Effects of Organizational Climate on Dual Language Teacher Retention

There has been notable growth in the number of dual language programs across the United States in recent years. Like traditional bilingual programs, dual language programs rely heavily on the adequate staffing of bilingual teachers—a subgroup of educators who are in short supply. Despite notable findings from research regarding bilingual teacher retention, the topic of dual language teacher retention remains relatively unexplored. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate to what extent a statistically significant association exists between factors related to organizational climate and dual language teacher retention. Using the Organizational Climate Index, the researcher explored four key domains of organizational climate: Collegial Leadership, Professional Teacher Behavior, Achievement Press, and Institutional Vulnerability. Survey results from 86 dual language teachers in the District of Columbia Public Schools were analyzed using a correlational design. The results of this study were calculated using a logistic regression model, which indicated a statistically significant association between Collegial Leadership, Professional Teacher Behavior, and Institutional Vulnerability and dual language teacher retention intentions. Inversely, no statistically significant association was found between Achievement Press and dual language teacher retention intention

FACTORS THAT AFFECT AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS\u27 PERSISTENCE IN A SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM

The number of African-American students studying a foreign language has continually persisted to be low (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009), thus eliminating them from the benefits gained from the study of foreign language. This study explores the experiences of African-American students in a partial Spanish Immersion Program (SIP) in Central Kentucky from their parents’ perspectives. Data were collected via a survey and a focus group. Findings revealed that data gleaned from the focus group corroborated responses from the survey. Moreover, themes from content analysis of the qualitative data arose as to why parents chose to continue or discontinue their child(ren) in the SIP including varying levels of academic achievement, social integration in the program and the perceived lack of cultural responsiveness from school staff. The researcher’s initial intent was to use Tinto’s (1993) theory of student departure to discuss how his model could transfer to this K-12 partial immersion setting and show how parallels could be drawn. Results from data analysis led the researcher to develop her own Parent Perception Continuation Model (PPCM) as it was determined that in the K-12 partial immersion setting, it was not a question of student persistence, but rather the parents’ decision about student continuation. Subsequently, the PPCM discusses the process that parents use to make the decision as to whether their child(ren) will continue in the SIP once enrolled which includes a discussion about reasons for enrolling, completion goals, student program experiences, integration and outcomes. Findings from the study can be used by school districts and administration for planning and policy making when attempting to capitalize on effective academic and social practices that influence whether a student continues in a partial immersion program through his/her high school graduation. In addition, K-12 systems can also use these findings to address the concerns raised by the parents of African-American students who discontinued the program in an effort to increase program graduation rates among this demographic

Promoting Student Success: Bilingual Education Best Practices and Research Flaws

This paper first determines the benefits which bilingual education offers and then compares transitional, dual-language, and heritage language maintenance programs. After exploring the outcomes, contexts, and practical implications of the various bilingual programs, this paper explores the oversight in most bilingual studies, which assess students’ syntax and semantics while neglecting their understanding of pragmatics and discourse structures (Maxwell-Reid, 2011). Incorporating information from recent studies which question traditional understandings of bilingualism and argue that biliteracy requires more than grammatical and vocabulary instruction, this paper proposes modifications in current research strategies and suggests best practices for transitional, dual-language, and heritage maintenance programs

Preparing Tomorrow’s World Language Teacher Today: The Case for Seamless Induction

This essay is a call to action. It offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing world language (WL) teacher educators and their employers, the K-12 schools, during the teacher induction period. We propose a new paradigm for WL teacher education based on national accreditation standards, best-practice pedagogy, insights from the professional literature on methods education, and the enhanced role of the methods instructor/supervisor. In order to become successful in the classroom, the pre-service educator undergoes a seamless period of induction that is student-centered and college/university-supported beyond the classroom arena

Effects of an elementary two way bilingual Spanish-English immersion school program on junior high and high school student achievement

2014 Spring.This study explores the effects of a Two-Way Bilingual Immersion (TWBI) program on language majority and minority students. The fundamental hypothesis was that the process of receiving instruction in two languages (English and Spanish) throughout elementary school (i.e., attendance at a TWBI school) would help the native Spanish-speaking students and not have a negative effect on the native English-speaking students in the performance of core academic areas (reading, mathematics, writing), and that this beneficial effect would carry through Junior High and High School in which instruction was delivered through a "business as usual" English-only model. This is a longitudinal quasi-experimental study with an ex post facto, non-randomized, matched-pairs design. A multi-level matching procedure was used to match students from the TWBI elementary school (treatment group) with comparable students from throughout the school district (control group) beginning in third grade. Eleven annual cohorts of students from the treatment school were matched on a student-by-student basis on seven variables - cohort year, student's primary language, years of enrollment in the program, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and 3rd grade performance - with comparable students from within the school district. These eleven cohorts of 3rd graders were then tracked to the end of elementary school, middle and high school and measured on their reading, writing, and math achievement scores at each year. ACT scores were also collected in 11th grade. We found that students who graduated from the TWBI program had significantly higher CSAP reading, writing and math scores at the end of their elementary school when compared with their matched pairs. We also observed a consistent main effect on program type over time across all three outcome domains, indicating the strength and breadth of the intervention across Junior High and High School. Native Spanish-speaking students who graduated from the TWBI program achieved significantly better in reading and math, and somewhat better in writing across Junior High through 10th grade than the matched control group. Native English-speaking students who graduated from the treatment program achieved as well as their matched counter parts in writing and math across Junior High through 10th. Furthermore, in the reading area, native English-speaking students who graduated from the treatment program achieved significantly better than their matched controls. We found that the overall program main effect was small in all three CSAP areas (reading, writing, and math), with at least three interesting trends. First, effect sizes (ESs) tended to be higher for native Spanish-speaking than for native English-speaking students in all three domains, and especially in grades 8, 9 and 10. Second, ESs tended to get bigger for native Spanish-speaking students and smaller for native English-speaking students across Junior High and High School (time) in all three domains. Third, ESs for native Spanish-speaking students in math were the biggest ones at each grade level, with only the exception of 9th grade. Also, math ESs for Spanish-speaking students were bigger than reading and writing ESs for this language group. ESs for native Spanish-speaking students in math were bigger than all ESs for English-speaking students. The treatment program had its biggest effect in the math area for native Spanish-speaking students. Results also indicate that all students who attended the TWBI program performed better in ACT English, reading, and math scores when compared with their matched pairs. ACT Reading scores were significantly higher for native Spanish-speaking students than for their matched pairs (d = .72), but this was not the case for English, math and science. Native English-speaking students from the treatment group performed equal to or better than their matched counterparts. Furthermore, students from the treatment program obtained mean ACT scores significantly higher than the control group in English (d = .28), reading (d = .36), and math (d = .35) but not science (d = .22). Effect sizes were medium and large for native Spanish-speaking students in English and Reading while they were small to medium for native English-speaking students in these areas, a pattern that is similar to the one that was observed in grades 6 to 10. Findings suggest consistent support for the two-way immersion program over matched control students across all three achievement areas in Junior High and in three of the four areas evaluated in High School. It appears the greatest effect for native English speakers may be in reading, while native Spanish speakers may benefit more in writing and mathematics. Limitations to generalizability and causal inferences due to the small sample sizes and inherent weaknesses of the research design are noted. The analysis of attrition revealed that native Spanish speakers from the TWBI program were more likely to stay in the school district than native Spanish speakers from other programs. This was an unexpected but important finding. It could be possible that native Spanish speakers who attended the TWBI program received the benefits of a coherent and theory-based program that successfully helped them improve their academic achievement and allowed them to pursue and navigate their secondary level of instruction

South Asian Languages in Higher Education: An Exploration of Implementation of Title VI of the Higher Education Act

Since the passing of Title VI of the National Defense Education Act in 1958, the notion of national need has permeated discourse surrounding foreign language education in the United States. Language programs are supposedly designed to enable students to develop communicative competence sophisticated enough to conduct international negotiations in critically needed languages. However, in practice, few students attain even rudimentary language ability. This paper explores the historical foundations of Title VI, its manifestation in South Asian language programs in three major U.S. universities, and some of its implications for program construction

Strategies for Teaching English Abroad: The Immersion Classroom

English language development is best laid on the foundation of natural and social interactions which requires a great deal of sacrifice from educators who teach abroad (Snow, 1997). Learning to speak a new language grants learners a passport and highly coveted citizenship to a culturally interconnected world (Met & Lorenz, 1993); however, educators often face a daunting challenge. They must come up with comprehensive strategies which ensure that learners obtain requisite skills faster than might otherwise be deemed necessary. They must also employ non-verbal communication in place of the native language and secure a total commitment from students (Fortune, 2000). Finally, educators must leverage the brain’s information processing and retention ability against a very formidable threat: forgetting. The paper focuses on language immersion classroom strategies currently being used around the world, along with a discussion on how technology has been used to increase language and cultural competencies. This research has implications for educators and administrators who are interested in the impact that technology access has on learning when paired with a total immersion approach. This paper will present recommendations for international English language immersion programs, whose  goals are to develop a total cultural competency for students aged 5-25 in environments where there are limited resources to aid in language immersion

Foreign Language Enrollment Attrition: Exploring the Key Factors of Motivation, Academic Success, Instruction, and Anxiety at the Elementary Level

The Olathe District Schools has been experiencing a trend of enrollment decline in middle School Spanish since 2007 despite the implementation of a video-based elementary Spanish program. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influential factors of motivation (integrative/instrumental), instruction, academic success, and anxiety, which are found in the literature related to foreign language enrollment attrition, to determine whether any of these four variables could predict whether students continued or discontinued enrollment in Spanish upon entering their middle school years in the Olathe School District. Gardner's mini-AMTB with slight modifications was administered to 560 5th grade students. A binary logistic regression was then run. Results revealed that students with higher levels of integrative motivation were more likely to continue in their Spanish studies upon entering middle school. In addition, the results of this study support the findings of several foreign language program enrollment attrition studies done at the secondary level. Recommendations for the Superintendent, International Language Assistants (ILA's), and the District Foreign Language Coordinator were made based on the findings of this study

The World Language Teacher Shortage: Taking a New Direction

Since the end of World War II, international leaders have made calls addressing the world language teacher shortage. For almost 70 years, such rhetoric has been advanced, yet world language teacher shortages remain in many countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In this article, the authors discuss the past and current state of affairs of the shortage before advancing ideas for language teacher recruitment and retention to which a variety of stakeholders (e.g., parents, administrators, language teacher associations) can contribute immediately in order to address the world language teacher shortage in earnest

How Social Studies Curriculum Can Help Spanish Immersion Students To Develop And Improve Their Grammar And Language Skills

The purpose of the project is to develop examples of activities and lessons within the regular social studies curriculum of Spanish immersion students in middle school that reinforce Spanish language skills that most of these students seen to struggle to master. The rationale of the project came from the observations of the author of the language skills of Spanish immersion students in middle school, in which he notice that, although their communication and understanding skills were very advanced, the students have gaps in language areas like specific grammar concepts, and develop academic Spanish language. The literature review major studies on language development, bilingualism, characteristics of Spanish immersion programs and how content areas classes (science, social studies, math) can help Spanish immersion students to improve their language skills. Two major influences for the project in the literature review are the concept of language objectives for content classes, developed by Tara Fortune and Diane Tedick in their project Content-Based Second Language Instruction, and the pre- adolescence students need for a more complex social and academic language in order to interact and be successful in school, expressed in the Maggie Broner and Elaine Tarone study, It is fun? Language play in a fifth-grade Spanish Immersion classroom. The project proposal is to create a set of lessons within the regular social studies curriculum that incorporate language goals for each lesson and that target specific language features, identified by the literature review and Spanish language teachers as difficult to master by most Spanish immersion students. The last chapter of the capstone review the results of the curriculum writing process and what the author had learned after trying some of the lessons with 7th and 8th grade Spanish immersion students. The author review the implications, limitation and future applications of the project, and recommend its expansion as a creation of extended Social Studies curriculum for 7th and 8th grade with the collaboration of Spanish language teachers