(1969). English [Curriculum Improvement Programs in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]. Books VII-VIII. These volumes comprise (1) Books VII and VIII in the Curriculum Improvement Programs in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands materials; and (2) accompanying Student Booklets introducing reading and writing exercises for each lesson. See related documents AL 002 134 for a description of the Program, AL 002 135-7 for Books I-VI, AL 002 141-3 for picture books for the first six volumes, and AL 002 144 for picture books to accompany these four volumes. (AMM)… [PDF]
(1969). English [Curriculum Improvement Programs in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]. Books IX-X. These volumes comprise (1) Books IX and X, the final texts in the Curriculum Improvement Program in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands materials; and (2) accompanying Student Booklets introducing reading and writing exercises for each lesson. See related documents AL 002 134 for a description of the Program, AL 002 135-8 for Books I-VIII, AL 002 141-4 for picture books for the first eight volumes, and AL 002 145 for picture books to accompany these four volumes. (AMM)… [PDF]
(2004). Guidelines for the Inclusion of English Language Learners (ELLs) in K-12 Assessments. Iowa Department of Education This document provides guidelines for the inclusion of English Language Learners (ELLs) in K-12 assessments. Twenty questions and answers are provided, along with a list of references. The following are appended: (1) Placement Tools for English Language Learners; (2) Definitions; (3) Typical Bilingual Program Designs; (4) Typical ESL Program Models; (5) Language Acquisition Stages; (6) Iowa Title III Enrollment Descriptors; (7) Cross Referencing Language Proficiency Levels and Reasonable Expectations of English Language Learners in Content Areas; and (8) TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Goals. (Contains 2 figures and 1 footnote.)… [PDF]
(1991). Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Study Habits. Journal of Educational Psychology, v83 n2 p231-39 Jun. Use of the Cognitive Skills Inventory (CSI) in cross-cultural studies was investigated by comparing responses of 348 English-speaking, 142 bilingual Puerto Rican, and 109 monolingual Spanish college students. Analyses illustrate a stable and reliable factor structure across cultures for the CSI and its Spanish translation. (SLD)…
(2004). The Perceived Effectiveness of Simultaneous Team-Teaching in a Dual Language Programme. Journal of Research in International Education, v3 n2 p207-224. Many international schools include a host country programme as part of their curriculum. Such programmes range from the study of local culture through to local language instruction. The administration and teachers of an international school (ISXX) felt they wanted to move beyond the traditional approaches to host country integration as well as dedicate more time to the units of inquiry (Primary Years Programme). In order to facilitate this, it was decided that the enquiry-based curriculum would be taught through both English and the host country language of German. This in itself did not appear to be entirely unique, however ISXX further decided that the German teachers and English-speaking class teachers would simultaneously team-teach the units. This study reveals how the children, parents and teachers felt about the first year of the programme. (Contains 2 tables.)… [Direct]
(1997). Texas School Finance Reform: An IDRA Perspective. This book chronicles the history of school finance reform in Texas between 1968 and 1995. Specifically, the book focuses on the substantial changes in the method of funding Texas public schools, aimed at creating a more equitable system of educational opportunity. The author, Dr. Jose A. Cardenas, founded the Intercultural Development Research Association, which is dedicated to the principle that all students are entitled to equal educational opportunities. Dr. Cardenas has been actively involved in school finance reform since the early 1970s when he was superintendent of the Edgewood Independent School District, a poor Mexican American district in San Antonio, and when the historic Rodriguez vs. San Antonio ISD litigation (involving Edgewood) was settled. The book begins with a description of the Texas system of school finance from 1950 through 1973, focusing on its major flaw–"local enrichment"–and on myths and misconceptions of school finance. The remainder of the… [PDF]
(2002). Effective Standards-Based Practices for Native American Students: A Review of Research Literature. This report reviews education programs and practices that have improved Native American student achievement in English language arts and mathematics. In Navajo tribal schools, teaching Indigenous language and literacy first, followed by teaching English and promoting bilingualism, helped students perform well on tests of vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. In Hawaii, a culturally congruent English language arts program significantly improved Native Hawaiian children's achievement in reading. Emphasis on comprehension over mechanics and phonics allowed children to learn in ways that were congruent with their everyday experiences outside of school. The use of ethnomathematics, based on the same principles of cultural congruence, led to improved student achievement for Native Hawaiian children and Alaskan rural middle school students. All these programs required extensive collaboration and time. Although limited in scope, the evidence suggests that congruency between the school… [PDF]
(1997). Teaching Indigenous Languages. Selected Papers from the Annual Symposium on Stabilizing Indigenous Languages (4th, Flagstaff, Arizona, May 1-3, 1997). The 25 papers collected in this book represent the thoughts and experiences of indigenous language activists from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand, and are grouped in six categories: tribal and school roles, teaching students, teacher education, curriculum and materials development, language attitudes and promotion, and summary thoughts about maintaining and renewing indigenous languages. Papers are: "Keeping Minority Languages Alive: The School's Responsibility" (Gina P. Cantoni); "A Tribal Approach to Language and Literacy Development in a Trilingual Setting" (Octaviana V. Trujillo); "Going beyond Words: The Arapaho Immersion Program" (Steve Greymorning); "Teaching Children To 'Unlearn' the Sounds of English" (Veronica Carpenter); "Learning Ancestral Languages by Telephone: Creating Situations for Language Use" (Alice Taff); "Coyote As Reading Teacher: Oral Tradition in the Classroom" (Armando Heredia,… [PDF]
(1993). Teaching Science Effectively to Limited English Proficient Students. ERIC/CUE Digest, Number 87. New teaching methods and curricula that show promise in their ability to provide limited English proficient (LEP) students with a good education in both science and English are discussed and illustrated. Discriminatory practice has led to the clustering of LEP students into low ability tracks without consideration of their actual abilities and potential, resulting in underrepresentation of minorities in advanced mathematics and science classes. To stimulate children's intellectual development, school professionals must become familiar with the diverse backgrounds of their students to make instruction more meaningful. Science content taught to LEP students should be the same as that taught to other students. Furthermore, English language instruction must be an integral objective of all science instruction. Instructional techniques must emphasize development of thinking skills. Research has supported the effectiveness of cooperative learning for teaching science to LEP students. An… [PDF]
(1993). The Assessment and Placement of Language Minority Students. ERIC/CUE Digest, Number 89. The assessment and placement of language minority students remain among the most serious problems facing schools today. As of 1990, 14 percent of the school-aged population in the United States comes from language minority backgrounds. Significant numbers of these students are not being properly identified by educators. Assessment procedures in a school often reflect local politics as well as student needs, and thus, no single universally acceptable model has been developed for any aspect of the language assessment process. Still, all districts must determine which students to assess and develop testing mechanisms. In most cases information from teachers and the Home Language Survey act as screening mechanisms for schools to determine if further evaluation is necessary. Various achievement and language proficiency tests have been developed to determine student eligibility for language or other services. Although tests should measure all aspects of language skill, many only evaluate… [PDF]
(1987). Creative Reading: A Relevant Methodology for Language Minority Children. A discussion of reading instruction for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students looks at elements contributing to development of an effective instructional approach. The elements discussed include the following: the quality of reading materials; role of oral language development; design of an initial decoding process geared to success; need to make reading relevant to the students' own lives; and incorporation of parents in the literacy process. Drawing on the theories and work of Paulo Freire, the discussion proposes the use of dialogues to develop an interactive reading process aimed at the empowerment of students. The approach attempts to validate each student's own feelings and previous experiences and to develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving attitudes that help shape reality. A brief bibliography is included. (Author/MSE)…
(1985). The Danger of Poison. Level 1 = El Veneno es Peligroso. [Nivel 1.]. Developed especially for migrant children, this field-tested curriculum teaches the benefits and hazards of pesticides to early primary children. Materials are prepared in Spanish and English versions and can be used as a separate science/health unit on pesticides or integrated into the regular math and reading curriculum. Topics include benefits of pesticides, packaging and warning labels, application methods for fields and homes, specific hazards such as pesticide storage areas and contaminated irrigation water, and steps to take in case of pesticide contamination. The Level 1 Unit gives background information for teachers, a detailed course for instructing children, 15 visuals, 4 true-false tests, and an illustrated pamphlet for parents. The unit is organized under 16 pesticide concepts with teaching materials, activities, and reading and math skills outlined for each concept. Activities include comparing healthy and unhealthy produce, counting and grouping seeds, and completing… [PDF]
(1982). Teaching Students to Read Better. Professional Development Series, No. 6. This guide consists of suggestions designed to assist vocational educators in helping students improve their reading skills. School-related and non-school-related reasons why students have difficulty reading are examined. Discussed in a section on teaching the essential technical reading skills are textbook usage skills, vocabulary development, and comprehension and study skills improvement. Auditory and visual methods for helping bilingual students are provided. Suggestions are set forth for using the services of reading specialists, librarians, and school nurses to help students improve their reading skills. Finally, the teaching of a model reading unit is described in terms of the phases of the school year, from the August preparatory period through the wrap-up stage in June. (MN)…
(1982). Parental Involvement Component. Ysleta Equity Seekers (YES) Program. Designed for use by vocational counselors with parents of junior high students, this handbook includes activities written in English and Spanish covering parental influence in vocational choices. The first of three sections discusses increasing parental involvement in vocational education. Section II begins with advice for implementation of such a program for Mexican American parents to make them aware of factual information regarding women and work, realistic career choices for their children, their own child-rearing practices, and ways to reinforce their children's nonstereotypic activities. Parent recruitment and implementation steps are discussed. Materials written in English and Spanish are then provided for six 2-hour sessions. For each session some or all of the following are included: an agenda; a trainer's copy of the session agenda listing goals, purposes, activities, and materials; participant handouts; transparency masters; a trainer instruction sheet for each activity…
(1987). Prekindergarten: Full Day vs. Half Day. Austin Independent School District, 1986-87. In 1986-87, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District converted from a full-day prekindergarten program for low-achieving children to a half-day program to serve more limited-English-proficient (LEP) and low-income children (thereby meeting eligibility criteria in conformance with Texas House Bill 72). Half-day instructional time was 60% of that provided in full-day sessions, and with teaching staff increases, three times as many children (1,516) were served as in 1985-86 (494), including more bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Pretest-posttest gains on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised evaluated half-day and full-day program effectiveness, measured against national average gains. Results showed that: (1) half-day program gains in English vocabulary were generally two-thirds those of the full-day program; (2) the greater gains of full-day LEP students occurred at all achievement levels, but the difference appeared to be associated more with… [PDF]