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Rich4

Page history last edited by SapphireSeven 15 years, 5 months ago

Amanda Grades Rich!

 

Week 4 - Case Study

 

 

Dual Language Program at High Point Elementary School


Purpose:

The purpose of this illustrative study will be to examine the effectiveness of dual language education at High Point Elementary School.

 

By focusing on the institution and specifically, the program’s performance, the theoretical perspective used will be organizational theory. Ideally, this data could be generalized to apply to or be compared with similar situations.

 

Even though this study will use a qualitative approach, there should be some quantitative data to analyze in the form of student test scores which in theory represent the students’ learning.


Background:

Part of Pinellas County Public Schools, High Point Elementary School opened in 1958. Over 600 students now attend the school in kindergarten through the fifth grade. As evidenced from their Dual Language program, High Point has a “diverse and multicultural population.”

 

High Point is identified as a Title I school. “Title I” is a designation established by the US Department of Education to distribute more federal funding to schools with a high percentage of low-income families. To have a school identified as Title I at least 40% of the students come from low-income families. About 79% of the students at High Point Elementary qualify for the free/reduced lunch program.

 

Since a number of terms were used in the previous paragraph, some explanation is required.

 

The US Department of Health and Human Services establishes and updates poverty guidelines every year. This information uses total household income and the number of people in that household. The Census Bureau uses a number of different factors to determine poverty. One factor is the percentage of household income spent on food.

 

2008 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia as taken from the Federal Register <http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/08fedreg.htm>:

 

Persons in family Poverty guidelineAnnual Salary
1 person in family $10,400
2 people $14,000
3 people $17,600
4 people $21,200
5 people $24,800
6 people $28,400
7 people $32,000
8 people $35,600

 

For families with more than 8 persons, add $3,600 for each additional person.

 

These poverty levels are used to determine what “low-income” means. Low-income means 150% of the poverty level income. So, for a family of two, that translates into $21,000 per year. Free and reduced lunch is also based on these poverty levels. If a family’s income does not exceed 130% of the poverty level, students qualify for a free lunch. If a family’s income does not exceed 185% of the poverty level, students qualify for a “reduced” lunch. For the full table, more information and to see the type of government reports that establish these levels, go to the following site:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/notices/iegs/IEGs08-09.pdf.

 

High Point Elementary School has implemented a dual language program. When people hear “dual language,” they think “bilingual” or “ESL” (English as a second language) education. These programs differ in fundamental ways. Bilingual education involves teaching children content in their native language. While they learn English, they are still taught content so they don’t fall behind. The goal is to move these students as quickly as possible to the regular (English-only) classrooms. While once embraced and viewed as the way of the future, this trend seems to have fallen out of favor in educator circles.

 

ESOL refers to teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, but many other acronyms exist (TESOL, TEFL, ESL, etc.). Almost every community will have some form of ESOL education. Whether it’s the free adult language classes at the community center or large departments within high school, every community is trying to address this need to learn the reading, writing and speaking of English. The goal of ESOL education according to the Pinellas County website is “ensuring that every student becomes proficient in English communication skills.” The program is designed for “limited English proficient students.” It’s understood that these students are coming from an environment where their native language is not English. While they are encouraged to share their culture, the focus is teaching English language skills and American culture. While these programs speak of respect and life in a global society, assimilation as quick as possible seems to be the main focus.

 

Dual language programs as the name implies use two languages to teach content. The day is split between evenly between English and Spanish. Different languages can be used, but English / Spanish make up the majority of the programs in the US. These programs usually start in first grade and continue for five or six years. The goal is biliteracy and bilingualism. While most are familiar with the concept of bilingualism, the ability to speak in two languages, most are not familiar with the concept of biliteracy, the ability to read and write in two languages.

 

The concept is unique in that every class will have native speakers of both languages in the same classroom. The majority of programs in the US have English-speaking American students sharing their class with Spanish-speaking American students. There are schools on the West Coast where Japanese or Chinese is the language being learned. Typically for the first few years, 90% of the instruction is in Spanish. By the time students get to the 3rd or 4th grade, the instruction is balanced at 50% Spanish and 50% English. This will continue until the 5th or 6th grade when students will most likely go off to an all English-speaking middle school.

 

I hope to examine the data specific to the school I am observing. Other Dual Language Programs have posted their data on line. These reports compare the test scores of students who received English-only instruction to that of students who were enrolled in a dual language program. Based on the evidence presented, the students enrolled in the dual language program appear to have scored much higher than their peers. I hope to sift through this data.

 

The premise is that teaching children two languages allows them to become more fluid with language. By the time they start studying a second language, even if it’s English for the English-speaking student, their comprehension and understanding is more complete. It goes back to the idea that the older you are, the more difficult it is to learn a foreign language. This is largely because people are more tied to their way of doing and saying things. Even if you learn what the word for “teacher” is in Spanish, your default or initial programming will always revert back to your native language word for “teacher.” Dual language instruction almost removes that default setting or at least minimizes the impact of that initial programming.


Data Collection:

I set up an appointment to attend High Point Elementary School Thursday, Sept. 25.

Between 8:30 and 9am, I interviewed Yadira Vega, High Point Elementary’s 1st grade Dual Language teacher. I observed her class until 10:40 when the students go to lunch. In addition to observing the class, I interviewed a few students. During one of the activities, I was able to sit with a few students and ask them questions.

 

The questions I asked depended on whom I was interviewing. The questions for the teacher focused on teaching. How they taught reading and writing, and if it’s really any different from how you taught it normally (meaning the only real difference is the audience). The questions for the first grade students were simpler. Things like what language do you speak at home and what’s the hardest thing about learning the other language. The questions for the director were going to be about the politics behind the program. How did they convince the county that this program would be successful and other procedural questions about tracking the success of the program.

 

The questions asked and a brief summary of the interviews can be found in the appendices.


Evaluation:

While I haven’t seen much of the data that supports this program, it’s hard not to be impressed with the program. By shooting for bilingualism and biliteracy, this program forces you to look at some of your basic assumptions about language and education. It also requires you to consider the potential impact of a program like this.

 

As far as judging the effectiveness, I watched 1st grade English-speaking children speaking more Spanish than I can. Granted, it’s been a long time since I took two years in high school, but they sounded like they could get around in the language. I didn’t expect them to be fluent and able to talk philosophy; remember, they’re only in 1st grade. I asked Ms. Vega for her assessment on their progress. Like any class, some students were excelling and some were having difficulty. She was confident that every day they work with Spanish, the more comfortable the students get using the language.

Even the cynic would be impressed with the ease at which the children use language. The teacher assured me that the students make mistakes in structure and word choice - just like they do in English. An example of this is putting English rules on Spanish words. For example, “ella” means her. So students will incorrectly say “ellas” to mean hers. Note the “s” on the end of “ellas” and “hers.” This is the English equivalent of saying “two mouses” instead of “mice” in that they are simply applying a rule they know incorrectly. They are learning the language through using it. Mistakes are a natural part of it.

 

I could easily qualify it a success, but then again, I haven’t seen the data that supports it. Also, I am not the right audience. It’s the county and the parents you need to convince that this program works.


Reflection:

 

Before the site visit:

It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed when you start doing research into poverty. For every one of those cold statistics that post income levels, there’s a person, a family and a story. For most of us, the only time we made $10,000 a year was in college. Even in high school I was doing pretty well for myself mowing a few lawns in the neighborhood. I don’t remember if I made $10,000, but I was able to buy a car, keep it gassed up and buy music. And when you’re talking about a 1979 Thunderbird with a hood that went on for blocks, keeping it gassed up was no small feat.

After writing up my ethnography, I was reminded of all the problems that poverty causes on the educational side of things. The person I interviewed said these students were “just surviving.” The reality is that on $10,000 a year, you can’t do much more than that.

 

I don’t know if I will get a chance to interview parents, but they are another part of the equation and part of the community that should be considered. While I understand the desire for Spanish-speaking American families to want to enroll their children in this program, I’m not so sure about the motivations for the English-speaking American families. Cross-cultural competence sounds great, but when coupled with poverty I’m not sure that’s convincing enough.

 

While the whole concept of dual language education is fascinating, when combined with the other factors that have hindered education for so long (like poverty), I wonder if the results will be truly representative. And I will be very skeptical of the test scores that prove that one group of students is better than another - especially when these test scores are using FCAT scores as their reference point.

 

 

After the site visit:

I overshot the target.

 

While much data exists to support the effectiveness of dual language education, analyzing all of that data is beyond the scope of this case study. Perhaps this data will serve a future project, but just the narrative will serve as the objective now. Regardless, what a great experience. You can only look at statistics for so long. You have to get out there and see what these statistics represent. Here, they represent 1st grade students learning Spanish.

 

We still have far to go in our country with this. When I’ve mentioned this program, I’ve been surprised with the latent discrimination I encountered. This was most likely because the program is a Spanish immersion class. I wonder if it was a French immersion class if these people would have made the comments they did. These are some of the same people who firmly believe that you should only speak English when you’re in America. Unfortunately, this will become a bigger issue over time. With the Latin population expected to represent 25% of our country within 20 years, maybe it’s an issue we should address. As in now. And address together as a nation. Too many people are yelling at each other with no one listening. Sorry, I digress...

 

It’s fascinating to sit in on a classroom of 1st graders. If nothing else for all the trippy stuff around the room. A few computers allowed students to work on their language skills. A mouse with a bow-tie and magic wand was turning parrots into flowers as they jumped into his magic hat. Then a rabbit wearing overalls tells them to paint the dragon that jumps out of the TV green.

 

Talking with Ms. Vega about how she teaches Spanish, she revealed many interesting things. Since vowels are always the same in Spanish, they don’t teach phonics the way they do in English. Spanish is taught with an emphasis on the syllables. I never really gave much thought to the syllablization of Spanish versus English and how that would impact the learning process, especially with 1st grade students just learning to read.

 

The classroom looked like many 1st grade classrooms with brightly colored posters on the walls and 20 little desks clustered into groups of four. There were stuffed animals sitting on top of the book shelves that made the walls of their library. The only difference here is what the students are studying.

These students are spending 50% of their day learning Spanish. They’re not thinking about it. They’re doing it. My professor is documenting the program to add this research to the field. Much documentation already exists that shows how effective this is. Since this a narrative case study without the data, let’s just look at what this means.

 

The first question most people ask concerns the English-speaking students. Are they not as good in English as they would have been if they didn’t spend 50% of their day learning Spanish? The impulse is to say these students couldn’t be as good in English. They only spent half their time working on it. What if the data proves conclusively time after time that the opposite is true. What if the English-speaking students do better in English because they studied Spanish? Wouldn’t that be a peach? Somehow this learning a second language facilitates the understanding of the first language. Perhaps the metacognition of learning a different form or learning two words for one object allows for a heightened awareness. Research is suggesting just that. Better reading skills in their first language and fluency and literacy in a second language? This doesn’t even talk about the socio-cultural impact of students growing up in a world with knowledge and respect for other cultures.

 

The potential is vast.


Appendix 1:

Questions for the interview with Yadira Vega, High Point Elementary’s 1st grade Dual Language teacher.

1. Being a full immersion program, all of the students (English speaking and Spanish speaking) learn in Spanish for the first few years. So 90% of their classroom instruction is in Spanish? And for how many years?

2. Have you always been a believer in dual language programs? What convinced you that this program is a better path for students than the more traditional paths?

3. What have been the biggest challenges with teaching in a dual language classroom? I would imagine there would be a high level of frustration among the students particularly the English speaking students with Spanish and the Spanish speaking students with English.

4. How is reading taught? How is writing taught? Is the instruction really any different or is it just in Spanish?

 

I was mistaken about the particulars concerning the class. The students spend 50% of their day learning Spanish with Ms. Vega, and 50% of their day learning English with Ms. Wheeler. The program lasts for 6 years from Kindergarten through the 5th grade. The school is currently in their 3rd year. The meetings that Ms. Amaya didn’t interrupt on my account addressed continuing the program into middle school - still three years off. She did her research on the program, but she knew that it was a good idea when she first heard about it. She was an ESOL teacher in the school before. Now she has time to go more in depth. And with all the students not just the ESOL ones.

 

Appendix 2:

Questions for the interview with students in the class.

1. What’s your name?

2. What language do you speak at home?

3. Can your parents speak English? / Spanish?

4. Do you speak any English / Spanish outside of school? Where?

5. Do you read any English / Spanish outside of school? Where?

6. What do you like most about learning English / Spanish?

7. What don’t you like about learning English / Spanish?

 

I was able to interview three students.

 

Ms. Vega, in Spanish, directed the students sit down with me so I could ask them some questions. Isaac, a Chinese boy wearing a blue, Power Rangers T-shirt, speaks English and Spanish at home. I asked him if his parents speak Spanish. He answered, “Only to help me with my homework.” Eduardo, a darker skinned boy with intense black eyes, said his dad understands English but doesn’t speak it. Aaliyah, a black girl with braids pulled back over her head said, her mom is learning Spanish with her so they both can learn. Eduardo thought learning English was harder. Both Isaac and Aaliyah thought that Spanish was harder.

 

Toward the end of the morning as I was leaning down asking one of the students what she was working on, Isaac stands next to me and starts petting my shoulder. When the student is finished answering my question, I ask Isaac, “What’s up?”

 

“Do you remember me?”

 

“Sure I remember you. You’re Isaac. And I even remember that you’re wearing a Power Rangers T-shirt.”

 

“No! It’s Ben-Ten!”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s not Power Rangers. It’s Ben-Ten. Ben-Ten is better than the Power Rangers.”

 

At this point four students start a heated debate about who is better allowing me to side-step the controversy I caused.

 

 

 

Appendix 3:

Questions for the interview with Sylvia Amaya, the director of the program. Actually, her title is “Immersion Program Coordinator.”

1. How did this program get started within a Pinellas County School? Meaning, there must have been a number of conversations and discussions about it. Who had to be convinced and what evidence was used to support the program?

2. Have you always been a believer in dual language education? What convinced you that dual language programs work?

3. Describe your program so far. How long has the program been in effect? What have been the major obstacles? What successes have you seen so far?

4. What are the short term and long term goals of the program? How will you monitor progress / success?

5. Are other dual language programs planned for the county? Is it based on the success of your program or is it need driven?

 

Ms. Amaya was unavailable when I was at the school. School business and meetings took priority as they should. As stated earlier, I might use this as part of a future project. If there is evaluation of any data from the school, it would originate with her. With that, her interview is more appropriate at that time.

 

 

Reflection on Feedback

 

 

Link back to Rich's World

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