(1974). [Kit of Materials for Needs Assessment and Evaluation.]. The items included in this kit represent a variety of needs assessment instruments and evaluation designs and methods offered by school districts in their plans for implementation of Article 3.3, Education Code Sections 13344-13344.4, school staff preparation in the history, culture, and current problems of racial and ethnic minorities. Some are appropriate for large districts, some for small. They show diverse thinking about objectives and measurement. They deal variously with the assessment of staff needs, with patterns of attitude and opinion, and with the evaluation of inservice content, presentation methods, and outcomes. Contents include: (1) A Statement on the Goals of Multicultural Education; (2) Form IR-303, Progress Report, School Year 1973-4; (3) Staff Opinion Survey, (4) A Personal Questionnaire for Teachers of Chicano Students (Baldwin Park); (5) Pre-Program Survey of Course Expectations; Post-Course Survey of Expectations–Fulfillment (Santa Cruz); (6) Multicultural… [PDF]

Blossom, Grace A. (1967). The Reading Problem of the Bilingual Child and a Solution. Book English is a THIRD Language to Bilingual Students. The problem encountered by bilingual students upon entering school is that they are confronted with 2 vocabularies: the group of words used for speaking and the group of words used for reading. This situation places them in a frustrating predicament because they are acquainted with only a limited amount of English. As students progress gradewise, content materials become more difficult, sentences get more involved, vocabulary becomes progressively harder, and fewer pictures are included. By recognizing that a shift in vocabulary emphasis takes place between the primary and elementary levels, a part of the problem is isolated. Reading development requires an awareness that, to bilinguals, poses a problem comparable to a third-language situation. More difficult vocabulary, idiomatic English, and long involved sentences begin to appear at about the third-grade level. Thus, a teacher must prepare the students. For vocabulary development, the child's speaking vocabulary of 200 to 300…

(1972). Classification Materials. This packet contains complaints, memoranda, exhibits, orders, regulations, and stipulations in court cases dealing with expulsion or suspension of students from school or assignment of students to selected tracks. The report presents material from cases in which students were excluded from school or classes based on retardation, race, "medical reasons," pregnancy, citizenship, or other reasons. The report also contains material relating to classification practices based on race or national origin. (JF)… [PDF]

Parker, Sandra (1971). Social Studies: School, Home, and Neighborhood, Getting to Know More People and Places. English as a Second Language. The quinmester course intended for pupils speaking English as a second language aims to teach students to ask and answer questions and discuss, orally and in written form, basic concepts in social studies such as transportation, map reading, family, friends, school, home, neighborhood, and community in an attempt to help them function effectively in the community. A framework is provided by eight specific context areas: Doing Things Now; Customary Activities; Describing Objects; Clothing and Colors; Where; Yesterday, Last Week, Last Month; Yours, Mine, Ours, and Theirs; and, Going Places. Each context area has two or more sections of language practice to facilitate division into lesson plans and is further subdivided into patterns, suggested substitutions (vocabulary), specific measurable objectives, suggested teaching procedures, and correlations with standard English Second Language Materials. Related documents are SO 002 708 through SO 002 718, and SO 002 768 through SO 002 792…. [PDF]

Ruest, Paul R. (1985). A Model for French Language Post-Secondary Education. Canadian Modern Language Review, v41 n5 p835-41 Apr. A model is presented for postsecondary French language education based on the belief that linguistic improvement and cultural rappprochement are complementary goals. Data on secondary French immersion enrollment trends are noted, and planning difficulties due to small enrollments and insufficient information about career goals are discussed. (MSE)…

Singerman, Robert (1996). Indigenous Languages of the Americas: A Bibliography of Dissertations and Theses. Native American Bibliography Series, No. 19. This bibliography lists 1,679 doctoral dissertations and master's theses on Native American languages. The entries represent graduate work completed at colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom between 1892 and 1992. Citations for this bibliography were gathered through an extensive search of the printed literature and bibliographic databases and through correspondence with libraries and scholars. Each entry includes full name of author, full title of work, degree granted, institution, and year completed; some entries contain a citation to "Dissertation Abstracts International" or "Masters Abstracts International," information on subsequent publication, or a brief annotation. The "General" category of the bibliography includes the following subcategories: biography; education, learning, and English as a second language; general studies; geographical names; personal names; loanwords; numeral, mathematical, and…

Costantino, Magda (1999). Reading and Second Language Learners. Research Report. This document was created as a resource for educators and policymakers regarding English Language Learners (ELLs) in U.S. public schools, providing a synthesis of the research on teaching and learning to read in English as it relates to students in U.S. public schools who speak little or no English. Focusing attention on children of primary acquisition age, this research summary addresses the following questions: (1) What are the prerequisites that children need to meet in order to become proficient readers in English as a Second Language? (2) If ELLs are experiencing difficulties reading English, is it a language problem or a reading problem? and (3) What are the school, program, and classroom characteristics that support the reading development of ELLs? This report contains three chapters and three appendices. Chapter 1 discusses the theories and different aspects of the language acquisition processes. Chapter 2 examines the primary challenges ELLs face in learning to read English… [PDF]

Vance, Emily; Weaver, Patricia Jimenez (2002). Class Meetings: Young Children Solving Problems Together. When young children can solve problems in a nonthreatening classroom environment, they feel emotionally safe and can focus their efforts on learning. This book describes the use of class meetings in which early childhood teachers provide guidance in solving a problem or resolving a conflict to help children reach a solution that all can accept. The book is organized into four chapters. Chapter 1 presents a classroom conflict situation in which a class meeting resolved the problem to everyone's satisfaction. The chapter describes how such meetings create a sense of community, promote cognitive development, and foster strong social skills and values. Chapter 2 explains the four major components of class meetings (opening, acknowledgments, problem solving, and closing) and includes information on giving children useful feedback, resolving conflicts without adults, and conducting class meetings when no conflicts are pending. Chapter 3 focuses on introducing the class meetings concept at…

Chatel, Regina G.; Lord, Carlotta (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.) (SLD)… [PDF]

Gandara, Patricia; Rumberger, Russell (2003). The Inequitable Treatment of English Learners in California's Public Schools. Working Paper 2003-01. University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute In California, the state is responsible for ensuring equality of educational opportunity for all of its students. Yet, with respect to English learners, the state has largely failed even to assess the conditions of education for these students. It has not adequately monitored their educational opportunities in terms of access to critical resources such as qualified teachers, appropriate instructional materials, coursework, and learning environments. In this study we first examine the achievement gap for English learners in California. Second, we review evidence in seven areas in which these students receive a substantially inequitable education vis-a-vis their English-speaking peers, even when those peers are similarly economically disadvantaged. Third, we examine the failure of the state to monitor, prevent and correct substandard EL learning conditions. Finally, we discuss some possible ways for the state to equalize the opportunities for this significant sub-population of… [Direct]

Byram, Michael; Lai, Pak-Sang (2003). The Politics of Bilingualism: A Reproduction Analysis of the Policy of Mother Tongue Education in Hong Kong after 1997. Compare, v33 n3 p315-34 Sep. Argues that a return to native language education has escalated the tensions and contradictions of the politics of bilingualism. Examines the events pertinent to the language shift from English as a medium of instruction to Chinese in Hong Kong. Emphasizes controversial issues, such as parental choice, antagonism of elite classes, and group politics. (CAJ)…

Hammer, Carol Scheffner; Miccio, Adele W.; Wagstaff, David A. (2003). Home Literacy Experiences and Their Relationship to Bilingual Preschoolers' Developing English Literacy Abilities: An Initial Investigation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v34 n1 p20-30 Jan. Forty-three Puerto Rican mother-child dyads in Head Start programs, grouped according to whether the children had learned Spanish and English from birth (n=28) or Spanish from birth and English in Head Start (n=15) participated in a study of home literacy experiences and emerging English literacy abilities. Results found that literacy development would benefit from increased exposure to literacy materials and events. (Contains references.) (LC)…

Extra, Guus (1989). Ethnic Minority Languages versus Frisian in Dutch Primary Schools: A Comparative Perspective. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v10 n1 p59-72. Compares the position of ethnic minority languages versus Frisian in Dutch primary schools, and considers the roles of legislation, educational models, minority language usage, language attitudes, pressure groups, teacher quality, instructional materials, and the serious lack of basic research data on the acquisition, use, shift, and loss of minority languages. 31 references. (CB)…

Prado-Olmos, Patricia L. (1994). Exploring Structure and Interaction in Small Groups: An Ethnographic Study of Cooperative Group Life in a Bilingual Elementary Classroom. Bilingual Research Journal, v18 n3-4 p135-59 Sum-Fall. Four third-grade bilingual-program students were observed repeatedly as they engaged in group discussions of reading comprehension questions as part of a cooperative learning curriculum. Rather than being an exchange of ideas, the discussion activity mimicked teacher and student roles in the larger classroom, demonstrating influences of classroom context and teacher beliefs on program process and outcomes. (SV)…

Durgunoglu, Aydin Y.; And Others (1993). Cross-Language Transfer of Phonological Awareness. Journal of Educational Psychology, v85 n3 p453-65 Sep. Factors influencing English word identification performance of 27 Spanish-speaking beginning readers (grade 1) were investigated. Performance on English word and pseudoword recognition tests was predicted by Spanish phonological awareness and Spanish word recognition. Implications for instruction of beginning readers are discussed. (SLD)…

Wang, Margaret C. (1992). Effective School Responses to Student Diversity: Challenges and Prospects. Some of the major barriers to progress in special education reform are highlighted, and critical issues for improving the prospects of achieving equity in schooling success for all of the children in U.S. schools are discussed. Vignettes illustrate what new programs and policies for helping students might actually mean for the students and their families. One of the most significant problems in special education is the way in which students are classified and placed in special education programs, with the related problems of labeling and stereotyping. Once placement has been made, students often suffer from inescapable isolation. Achieving success in special education reform requires progress on policy, administration, and programing. A first step should be eliminating the inherent disincentives in current funding. On an administrative level, it is crucial to empower building-level administrators and staff to assemble resources they need. From a programmatic point of view, special… [PDF]

Gaarder, A. Bruce (1976). Cultural Pluralism and Other Major Issues in American Education. Part I. Decentralized Project No. 4 (Special Activity). International Management Training for Educational Change (IMTEC). Most of the dilemmas, contradictions, and inconsistencies that beset the nation's schools relate either directly or indirectly to the ambiguous, overworked twin concepts of cultural pluralism and the great American melting pot. Examination of the ethnic history of the United States reveals that those minorities urging cultural pluralism were effectively excluded from the benefits of American society while less visible minorities were being assimilated. These excluded minorities are now trying a different route to equity, without realizing that the methods they are using have historically resulted in the dissolution of the cultural groups using them. The traditional American concern for equality that underlies efforts at cultural pluralism also underlies many other no less complex movements in education; those for equal opportunity, compensatory education, desegregation, bilingual and bicultural education, and affirmative action. The philosophical roots and likely outcomes of these…

(1978). Migrant Education Evaluation Report 1977-1978. Title I ESEA. Idaho State Department of Education. State Annual Evaluation Report. Nearly 8,700 migrant students (73% at the elementary level) participated in Idaho's 1978 migrant education program which emphasized oral language, reading, and math skills for all students, and career preparation (driver training, verbal and non-verbal communication skills, GED skills) for teenagers. Of the 33 participating school districts, 30 had sufficient migrant enrollment to require special educational programs during the regular term. Bilingual resource teachers and instructional aides used special materials and rooms to provide supplementary individualized instruction in a bilingual/bicultural environment. Nearly 90% of 5,600 mmigrant students gained an average of 1.5 grade levels in reading and math skills. In the summer program, which stressed oral language development, 80 to 90% of the elementary students achieved their individualized objectives. The staff benefitted from numerous curriculum and inservice workshops, some of which emphasized cultural awareness. Two Migrant…

Baez, Tony; And Others (1980). Desegregation and Hispanic Students: A Community Perspective. A case study of the desegregation process in Milwaukee's Public Schools and the participation of the Hispanic community in that process through the efforts of a parent-community group to safeguard the rights of Hispanic students to equal educational opportunity examines in detail the ways a community has dealt and continues to deal with issues affecting cities with multiethnic populations. The case study focuses on the legal and political decision-making process involved when a major city prepares and implements a plan for school desegregation, and the demands made by Hispanics for their educational needs and legal rights within the context of court-ordered desegregation. Discussed are the issues related to a 1924 Wisconsin law which eliminated all but English from the public school language curriculum, desegregation efforts by Blacks, legal definitions (and their potentially negative impact on Hispanics) used by courts and desegregation planners, and Wisconsin state policies…

(1980). Indian Education: Selected Programs and Practices. On-site visits and surveys of parents and students, as well as tribal, education, and government officials were utilized to gather information regarding selected Indian education programs and practices in Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Many local and federally funded programs existed to provide Indian students with a bilingual/bicultural atmosphere and aid in the mastery of basic skills. Bilingual programs were particularly numerous, but basic skills programs were less so. Although Indian education curriculum development varied greatly from state to state and locality to locality, many school districts made concerted efforts to provide counseling, tutoring, and retention programs to help Indian students. Indians, however, felt that Indian-operated programs and schools were more responsive than public schools to the needs of Indian children. Indians supported alternative programs (usually federally funded) such as alternative K-12 schools, experimental… [PDF]

Bottoms, Gene; And Others (1977). Challenges in Leadership in Vocational Education. National EPD Leadership Development Seminar Proceedings (Atlantic City, New Jersey, December 2, 1977). Final Report. Current delivery systems for vocational education and their implications for the future is the topic of presentations included in this report of an EPDA (Educational Professions Development Act) leadership development seminar. Major contents are an evaluation summary, texts of the three major speeches, and outlines of afternoon interaction sessions designed for maximum involvement of EPDA awardees attending. Major speeches are "Present and Future Challenges in Leadership in Vocational Education," by Gene Bottoms; "Youth Employment Act," by Robert Taggart; and "What to Look for in a Good Graduate School," by Henry Brickell. Topics of the interactive sessions outlined include (1) eradication of sex bias and stereotyping in vocational education programs; (2) legislative impact on guidance and counseling; (3) sociological influences on vocational education; (4) emerging evaluation systems; (5) vocational education delivery systems of the future; (6)…

(1979). American Indian Language and Culture Education Act. Passed by the Minnesota legislature in 1977, the innovative American Indian Language and Culture Education Act provided for the establishment of American Indian language and culture education programs designed (1) to make the curriculum more relevant to the needs, interest, and cultural heritage of American Indian pupils, (2) to provide positive reinforcement of the self-image of American Indian pupils, and (3) to develop intercultural awareness among pupils, parents and staff. Major provisions implemented were a statewide needs assessment, development of an Indian language teacher licensing process and employment guidelines, and creation of a statewide advisory task force on American Indian Language and Culture Education. Appropriations totaling $600,000 funded 11 pilot projects. Seven of these projects focused on Ojibwe, Dakota, and Winnebago cultural, language, and art development programs. Several projects provided pre-school programs to develop sensory-motor and early reading…

Wiley, Terrence G. (1996). Literacy and Language Diversity in the United States. Language in Education: Theory and Practice 87. This book was written for scholars, policymakers, and educators and provides both an introduction to issues in literacy and language diversity and compelling questions for those who work in the field. Based on national data, the extent of language diversity in the United States is explored; what is known about English literacy, native language literacy, and biliteracy is considered; and what is needed to make informed national policy decisions about this subject is discussed. This book is written from a pro-language diversity point of view and critiques policies and practices that view language diversity as a problem that must be remedied through education. It highlights recent positive developments in adult literacy that incorporate language diversity as a resource. Chapter titles include the following: "Common Myths and Stereotypes about Literacy and Language Diversity in the United States"; "Literacy and the Great Divide: Cognitive or Social?"; "Defining… [PDF]

Drummond, Robert J.; Fountain, Cheryl; Senterfitt, Heather D. (2000). Teacher Self-Evaluation of Renewal Efforts of Their Teaching Practices To Improve Student Achievement. This study evaluated how teachers perceived their efforts to improve their teaching practices by participating in the Jacksonville Urban Educational Partnership (JUEP), a Professional Development School (PDS). The JUEP was designed to create sustained, high quality, professional development systems for inservice educators in three PDSs. The study explored how teachers at the end of their third year of the project rated their development of seven professional norms: collegiality, experimentation and risk taking, reflectivity, multicultural sensitivity, decision making, ongoing inquiry, and commitment to teaching. The study also examined the climate of these schools and teachers' attitudes toward the project. The 150 participating teachers completed a climate scale, a professional norms scale, a series of demographic items, and one open-ended question which asked them to name ways that JUEP had impacted their classroom practice. Overall, teachers indicated that JUEP had a degree of… [PDF]

Emihovich, Catherine (1988). Introduction: Toward Cultural Pluralism: Redefining Integration in American Society. Urban Review, v20 n1 p3-7 Spr. Reviews the four articles in this special theme issue. Relates the articles to a broadened understanding of the concept of integration and its implications for education in the next century. (FMW)…

Zimmerman, Enid (1994). How Should Students' Progress and Achievements in Art Be Assessed? A Case for Assessment That Is Responsive to Diverse Students' Needs. Visual Arts Research, v20 n1 p29-35 Spr. Discusses issues related to standardized testing and a national art curriculum. Maintains that cultural diversity among students makes valid and fair assessment difficult. Argues that teachers should be trained in the use of authentic assessment methods. (CFR)…

Goobie, Kathy; And Others (1994). Discover Brazil. A Unit of Study. These curriculum materials were designed to assist sixth grade teachers in the delivery of the world regions component of the grade six social studies. Activities engage students in thinking, analysis, and speculation with a blend of process and product exercises. The book is divided into five sections. "Introductory Activities" include: (1) "Brazil-in-a-Suitcase"; (2) "Preparing for the Trip"; (3) "Identifying Mental Baggage"; (4) "Planning the Trip"; (5) "Brazil–A Country Profile"; and (6) "Brazil through the Eyes of PC Globe." Section 2, "The Influence of Geography," contains: (1) "Brazil's Neighbors"; (2) "How Big is Big"; and (3) "Brasilia: Brazil's Capital City." Section 3, "The Cultural Setting," includes: (1) "A Racial Melting Pot"; (2) "Getting By in Portuguese"; (3) "A GE Indian Creation Myth"; (4) "Families in…

Helmar-Salasoo, Ester (1995). A National Study of States' Roles in Choosing Reading and Literature for Second Language Learning. Report Series 2.25. A national survey was undertaken in 1993 to discover what approaches and materials state agencies recommend in the teaching of reading and literature to students in elementary and secondary school bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. The report summarizes the study methodology and findings in these areas: existence and content of a state curriculum guide of framework for bilingual/ESL programs; enrollments of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students; instructional support offered by the state in the form of teacher handbooks, materials addressing specific LEP populations; adherence to local control in bilingual/ESL instruction; alignment of bilingual/ESL programs with English language arts programs; use of multifunctional resource centers; workshop and conference offerings for bilingual/ESL teachers; use of core instructional materials lists; and common issues encountered by state ESL/bilingual program directors, including reorganization and reduced resources,… [PDF]

Fryer, T. Bruce, Ed.; Medley, Frank W., Jr., Ed. (1989). Language in Action: Theory and Practice. Dimension: Languages '88. Selected Papers from the Annual Meeting of the Southern Conference on Language Teaching (24th, Charleston, South Carolina, October 13-16, 1988). Eight papers from a conference on language teaching are presented in this publication. The conference brought together some 500 foreign language educators, and the papers contained in this volume were selected as representative of the variety of topics addressed at the conference and because they challenge readers to expand their frames of reference and begin to look for uncommon solutions to common problems. Papers and authors are as follows: "The Relationship between Personality and Success in the Study of a Second Language" (Richard W. Thames); "Music and the Teaching of Listening Comprehension" (David C. Alley); "Writing as Process or Back to Nature" (Tom Cooper); "Early Foreign Language Composition" (Douglas Magrath); "Culture Teaching: The Hidden Agenda" (Caryl L. Lloyd);"Cross-Cultural Activities in the Foreign Language Classroom" (Paula R. Heusinkveld); "Success Oriented Latin Instruction at the Junior High…

Sypris, Theo (1993). Partnerships in Internationalization: The Title VIa and Beacon Projects. In an effort to increase the effectiveness of international studies and to improve resource sharing among institutions, Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC), in Michigan, has created a consortium for international studies and foreign languages among 15 Michigan community colleges and Michigan State University (MSU). The consortium was funded by the federal government to design, establish, and operate a regionally based, globally focused, "International Studies and Foreign Language Program Development Institute for Community Colleges." Over a 3-year period, the consortium will assist 21 other two-year colleges in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan in establishing or expanding their international studies and foreign-language curricula. In the mid-1980s, KVCC added, as part of its core general education mission, the integration of international education into the college mainstream. Since then, the college's 54-member International Studies Group has infused… [PDF]