(2002). Sharing Our Pathways: A Newsletter of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative, 2002. Sharing Our Pathways, v7 n1-5 Jan-Dec. This document contains the five issues of "Sharing Our Pathways" published in 2002. This newsletter of the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative (AKRSI) documents efforts to make Alaska rural education–particularly science education–more culturally relevant to Alaska Native students. Articles include "Nurturing Native Languages" (Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley); "Nikaitchuat Ixisabviat: An Inupiaq Immersion School" (Igxubuq Dianne Schaeffer); "Project Centered Education" (John Carlson); "Native Languages in Alaska" (Ruthie Sampson); "New Guidelines for Culturally Responsive School Boards Developed by Native Educators"; "Oral Traditional Knowledge: Does It Belong in the Classroom?" (Esther A. Ilutsik); "In the Maelstrom of Confusion, A Stilling Voice" (Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley); "Who Is This Child Named WIPCE?" (Ac'arralek Lolly Sheppard Carpluk); "Draft Guidelines for Cross-Cultural Orientation… [PDF]
(2006). Improving Education Achievement and Attainment in Luxembourg. OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 508. OECD Publishing (NJ1) Improving education achievement in Luxembourg is a priority for strengthening productivity growth and enhancing residents' employment prospects in the private sector, where employers mainly hire cross-border workers. Student achievement in Luxembourg is below the OECD average according to the 2003 OECD PISA study, with the performance gap between immigrant and native students being above average. A factor that makes learning more difficult in Luxembourg than in other countries is the use of three languages of instruction (Letzebuergesch, German and French). New empirical evidence presented in this paper based on the PISA tests suggests that the reforms over the past decade or so to attenuate these difficulties have had considerable success: the adverse impact of immigrant status on PISA test scores is around the OECD average. The fact that the performance gap between immigrant and native students is nevertheless greater than average reflects other factors, notably the relatively… [Direct]
(2006). Every Moment Counts: Five Principles for Boosting the Achievement of Struggling Students. Educational Horizons, v84 n4 p251-256 Sum. In this article, the author relates her difficult experiences as a novice teacher when she started teaching bilingual third-graders in Spanish at Spangler Elementary School in 2002. She relates that her teaching strategy of balancing rigor and sweetness had its rewards as her students' rate of reading proficiency on the Colorado Student Assessment Program was 60 percent–a stark contrast compared to the prior year's proficiency rate of 7 percent. She relates that she used five principles for teaching her students and these are: (1) Conveying a sense of urgency; (2) Developing personal bonds; (3) Fostering a joy for learning; (4) Raising the bar with high expectations; and (5) Cultivating social and emotional intelligence. (Contains 1 footnote.)… [PDF]
(2006). Effectiveness of an English Intervention for First-Grade English Language Learners at Risk for Reading Problems. Elementary School Journal, v107 n2 p153-181 Nov. A first-grade reading and language development intervention for English language learners (Spanish/English) at risk for reading difficulties was examined. The intervention was conducted in the same language as students' core reading instruction (English). Two hundred sixteen first-grade students from 14 classrooms in 4 schools from 2 districts were screened in both English and Spanish. Forty-eight students (22%) did not pass the screening in both languages and were randomly assigned within schools to an intervention or contrast group; after 7 months, 41 students remained in the study. Intervention groups of 3 to 5 students met daily (50 minutes) and were provided systematic and explicit instruction in oral language and reading by trained bilingual reading intervention teachers. Students assigned to the contrast condition received their school's existing intervention for struggling readers. Intervention students significantly outperformed contrast students on multiple measures of… [Direct] [Direct]
(2009). Combining Learning and Assessment in Assessment-Based Gaming Environments: A Case Study from a New York City School. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, v6 n3 p173-188. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose and demonstrate an evidence-based scenario design framework for assessment-based computer games. Design/methodology/approach: The evidence-based scenario design framework is presented and demonstrated by using BELLA, a new assessment-based gaming environment aimed at supporting student learning of vocabulary and math. BELLA integrates assessment and learning into an interactive gaming system that includes written conversations, math activities, oral and written feedback in both English and Spanish, and a visible psychometric model that is used to adaptively select activities as well as feedback levels. This paper also reports on a usability study carried out in a public middle school in New York City. Findings: The evidence-based, scenario design framework proves to be instrumental in helping combine game and assessment requirements. BELLA demonstrates how advances in artificial intelligence in education, cognitive science, educational… [Direct]
(1994). Michoacan People, Customs, and the Day of the Dead. This curriculum guide is intended: (1) to expose students to the people and customs of Michoacan, Mexico; (2) to explore the meaning of traditional Day of the Dead customs through hands-on experiences; and (3) to build the self-esteem of second language learners of Mexican descent. During the study, students whose primary language is Spanish read and respond to Purepecha Indian myths of Michoacan; research and prepare a presentation on the language and customs of the Purepecha Indians; and participate in Day of the Dead activities including art, theater, and cooking. Activities include a literature study, research project, and holiday celebration of the Day of the Dead. There are background notes on the Purepecha Indians and the Day of the Dead, along with a list of resources. Since much of this unit is activity-based, the evaluation of students is performance-based with students judged on their participation in and completion of the activities introduced. (EH)… [PDF]
(1996). Rationale and Needs for Stabilizing Indigenous Languages. Although American Indian and Alaska Native communities have largely won the legal right to maintain their languages and cultures, they lack the "effective right" to do so. The effective right means access to the tools for getting the job done–the knowledge, strategies, and resources necessary to resist destruction of languages and cultures. This rationale and needs statement documents the importance of indigenous languages as an irreplaceable cultural knowledge and as a cornerstone of indigenous community and family values. It reviews past government policies to eradicate indigenous languages and the reversal of those policies with the new federal policy of Indian self-determination over the last quarter century. In the 1990s, support for self-determination and for the maintenance of Native languages and cultures has been demonstrated by the Native American Languages Act of 1990, the work of the Indian Nations At Risk Task Force and the White House Conference on Indian… [PDF]
(1993). I Am Connected to the World. Unit of Study for Grades K-2: Spanish Partial Immersion Program. These materials consist of a series of lessons comprising an interdisciplinary, multicultural instructional unit. They were designed for use in an elementary school Spanish partial immersion program, to address a variety of needs and learning styles of children from diverse backgrounds, and are intended to foster a sense of community and responsibility, both local and global. The unit is organized according to the model of multiple intelligences: verbal/linguistic; logical/mathematical; visual/kinesthetic/ musical/rhythmical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Lesson topics include: the connection between individuals and the human and natural worlds; the individual self; family; home; school; the local community; communities in general; seasons; the earth; and endangered animals. Included are excerpts from other publications and a number of reproducible student worksheets. A brief list of related materials is also appended. All instructions are in English, and some worksheets are all…
(1990). GENESYS 1989-90: Selected Program Evaluations. Selected program evaluations through the GENeric Evaluation SYStem (GENESYS) of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District are reviewed. GENESYS, implemented in 1988-89, consists basically of a database methodology assessing the school system's longitudinal databases and a set of computer programs using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) to generate output on several variables for designated programs. In its second year, 1989-90, GENESYS included a wide variety of elementary school, secondary school, and kindergarten through grade 12 programs. Information on specified groups of students gathered through GENESYS concerns the following variables: student characteristics; achievement; attendance; discipline; grades/credits; dropouts; and retainees. In this report, GENESYS information is provided for: (1) bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language programs at all grades; (2) Teach and Reach supplementary reading and mathematics instruction in elementary grades; (3) the AIM High… [PDF]
(1986). Ecuador. America = Las Americas [Series]. Designed for elementary teachers to use with migrant students, this bilingual English/Spanish social studies resource booklet provides an encyclopedia-style overview of Ecuador's history, geography, economy, and culture. Topics include the history of Ecuador's flag and coat of arms, geographic regions, food, Quito (the capital), recent wildlife exploration, Jivaro Indians, and the importance and history of cacao. Biographical sketches are presented on Sebastian de Belalcazar, Francisco Javier Eugenio de Santa Cruz y Espejo, Jose Joaquin de Olmedo, Susana Reyes, and Wilson Pico. Traditions and customs, music, and poetry are discussed in the Spanish language section along with the Galapagos Islands and the llama. Consisting mainly of narrative text, the booklet includes maps, illustrations, chocolate recipes, fact sheets, word searches and other activity pages, Spanish vocabulary, and a 27-item bibliography. (NEC)…
(1987). Woodworking Safety. A Guide for Teachers of Limited English Proficient Students. This packet of materials was developed (1) to address the liability concerns of woodworking instructors by providing safety instruction materials and tests for limited English proficient (LEP) or Spanish-speaking students, and (2) to provide some ideas, strategies, and resources for working effectively with LEP students in the vocational classroom. Section I includes instructional strategies that can be used when working with LEP students. Section II contains the woodworking safety tests in both Spanish and English. Subjects include general safety rules, band saw, jig saw, table saw, radial arm saw, saber saw, portable circular saw, jointer, planer, lathe, drill press, portable electric drill, router, and sanders. An answer key is included. (KC)…
(1980). SOCMATICAS Student Workbook. The student workbook for Socmaticas includes 271 activities which require students to utilize data from soccer team rosters to complete this bilingual, multicultural, multidisciplinary, learning program ranging from elementary to secondary levels. Encompassing the subject areas of English/Spanish, mathematics, reading, social studies, history, and geography, the specific tasks enable students to develop a positive self image, record their work progress, learn basic computational skills, make and utilize charts and graphs, integrate data, improve visual perception skills, write and interpret birth dates, read schedules, improve penmanship skills, develop creative writing skills, develop research skills, learn a second language and culture, and appreciate being bilingual/bicultural. Activities include ordering numbers, writing Spanish surnames, linear measurements, writing number words and dates, celebrating fiestas, drawing team emblems and uniforms, values clarification,…
(1981). A Peek at Pre-K. Publication No. 80.57. The Early Childhood Observation Form was developed to compare and evaluate two distinct curriculums used in Title I and Title I Migrant Pre-Kindergarten classrooms in the Austin Independent School District during the 1979-1980 school year. Variables recorded on the form included language spoken, group size, activity, adult instructional involvement, instructional responsibility, adult contact, and curriculum used. Design of the form provided for day-long, minute-by-minute observations of randomly selected students on randomly selected observation days by two trained observers. The form was judged useful in examining a variety of curriculum approaches, assessing the extent to which a curriculum has been implemented, relating classroom practices to achievement gains, and/or contrasting curriculums. Findings from a total of 100 day-long observations were that Title I students received 22 minutes more instruction in a day which averaged 19 minutes longer, took more naptime (36% compared… [PDF]
(1981). A Systematic Approach for Measuring Sustained Effect and for Comparing Compensatory Education Programs Using Achievement Test Data. The system discussed in this paper was successfully used to track approximately 17,000 students participating in various educational programs and to measure their gains through achievement test results. It was developed for a school district with twelve supplementary instruction programs, and has been in use since the 1975-76 school year. The evaluation method was used to fulfill federal reporting requirements and to conduct longitudinal studies in measuring the impact of instructional programs. Programs in which kindergarten through high school students were tracked included: Title I, Title VII, State Bilingual, Migrant, and Experimental Schools. Inservice training was conducted to familiarize teachers and counselors with the materials required in the process. Greater speed in reporting test results, and increased specificity of scores for each student helped to alleviate teacher resistance to the extra record keeping involved. Appendices include a list of references, examples of… [PDF]
(1979). Significant Impact of Environment Regarding Eligibility of Native American and Alaskan Native Students for ESEA Title VII Regulations. Early Russian religious and educational influences on the 20 various Alaskan Native languages are described, followed by those of American origin in schools and religious groups after the American purchase in 1867, all of which show the development of diglossia and language shifts. The present dual educational system, which includes state schools and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools, has contributed to shifts in language use from Alaskan Native languages to varieties of English or combinations of both. Alaskan Native and non-native students learn native language-specific dialects of English which have their own phonological and syntactical characteristics. Teacher attitudes, knowledge, and understanding, as well as differences in culture-specific modes of discourse, and the use of formalized textbook English are seen as factors which create interethnic communication problems. The geographic and cultural isolation has also been influential in creating a lack of language… [PDF]