990). The Experiences of Anglophone Elementary Principals with French Immersion Programs in Alberta. The administration of French immersion program in an elementary school in Alberta, Canada, by anglophone principal with little or no knowledge of French is examined in this study. Interviews with eight anglophone elementary school principals found that a lack of knowledge of French was not perceived as a barrier to effective implementation of French immersion programs, although French language proficiency was viewed as an asset. Essential factors for effective administration of French immersion programs are commitment, understanding of program context, communication, and interdependent relationships. Fifteen implications for practice and eight recommendations for further research are included. Appendices include correspondence and questionnaire samples, and transcript and logbook extracts. (57 references)   [More]  Descriptors: Administrator Effectiveness, Administrator Qualifications, Administrator Role, Bilingual Education

Rivera, Natasha (1990). Bilingual Resource Instruction for the Development of Gainful Employment Skills (Project BRIDGES). 1989-90 Final Evaluation Report. This evaluation of the 1989-90 Bilingual Resource Instruction for the Development of Gainful Employment Skills (Project BRIDGES) in New York City found that the program met most of its objectives. Project BRIDGES, funded under Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, provides the following services to at-risk limited-English-proficient (LEP) students: (1) English as a Second Language (ESL); (2) native language arts (NLA); (3) bilingual content area subjects; and (4) vocational education. The project also included curriculum development, ESL instruction for parents, and opportunities for staff to attend workshops and college courses. Evaluation information included student performance on the Language Assessment Battery (LAB) and attendance and dropout rates. The following conclusions are presented: (1) the project met its objectives for native language arts, bilingual content area subject instruction, attendance, and vocational education; (2) the project partially met its English as a Second Language and dropout prevention objectives; and (3) the project's strength was the provision of individualized instruction and vocational support services. Statistical data are presented in three tables.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Compensatory Education, Dropout Prevention, English (Second Language)

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. (1990). Dropout Reduction through Employment, Achievement, and Motivation. (Project Dream). 1989-90 Final Evaluation Report. OREA Report. Project Dropout Reduction through Employment, Achievement, and Motivation (DREAM) provided 445 Spanish-speaking limited-English-proficient students with English-as-a-second-language (ESL), Native Language Arts (NLA), and bilingual content area courses at South Bronx High School (New York) during the 1989-90 school year. Project DREAM met its objectives in the following areas: (1) NLA; (2) attendance; (3) dropout prevention; (4) improving student self-image; (5) guidance counseling; (6) staff development; (7) curriculum development; and (8) parent involvement. The program partially met its objectives for ESL and content area subjects. A lack of statistical data prevented the assessment of the objective for suspension rate. The project's strength lay in providing support services which helped ease the students' transition to life in the United States and fostered pride in themselves and their native cultures. Statistical data are presented in one table.   [More]  Descriptors: Adjustment (to Environment), Bilingual Education Programs, Dropout Prevention, Dropout Programs

Garcia, Eugene E. (1987). Instructional Discourse in an Effective Kindergarten Classroom: A Case of Study. A set of recorded teacher-child interactions in a successful kindergarten classroom was analyzed using the Mehan interactional model for analyzing the sequential organization of speech acts within classroom lessons. The study identified aspects of teacher-student interaction during formal instruction time at micro-interactional levels. The class had been nominated previously as an example of a successful language minority classroom in Phoenix (Arizona), and a majority of students were limited-English-proficient and of Hispanic origin. It was hypothesized that the model would assist in describing the similarities and differences for teacher-student actions. Results indicate that the teacher fulfilled the general expectation of the model but did not invite instructional interaction in any other than the most communicatively simple mode, inviting student participation mostly with choice elicitations. An 18-item bibliography is included.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Classroom Communication, Discourse Analysis, Effective Schools Research