The purpose of this study was to document the racial attitudes and racial identity development scores of White students in a liberal arts environment. of particular interest was gender differences, classification differences, and Greek/nonGreek affiliation differences. Furthermore, an effort was made to predict the racial attitude and racial identity development scores using self-report biographical variables.;The College of William and Mary, a public liberal arts university was the institution studied for this project. A stratified random sample was obtained of all White students attending the College. Participants completed the White Racial Identity Attitude Survey (WRIAS), the Racial Attitude and Opinion Scale (ATTW), and a personal data sheet.;It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in scores between those with a Greek affiliation and those without a Greek affiliation, males and females, and freshmen and seniors. More specifically, Greeks, males and freshmen would score higher on the ATTW and lower on the WRIAS than would nonGreeks, females, and seniors, respectively. This would signify more negative attitudes toward Blacks and a less healthy racial identity.;The results indicated five of the six hypothesis to be supported to a certain extent. Even though the total population reported positive racial attitudes, Greek males and freshmen may need to be provided with additional educational opportunities concerning race to bring them closer to the same level as the other groups.;It was also concluded that colleges need to address the issue of race and racism. High scores on the lowest stage of the racial identity development model indicated that respondents were naive about the topic of race in general.

The purpose of this study was to provide a profile of gifted education identification procedures for culturally diverse ethnic populations (African-American, Native-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic) in the southeastern region of the United States. In this research, data from educators was analyzed by means of surveys and in-depth inquiries to provide a profile of gifted education identification procedures. The objectives for this study were to determine with respect to the identification of culturally diverse students for gifted education: their proportional representation in gifted education programs, the utilization of multiple identification measures with these populations, the consideration given to their gifted and cultural characteristics, and the availability of gifted programs designed to meet their needs. With respect to ethnically diverse students, it was concluded that they are proportionally underrepresented in gifted education, that identification procedures are not consistently differentiated for them, that some consideration is given to their characteristics during the identification process, and that there is limited availability of gifted education programs designed to meet their needs. Further study is required to examine the applicability of this research to other regions of the nation.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students in bilingual designated classes who received B/CC instruction by a teacher with a B/CC Specialist Credential have higher gains in reading and math when compared with students who received instruction by a teacher with a B/CC Certificate of Competence and a B/CC Waiver Certificate. This study measured bilingual instruction based on a statistical comparison between student achievement and the kind of bilingual certificate. Procedures. The data was collected from two school districts: Alum Rock Unified School District in San Jose California and Stockton Unified School District in Stockton, California. The population consisted of 600 students, 300 per district and 75 teachers, about 37 per district. A total of 286 students and 48 teachers were selected for this research. The 48 teachers were divided into three groups of 5 to a group: B/CC Specialist Credential, B/CC Certificate of Competence and B/CC Waiver Certificate. The students were also divided into three groups of 25 to 30 students in a group. The students were closely matched with the teacher groups on the basis of recorded test results on pre and post tests in reading and math for each grade level. A total of 9 groups of teachers and students comprised this research. A questionnaire was selected to collect information from the teacher group. The questionnaire asked for information regarding ethnic background, linguistic background, certification, number of years teaching bilingual education, location of training and certification, male or female, years in the present position, school district, grade level now teaching and the school at which presently teaching. The purpose for this questionnaire was for careful selection of teachers and matching of students to teachers. A locally devised test was used for student achievement results for Stockton Unified School District. The Language Arts Scope and Sequence (LASS) and the Math Scope and Sequence (MSS). The Metropolitan Achievement Test results were used for Alum Rock School District. Both tests were reviewed for reliability and validity. Analysis of Covariance, two way analysis of variance and one way analysis of variance were employed to determine significant difference between student achievement and the kind of B/CC teacher certification. The level of statistical significance adapted for this study was set at the .05 level. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI

The proposed goal of this research was to take the data gathered and implement it in analyzing the potential reformation of programs in need of evaluation, assessing the potential benefits of further development in the field of bilingual education in the United States as a nation. Using data collected in the Central Florida region as a microcosmic example of how existing programs function in the modern elementary educational system, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate through the conduction of interviews with local teachers and currently available research that a more suitable standard for bilingual education is both necessary and valuable for our school systems and for the future of our students as productive and capable adults. As a survey of the current state of bilingual education in Central Florida elementary schools, this research sought to establish a clearer panoramic view of the ways in which our system is perceived as observed directly through those participating and facilitating it firsthand in local classrooms. Classroom observations and data gathered from educational professionals within the participating elementary school system, inclusive solely of those implementing a bilingual program as a method of assimilation for a high population of Spanish-speaking students transitioning to a targeted language of English, were the primary basis of this research, supplemented by existing psychological and educational research in the field of language acquisition and development in young children. Results have suggested that current methods of bilingual instruction are based upon the integrated standards of three existing models: transitional bilingual education, immersion, and English as a Second Language.; The three appeared to be functioning in such a way that does not fully allow for a wide range of learning needs to be met, and that furthermore does not fully support a directed initiative toward a future in consistently dynamic and progressive research in the bilingual field, such that a standardized system flexible enough to encourage the needs of a diverse population might be realized. With further standardization and research, bilingual education might itself become a standard of American education for all students, native and non-native.

K.M. Tyler et al. (2008) propose a quantitative method to measure differences between school and home experiences had by students of ethnic minority status and how such differences (cultural discontinuity) may affect psychological factors related to student achievement. Although study of cultural discontinuity has been applied to understanding African American, Asian American, Latino American, and Native American student populations, little attention has been given to the ways in which cultural discontinuity may manifest in the Appalachian American population. This study conceptualizes the socio-cultural conditions that would warrant such an investigation, establishing evidence from ten interview subjects of the presence of cultural values associated with Appalachian Americans from Eastern Kentucky. The interviewee evidence provides a necessary starting point for investigating regional culture and marginalization effects that may occur based on membership within the Appalachian American community.

The largest refugee group entering the United States in recent years is from Burma. Refugee students face a daunting set of challenges, from language and cultural differences to living in poverty, in becoming successful in their new homes. To be successful in schools and gain cultural and social capital, refugee students must learn and internalize the specific norms of their classrooms. In middle school, students are particularly reliant upon their peers for support, making peer interactions especially important. In multicultural settings, students have ample opportunities for intercultural interactions, which can help refugee students navigate their new settings and become more successful. Unfortunately, there has been little research on the experiences of Burmese refugee students in classrooms in the United States. I used a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological approach to study how three female Burmese refugee students experienced multicultural middle school classrooms in the United States, especially their intercultural interactions, through interviews, observations, and stimulated recall. The participants reported wanting to understand what they were learning, stay on task, and be kind to other students. Those traits developed from their experiences in their countries of origin and combined to create a picture of what a good student should be. In observations, students acted out their ideas of what it meant to be a good student. Their intercultural interactions in class reaffirmed their identities as good students. Implications based on the findings include setting up intentional intercultural interactions with a diverse group of students in classrooms with multicultural approaches and that researchers examine the experiences of various groups of marginalized students while accounting for the context in which they learn and acknowledging a multifaceted view of adolescent identity development.

The primary objective of this study is to introduce Creative Dramatics as a tool for effective English language instruction in the Lake Shore Junior High Bilingual Center of the Duval County Schools. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of this study is to develop the English vocabulary of these students, which will in turn, increase their level of understanding and performance in English. A modified version of the Hoffman (1934) Bilingual Schedule has been applied for measurement. In order to develop a meaningful vehicle for the project, an original ten-part play was written by the author. It is called: "Journey to the Hatto Grosso." This play is designed to promote the feelings of adventure present in every adolescent, and to awaken his/her self-identity.

Transformative learning theory (TLT) describes the process of reframing discriminative, untenable worldviews with a more inclusive, permeable, and reflective epistemology. Although TLT has been around for more than 50 years, few studies empirically engage critical theoretical frameworks to move beyond personal learning to identify the impacts of transformation on society. Through a critical race theory (CRT) framework, this study analyzed how the participants' socio-cultural identities (race, class, gender, sexuality, and heritage language) impacted the transformative learning of eight study-abroad students from a medium-sized, rural Midwestern university. Focusing on the extent to which the participants experienced the elements of transformative learning during a month-long study-abroad experience in Spain, this project explored what the experience of traveling to an "other" place and experiencing "otherness" had on transformative learning. This qualitative study drew from extensive ethnographic observations, photo analysis, and informal, semi-formal, and focus-group interviews. During the study, the researcher analyzed data to construct codes and categories for further analysis, incorporating multiple member-checks to promote the narratives of the participants. Following data collection, the researcher used constructivist grounded theory to further scrutinize the data searching for salient themes and patterns connected to the research questions. Race and class privilege (or marginalization) had an impact on the study-abroad participants' worldviews and transformative learning. Participants from backgrounds of racial and class privilege experienced transformations that were deeply engaging on a personal level, but were not motivated toward more justified beliefs or action toward others. In contrast, participants from backgrounds of lesser socio-cultural privilege demonstrated increased critical social reflection and transformative outcomes, both personal and social. These findings led the researcher to question if there might be more effective avenues toward critical social transformation than the pedagogy of the privileged of travel for transformation.

No description available.

No description available.