The purpose of this study was to determine (1) the relationship of placement in Spanish/English bilingual classrooms to the achievement of native-English speakers; (2) the relationship of sex to the achievement of these students; (3) the characteristics of the program in which these students are enrolled; (4) the extent to which native-English speakers are taught Spanish; (5) the extent to which native-English speakers enhance the learning opportunities for LEP students; (6) and the perception of teachers and administrators towards these students. The sample consisted of 182 students from nine schools, half of whom were in the control group and half in the experimental group. The sample also consisted of 40 teachers and 10 principals from 12 schools. The findings of this study indicated that there is no significant difference in achievement between native-English speakers who enroll in bilingual classrooms and those who do not. It was also found that gender was not a factor in achievement. However, it was found that there were significant differences between school sites in both reading and mathematics achievement. The findings indicate that most classrooms have bilingual paraprofessionals, that most teachers group for instruction, and that most report using simultaneous translation. Few teachers report doing much SSL or Spanish content area instruction. The findings suggest that bilingual classroom assignment is not detrimental to the academic achievement of native-English speakers and can even be an enriching experience if the students receive second language and cross-cultural instruction. They also suggest that there is a need for more staff development for administrators and teachers on bilingual education. In summary, the results of this study may provide information which can lead to policy and design changes in relation to bilingual programs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pacific.edu/oai:scholarlycommons.pacific.edu:uop_etds-3765 |
| Date | 01 January 1994 |
| Creators | Costa, Elmano Martins |
| Publisher | Scholarly Commons |
| Source Sets | University of the Pacific |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations |
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