This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Kenji Hakuta, Leo Weisbender, Dianne F. Shewcraft, Carlotta Lord, Dinah Volk, W. Jay Strickland, Maria Estela Brisk, Regina G. Chatel, Candice Clarke, and Diane August.
(1998). Evaluation Report: SALSA Educational Programming. SALSA is a 30-episode video series for early elementary school children produced by Georgia Public Broadcasting. It is intended to do three things: (1) introduce non-Spanish speaking children to the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures; (2) promote appreciation for the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures; and (3) promote cultural pride and self-esteem among Hispanic children. Each 15-minute episode is introduced in English, and the remainder is presented in Spanish. The show uses puppets in each episode who present traditional children's stories as humorous three-act plays. This report aims to evaluate, using quantitative and qualitative data, how effective SALSA has been in regards to its three goals and in generating viewer interest, promoting cultural appreciation, and facilitating Spanish language acquisition. It was found that viewers very much enjoyed SALSA videos, and educators rated it superior to other educational videos aimed for early elementary students. Voluntary viewing of SALSA at home was high, especially among young children. SALSA does promote a positive cultural appreciation of Hispanic people and cultures, and Hispanic children gained in self-esteem. Finally, SALSA was found not only to help non-Spanish speaking children learn some Spanish, but it also helped Spanish speaking children learn English. Numerous tables present extensive quantitative data. Survey instruments and questionnaires are included in the seven appendices. [More] Descriptors: Audiovisual Instruction, Bilingual Education Programs, Elementary Education, Elementary School Students
(1981). Sarah J. Hale High School Project Become. E.S.E.A. Title VII Final Evaluation Report, 1980-1981. This report describes and evaluates a project that provided instructional and supportive services to Hispanic and Haitian high school students in 1980-81. Project Become at Sarah J. Hale High School in New York City offered social studies, mathematics, and science subjects in Spanish and French Creole, vocational and career courses, and a work study program as well as counseling services and opportunities for parent/community involvement. The report describes the program participants, program structure and organization, implementation of instructional and non-instructional components, and program assessment. Evaluation results indicate that: 1) both Hispanic and Haitian students achieved good rates of mastery of the objectives in a test of English syntax; 2) some gains were made in English reading; 3) bilingual students generally achieved passing rates in the content areas that exceeded the passing rates of mainstream students in comparable classes; 4) passing rates in native language courses and business/vocational courses were generally high; 5) students who took city-wide social studies and reading tests achieved overall passing rates of over 85 percent; and 6) participants' attendance rates were higher than the overall rate for mainstream students. The report concludes with recommendations for program improvement. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Attendance, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs
(1980). Lau Year-End Report, 1979-1980. Los Angeles Unified School District. Publication No. 379. This second annual year-end report summarizes the efforts of administrators, teachers, and students in the Los Angeles Unified School District on behalf of children whose primary language is not English. It documents the district's response to the January 1974 Supreme Court decision in Lau v. Nichols. The response is embodied in programs for national origin minority students in English as well as in the native language. Following an introduction describing the district and the project history, the report is organized according to the major divisions of the school district's Lau plan: (1) identification of national origin minority children and assessment of their needs; (2) elementary programs; (3) secondary programs; (4) special education programs; (5) staffing activities; (6) staff development programs; (7) community involvement program; (8) administrative organization for implementing the Lau Plan and supportive monitoring procedures; (9) counselling and psychological services; (10) other support services, including health, student adjustment services, pupil services, attendance, and educational options; and (11) evaluation activities. The appendices include tables of numerical details referenced in the narrative section, a reader's glossary of special terms and acronyms, and forms and instructions used in gathering data. [More] Descriptors: Administrative Organization, Annual Reports, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs
(1998). Collaboration among Educational Stakeholders: Portfolios for American-Indian Students. Alternative resources, which differentiate language differences from language disorders among bilingual children, are needed for assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Standardized testing is especially troublesome when there are few testing substitutes and no translations in their language, which may incorrectly identify the students as having a disability. An ongoing investigation of culturally relevant assessment for bilingual American Indian children on the Navajo Reservation evolved into a collaborative model of student centered learning. This model provides a comprehensive, authentic, assessment process using multiple data resources. Data sources include, but are not limited to, the student, parents, teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and administrators. This educational community includes primary and secondary stakeholders in the physical, affective, cognitive, and communicative development of the student. In this model all educational stakeholders, including students, are trusted to provide culturally and linguistically relevant information in support of the assessment process. Portfolio assessment provides a more equitable analysis of the student's abilities and performance over time and in a variety of settings rather than traditional reliance on decontextualized data. "An interactive Model for American-Indian Educational Communities" is presented schematically, and "Recommendations for Portfolio Assessment Team Procedures" are included. (Contains 13 references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Children, Culturally Relevant Education
(1998). Educating Language-Minority Children. This report summarizes portions of a much longer report entitled "Improving Society for Language-Minority Children: A Research Agenda," published in 1997. Eleven experts reviewed and discussed existing research relevant to the education of English-language learners and bilingual students and made recommendations for future research. Following an introduction that describes the situation of students of limited English proficiency, the remainder of the report is structured around the traditional distinction between basic and applied research and specific areas of concern for educational practitioners and policy makers. Chapters 2 through 4 summarize research findings on bilingualism, second-language acquisition, literacy, content area learning, the social context of school learning, and intergroup relations. The next three chapters summarize findings of more applied research in: (1) student assessment (Chapter 5); (2) program evaluation (Chapter 6); and (3) school and classroom effectiveness (Chapter 7). Each chapter begins with a summary of key findings and ends with a section on educational and research implications. The report shows that considerable knowledge has already accrued, and that there are many ways of strengthening and building on this knowledge. (Contains 272 references.) [More] Descriptors: Agenda Setting, Bilingual Education, Cultural Differences, Educational Practices
(1993). Bilingual Academic and Career Education Services for Hispanic High School Students (Project BACES). Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OER Report. This report presents an evaluation of the Bilingual Academic and Career Education Services for Hispanic High School Students (Project BACES), an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its third year of operation at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx and George Washington High School in Manhattan. The project served a total of 652 students of limited English proficiency who were native speakers of Spanish. Participating students received instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), native language arts (NLA), and content areas. Preoccupational training in business-, law-, and health-related careers was offered in Spanish. The project also included staff development activities, a parent's advisory committee, and ESL classes for parents and adult siblings of project students. An evaluation of Project BACES found that it met its objectives for career advisement, career development, American culture and citizenship, cultural heritage, curriculum development, and parental involvement. It partially met its objectives for content areas subjects, dropout prevention, and attendance. It failed to meet its objectives for ESL, NLA, and staff development for ongoing education. Recommendations on program improvement are included. Three appendixes include a list of instructional materials used, class schedules, staff questionnaires, and student questionnaires in both English and Spanish. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs, Career Education
(1993). Excellence and Success through Career Understanding and Enriched Language Activities (Project ESCUELA). Community School District 14, Brooklyn. Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OER Report. This report presents an evaluation of the Excellence and Success through Career Understanding and Enriched Language Activities (Project ESCUELA), an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its second year of operation at five schools in Brooklyn, New York. The project served 415 Spanish-speaking and 178 Yiddish-speaking students of limited English proficiency. Participating students received instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), native language arts (NLA) and content subjects, as well as computer training and career education. Staff development programs, parent participation workshops and ESL instruction for parents were integral to the project. An evaluation of Project ESCUELA found that it met its objectives for Spanish NLA, Yiddish NLA, staff development, and parent involvement. It failed to meet its objectives for English development, the content area subjects of science and social studies, or mainstreaming. Recommendations on program improvement are included. Two appendixes include a list of instructional materials used and class schedules. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs, Career Education
(1998). The Teaching and the Enjoyment and Being Together…: Sibling Teaching in the Family of a Puerto Rican Kindergartner. Based on direct observations of the family, this paper analyzes the teaching strategies used by a Puerto Rican kindergartner's older siblings and extended family members to teach school-related knowledge and skills. As the family's instruction was conducted in Spanish only, these teaching strategies are analyzed in relation to those used by the boy's bilingual kindergarten teacher. One goal of this analysis is to provide early childhood teachers with insight into the teaching and learning that occur in children's homes and into the ways these processes are different from and the same as those that occur in their classrooms. The analysis is based on the assumption that knowledge of young children's home learning experiences is crucial for the construction of productive school learning experiences and for the identification of resources within the home to support school learning. The strategies analyzed include: (1) assessing/evaluating; (2) prompting; (3) informing; (4) teasing; (5) confirming; (6) scaffolding; (7) illustrating; and (8) requesting clarification. A chart of the teaching strategies used by siblings during teaching/learning interaction is included. Contains 33 references. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Bilingual Teachers, Cultural Background
(1994). The Role of Parents in Enhancing Bilingual Learning in Pre-Schools. This study investigated the impact of parents with different language backgrounds on the language acquisition and language competency of their children in the mother tongue, Chinese, and a second language, English, in Singapore. Parents were surveyed on language usage and language materials provided to their children. Exams on vocabulary, listening comprehension, story comprehension, translation, and verbal fluency were given to students in both English and Chinese in a preschool and a primary school that taught both languages. The findings showed that the respondent parents and students from both schools were at ease using the language in which they were most competent, and most parents in both schools purchased learning and reading materials in both English and Chinese. The language of the extra reading and learning materials bought or borrowed had hardly any impact on the scores of language tests. Only the language of the books read aloud to the children made a difference. As expected, children read to in Chinese scored better on the Chinese vocabulary and fluency tests; the converse was true for those read to in English. Results suggest that the extent of exposure to a language makes a difference to a child's competency in the language. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs, Bilingual Instructional Materials, Bilingual Schools
(1985). A Case Study of Biliteracy Reading Acquisition in Two Non-Public Schools. A study investigated initial reading acquisition in English and an ethnic tongue in two New York schools (Holy Martyrs, Armenian and St. Spiridons, Greek) which are representative of an immigration-based biliteracy tradition. The population consisted of students who were mostly (at least 80%) native born, English dominant, and from bilingual speaking and most biliterate homes. Related pedagogical process variables were also analyzed. Findings, based on 164 ethnographic observations in the two schools included: (1) that reading of English and of the ethnic tongue occurred to a similar extent; (2) that reading in both languages occurred more frequently than other language activities; (3) that in many cases, both languages were used; (4) that oral reading strategies predominated; and (5) that basal readers were the prevailing approach in both English and ethnic tongue reading. Exploratory analyses suggested that significant relationships do exist among reading and process variables and identified four independent dimensions of the initial reading acquisition process: English reading, class size, experiential approach, and grade level. (Three figures representing models of bilingual proficiency and 33 tables of data are included: eight appendices containing an inventory of variables, sample protocal, coding categories and related materials, and 188 references are attached.) [More] Descriptors: Basal Reading, Beginning Reading, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs
(1998). The Transforming Power of Critical Autobiographies. The rationale for using critical autobiography projects in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction is discussed, and procedures for implementation are outlined. Writing a critical autobiography involves the student's presenting a personal narrative while exploring external factors influencing his life. Critical experiences in life provide fertile starting points to motivate students to read, write, and learn, and helps language learners understand that problems associated with living in a new culture are the result of social factors rather than personal shortcomings. Four case studies illustrate how critical autobiographies can be used in different settings and the effects they can have on students, their parents, and teachers. The cases include: a reading teacher working individually with a first- grader; a bilingual fifth-grader working with the whole class, assisted by ESL and computer teachers; a sixth-grade bilingual teacher using critical autobiographies in Spanish language arts and social studies classes; and a high school ESL teacher working with a small group of students. Topics discussed include: literacy development through critical autobiographies; situational factors affecting bilingual learners; classroom techniques; and project outcomes. Contains 15 references. [More] Descriptors: Autobiographies, Bilingual Education, Case Studies, Classroom Techniques
(1998). A College and Urban Elementary Classroom Collaborate in Using Writing To Learn in Science. In a fifth-grade transitional bilingual class in Hartford (Connecticut), a project was conducted to focus on writing to learn in science. The process of writing facilitates development of critical thinking, deepens understanding of science content, and develops collaborative learning skills. The example of a set of lessons on the skeleton illustrates how students write their own books about the skeleton. The book format created student interest and enhanced motivation, but experiences with this project indicate that some adjustments are needed to teach the lessons in the future. Among the problems was the limited technical vocabulary of these students who were learning English. In addition, the school lacked reference materials in English and Spanish to support student learning. Results indicate that students writing to learn in science used writing to understand the science content and then improved their writing through the projects. (Contains 11 references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, College School Cooperation, Elementary School Students, Higher Education
(1983). The Significant Bilingual Instructional Features Study. Executive Summary. The Significant Bilingual Instructional Features (SBIF) study identified, described, and verified features of bilingual instruction of a wide variety of limited English proficient students. It collected data on instructional organization, time allocation, classroom language use, active teaching behaviors, academic learning time, student participation styles, and classroom, school, and community context variables through a variety of quantitative and qualitative procedures. Part I involved the study of 58 classrooms and 232 students at six sites representing different ethnolinguistic (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Cantonese, and Navajo) and multilinguistic groups. The classrooms were nominated for their success as settings for bilingual instruction. The instructional features identified as significant in this portion of the study include (1) congruence of instructional intent, (2) use of active teaching behaviors, (3) use of the students' native language and English for instruction, (4) integration of English language development with basic skills development, and (5) use of information from the students' home culture. Part II of the study verified the prevalence of those features in a second sample of 89 classrooms and 356 students at eight sites, including new sites representing Filipino, Vietnamese, and Hispanic ethnolinguistic groups. [More] Descriptors: Asian Americans, Basic Skills, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Education Programs
(1998). Do My ESOL Students Have Learning Disabilities? A Practical Manual for ESOL Instructors Concerned about Learning Disabilities and the ESOL Learner. This booklet, conceived, researched, and produced by teachers of English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) practitioners, is designed to help ESOL teachers identify and assess students who may have learning disabilities. Two groups of ESOL learners are the subject of this study: those ESOL adult learners who already have some formal education and are attempting further formal education and knowledge in English, who may also have a learning disability; and the ESOL adult learner seeking the same but has no or very little previous formal education. The book is divided into several sections covering the following topics: the definition of a learning disability, suspecting a learning disability in ESOL learners, approaching the learner, and classroom strategies. Extensive lists of resources are provided, as well as four appendices including a sample hands-on screening kit, a list of common acronyms pertinent to learning disabilities, a copy of the Americans With Disabilities Act, and a practitioner questionnaire. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) [More] Descriptors: Adult Education, Bilingual Education Programs, Classroom Techniques, Educational Diagnosis
(1981). Morris High School Betterment through Bilingualism. E.S.E.A. Title VII Final Evaluation Report, 1980-1981. A program that provided instructional and non-instructional services to Spanish speaking students of limited English proficiency at Morris High School in New York City during 1980-81 is described in the report. The instructional component included English as a Second Language, native language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The non-instructional component consisted of supportive services, home visits, curriculum development, staff development, and parent/community participation. Evaluation indicated that: 1) significant gains were achieved in English as a Second Language and Spanish readings; 2) while mathematics passing rates among program students fell below the 70 percent criterion level, the bilingual students achieved passing rates that were similar to or better than that of the total school population; 3) science achievement among program participants was higher in the fall than in the spring; 4) achievement in both social studies and native language courses tended to increase with grade level; and 5) the average attendance of program students exceeded school-wide attendance rates. The school principal and the bilingual program staff were identified as influential in bringing about the program success. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Administrator Role, Attendance, Bilingual Education