<p> <b>Purpose.</b> The purpose of this study was to understand and, using an assets lens, systematically describe the essence of the experiences of long-term English learners when acquiring proficiency in English. </p><p> <b>Methodology.</b> A phenomenological design was used to explore the experiences of long-term English learners when acquiring proficiency in English. The researcher interviewed a purposeful sampling of 5 adults who identified themselves to be long-term English learners as students. Patton&rsquo;s (2002) steps in phenomenological analysis including epoche, phenomenological reduction, bracketing, textural portrayal, and structural synthesis were used to analyze the data. Lincoln and Guba&rsquo;s (1985) process for validity and reliability were utilized to establish alternative constructs of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Findings. Fifteen formulated meanings were constructed from the significant statements, and 5 themes emerged. The 5 themes were explained and supported with the significant statements from the interviews. Finally, the essence of the experiences of long-term English learners when acquiring proficiency in English was described. </p><p> <b>Conclusions.</b> The results of the study support the key themes associated with critical developmental assets that impacted the acquisition of English of LTELs. The key themes included family communication preferences and challenges, parental involvement in helping youth succeed in school, experiencing high expectations, developing achievement motivation, and engaging in learning. The findings of this phenomenological study offer districts support to implement programs that empower parents how to become effective advocates in their children&rsquo;s education. </p><p> <b>Recommendations.</b> This study was conducted with adults who identified themselves as LTELs. Further phenomenological research could be conducted to research the types and levels of parental involvement and the effects parental involvement has on the assets of achievement motivation and learning engagement. Additionally, a study could identify if Hispanic parents view their parental responsibilities and participation in the schooling of their children differently from mainstream America. Finally, future research could survey the developmental assets of ELs in middle school. As students become reclassified in middle school, research would identify the combination of assets in those students reclassified as compared with students who did not meet reclassification criteria within the same year.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / This study traces the decline of classical languages in secondary and higher education. It investigates the factors that contributed to the rise and fall of modern foreign languages in the curriculum of American schools. Particular attention is focused upon two time periods, 1870-1915, and circa 1960-1972. Specifically, the study examines the rationale advanced for the inclusion of modern foreign languages into the regular program of studies; the impact of economic, professional, and social forces upon the decline of the classical languages; the confrontation and conflict between the modern foreign languages and the classical languages; and the parallels between the situation faced by the classical languages during the period 1870-1915, and the one confronting the modern languages today. Characteristics of American education during the, colonial period are traced, and the impact of classical education in the colonies is delineated. Methods, texts, teacher preparation and community influence are discussed. In addition, language curricula from the end of the colonial era to 1870 and factors contributing to assaults upon the classical languages are outlined. The confrontation between the proponents of the classics and the modern foreign languages is treated in greater detail, and the appearance of modern foreign languages during 1870-1895 is traced. The crisis confronting classical education during the 1895-1905 period is studied in depth; the decline of Latin and the essential demise of Greek and innovations in classical education are considered. Factors impeding and contributing to the rise of modern foreign languages are analyzed. General socio-cultural influence affecting the status of classical education are examined. Finally, the similarity between the situation confronting classical languages or an earlier period and that faced by modern languages today are discussed with particular attention directed to the parallels between the two periods and implications for the future place or languages in the curriculum.

<p> Elementary English language learners lack sufficient English fluency to achieve grade level writing outcomes on state required writing tests. Pre-write strategies incorporating drawings, visual literacy, non-linguistic representations, thinking techniques, and collaboration could be beneficial to help English language learners generate language supports necessary for developing writing fluency in English. The central questions for this study were to determine if drawing as a pre-write activity, and social collaboration, are effective strategies for improving writing achievement for young second language writers. The purpose of this quantitative pretest/ posttest design with four control groups and four treatment groups was to explore how the socio-cultural and visual strategy of prewrite drawing changes the writing outcomes of grade school English language learners. In this experimental study, outcomes of a pre-write visualization strategy were explored for eight fifth grade classes of English language learner students in English language development classes in Northeast Georgia. The data revealed there was no evidence that pre-write drawing treatment had an effect on the GADOE posttests when compared to the control group <i>F</i>(1,5) = 0.00, p = 0.9742). Additionally, there was no evidence that the pre-write drawing treatment had an effect on the Total WIDA posttests when compared to the control group <i>F</i>(1,5) = 0.15, p = 0.7152). Interactions of the treatment and the pretest score covariate were found to be statistically significant (p >0.05) in every case. Although statistically insignificant, the findings indirectly validate concerns among ESL educators and mainstream teachers of ELs in regard to L2 writing. The implications of the study findings indicate a need for continued research in second language writing outcomes of grade school English learners.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of state standardized testing English Language Learners are required to participate in as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Although policymakers continue to debate the minutia of the academic accountability for English Language Learners, the over-arching question of test validity has continued to be ignored. Current federal requirements identify participation in state standardized testing of all English Language Learners who have been in country more than one academic year. Data collected for analysis included English Language Learners&rsquo; level of English proficiency, and state standardized testing scores in reading, English language arts, and mathematics. The goal was to determine, using quantitative data, correlations between these variables. The study concludes by highlighting factors to be considered that influence accountability policy at the state and federal level and by making suggestions for future research in the area of assessing English Language Learners for the purpose of increased accuracy for accountability in academic growth and performance.</p><p> Through the use of ex-post-facto data, the results of the study identified three findings. The first finding identified that there is a correlation between ELL students&rsquo; English language proficiency level and performance on state standardized testing in the areas of reading, English language arts, and mathematics. The second finding in the study, using the Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment (WELPA) to identify student English proficiency levels, recognized that there is a threshold between WELPA levels and the ELL students who are passing state standardized tests. The third finding recognized that there was no significant distinction in state standardized testing between the number of reading/English language arts tests and mathematics tests.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine what instructional strategies expert teachers of English language learners (ELLs) in the primary grades perceive as most effective for teaching reading to ELLs. Another purpose of this study was to determine what expert teachers of ELLs in the primary grades perceive as the barriers to the reading achievement of English learners. The final purpose of this study was to determine what strategies expert teachers of ELLs in the primary grades recommend to overcome perceived barriers. Quantitative data were collected from effective teachers who taught primary grades in Riverside County, California, using an electronic format. The effective teachers were identified based on teaching at a school with an API of 800 or more with an ELL population of 40% or more and based on data criteria. Effective teachers in the primary grades were chosen based on student achievement, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessments, and site principal recommendations. A Likert scale was used for the survey. The effective teachers ranked effective instructional strategies in the five components of reading and had the ability to insert additional instructional strategies, barriers, and ways they overcame barriers in an open-ended question on the survey. The findings indicated the participants found the instructional strategies for teaching the five components of reading to be effective to teach ELLs in the primary grades to read. Based on the data analyzed, all teachers in the primary grades should be knowledgeable in the five components of reading as well as the effective instructional strategies for implementation. In addition to ensuring that teacher preparation programs and all current teachers in Grades K-3 are prepared for teaching reading to ELLs in the primary grades, this researcher also recommends that the leaders at the sites be well-versed in the five components of reading and effective instructional strategies. Additional research is recommended to identify leadership trends at the successful schools, such as accountability, data used to guide instruction, staff development planning, and student intervention programs.</p>

<p> The increased number of English language learners (ELLs) presents a difficult task for middle school building principals. The challenge of ensuring the success of ELLs in future years will force schools to rethink educational practices. This study focused on how middle school building principals strategically planned, organized, and managed their schools to meet the needs of ELLs. The phenomenological study was based on the growing student population of English as a second language (ESL) in school districts in Eastern New York. Ten principals were interviewed and a triangulation of data was achieved through observation and collection of documents. The researcher found through bridging that middle school principals engaged in relationship building with parents, students, teachers, and community to create a sense of belonging in the school. As a result, principals are encouraged to provide professional opportunities for the faculty to become certified ESL teachers, accessible to community members, bilingual, and engaged in community building.</p>

<p> A disproportionate number of high school dropouts are Latino immigrant students with emergent English language skills. Statistically, students that meet these demographic characteristics are more likely to drop out of high school before receiving their diploma. Thus, these same students will then enter the workforce ill equipped for job advancement or the requirements of postsecondary education. </p><p> A set of negative experiences, referred to as the process of marginalization, may occur in high school, leaving these students alienated and less confident of success than their English-speaking peers. This study used a qualitative research method approach to investigate the factors that lead some high school students to drop out and others to persevere and to become academically successful. This situation was explored by trying to understand Mexican and Central American immigrant students' perceptions of and reactions to possible high school marginalization processes and how this process effects their academic success in 11th and 12th grades. </p><p> More specifically, this dissertation study employed a qualitative design to develop a case study of students and a school and community profile. Several instruments used in the study included a sampling and eligibility questionnaire, a semistructured questionnaire, and an open-ended Interview with high school Latino immigrant youth to examine their perceptions of the process of marginalization and the resiliency factors that they used to overcome them. Based on the study's results, several recommendations are made for schools to reform the negative impact of marginalization and increase feelings of empowerment and inclusion for this group</p>

<p> Providing students at risk of becoming long-term English learners (LTELs) with the instruction and support they need to reclassify as fluent English proficient before entering high school increases their access to grade-level or advanced placement curriculum that will satisfy college entrance requirements and, presumably, postsecondary academic success. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the support provided through College Success Path by the Students First Unified School District (a pseudonym) to its seventhand eighthgradersat risk of becoming LTELs has the potential to lead to university matriculation.</p><p> Descriptive (mean, median, mode, and standard deviation) and inferential (independent measure <i>t</i>-test) statistical analyses of student learning outcomes revealed nonsignificant results at the .05 level.</p><p> Notable findings emerged after looking at score distributions and frequencies (cross-tabulations) for the District Writing Assessments and California Standardized Tests, English Language Arts learning outcomes. The treatment group experienced greater numbers of students moving from lower proficiency levels to higher proficiency levels in terms of the posttests than the control group did. </p><p> Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses of identified student learning outcomes did not yield significant results at the .05 level. Cross-tabulations conducted to analyze score distributions on the same student learning outcomes revealed results in favor of the treatment group. However, A-G completion rates and academic GPA data revealed results in favor of the control group. </p><p> The reality regarding the English learner (EL) population in California is changing as the number of LTELs increases in our public schools. In light of current state legislation, providing equal educational opportunities for ELs, especially LTELs, is vital to their success. This relates to the theoretical foundation of this study because it hearkens back to Paulo Freire's idea of actively participating in one's current reality and working to transform rather than conform to the world around them.</p>

<p> Instead of accepting the adage that adolescent motherhood had a negative effect in young women's lives, this researcher used a portraiture methodology to illuminate the goodness of adolescent motherhood for two <i>Mexicana </i> women in a southern New Mexico mountain town (Lawrence-Lightfoot &amp; Davis, 1997; Pillow, 2004). I examined how the ideological conditions of the hierarchy of gender that femininity and motherhood contextualize the conditions in which two first-generation Mexican American women became pregnant while still in high school. I framed that result within the historical structuring of the education of adolescent mothers to understand how the participants were able to experience a campus-based daycare, parenting program, and health center when they most needed it in order to graduate from high school. This research followed how the participants contended over the years with issues of legal work status, culture, healthcare, romance, language, resiliency, agency, discipline, contraceptives, and sexuality. From 24 hours of audio transcriptions, the experiences of the two participants were presented chronologically from 2004-2013 in order to show how context informed the decisions the women made at the intersection of woman, mother, worker, and student identities. Through a feminist standpoint, I examined the portraits to reveal important insight into the experience of adolescent motherhood to illuminate possibilities for social justice (Bowman, 2011). My findings are based upon the themes that emerged from the data and the critical consciousness I gained from researching their experiences.</p>

<p> This research study was situated in the policy context of the internationalization of higher education, motivated by the increased presence of culturally and linguistically diverse students in U.S. educational settings and elevated discourses related to student global engagement. It explored the lived experience of 10 second-language (L2) speaking international students enrolled in a mainstream required writing course at a private, urban university in Washington, DC. This study investigated how participants experienced and understood being a part of this required writing course, and more specifically how the thematic nature of the course mediated their experience. This research conceived of a classroom as a socioacademic space, a shared environment where course content and formal academic tasks are combined with mediated social interactions among members of the classroom community. It engaged a hermeneutic phenomenological research approach to tap into both the details of the lived experience and how it was made sense of by the participants who experienced it. Through a series of three interviews, at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester, participants revealed their sociocultural histories, the arc of the lived experience over time, and their reflection on the experience at the end of the semester. </p><p> Findings for this study were organized along four major themes: The context for mobility; Entering the first-year writing course: Hopeful but unsure; The negotiation of the FYW experience: Interactions; Reflection on the lived experience: You get what you put in. Findings highlighted the significance of interactions in socioacademic settings, as well as the strategic ways L2 students responded to both the classroom environment and the tasks it required. The course topic was also found to have a strong influence over participants' experiences, though writing clearly occupied more of their attention during the second half of the semester. The findings of this study add dimension to our understanding of this phenomenon; further develop the literature bases of the internationalization of higher education, second-language writing, and first-year writing; and have implications for future research, institutional arrangements and attitudes, and curricular and pedagogical approaches. </p>