Post on 03-Sep-2014
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Understanding Language Learning Among Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Educa:on
(SLIFE)
AAAL 2014 Colloquium March 22, 2014
Organizer: Andrea DeCapua Discussant: Elaine Tarone
Presenter Christopher Browder
Do High School English Learners’ Previous Formal Schooling Backgrounds Affect Their English Proficiency Gains?
Research quesHon: Do high school English learners’ (EL) previous formal schooling backgrounds affect their English proficiency gains?
Chris Browder [copyright 2014]
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Why is it important? • Policy implica:ons – No Child LeY Behind & Race to the Top • schools and teachers held accountable for EL students’ rate of English learning
(U.S. Congress, 2002; Duran, 2008, New York State Educa:on Department, 2014)
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Why is it important? • Policy implica:ons – Need to accurately iden:fy students for interven:ons
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Why is it important? • Research – Lack of research (DeCapua, Smathers, & Tang, 2010; Tarone, Bigelow, & Hansen, 2009; Tarone, 2010; Zehr, 2009)
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Sample: • 199 high school students classified as EL – diverse popula:on • racially/ethnically • socio-‐economically
– school context • well-‐resourced • suburban/semi-‐urban • east-‐coast school district
[See supplementary materials for more demographic data and preliminary analyses.]
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Methods: • Quan:tatve: – bivariate and mul:variate regression analyses – student survey and school system data
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Dependent variable: English gains • English as a second language acquisi:on
(2012 WIDA) – (2011 LAS) = gain 2011-‐12 (CTB/McGraw-‐Hill LLC, 2007; Kenyon, 2006; WIDA Consor:um: World Class Instruc:onal Design and Assessment, 2007)
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Key independent variable: students’ previous formal schooling backgrounds
How to operationalize previous formal schooling?
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TIME SPENT IN SCHOOL (SCHOOLING) as an indicator of previous formal schooling
• Interrupted formal educaHon (NYSDOE) – 2 years or more of missing schooling on arrival
dichotomous variable (1 = yes, 0 = no) SIFE: student with interrupted formal educaHon (New York State Department of Educa:on, 2011)
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THE PRODUCTS OF SCHOOLING (EDUCATION) as an indicator of previous formal schooling
• Below-‐grade-‐level math skills on arrival – dichotomous variable (1 = below, 0 = on or above) Example) incoming 9th grader no pre-‐algebra skills
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THE PRODUCTS OF SCHOOLING (EDUCATION) as an indicator of previous formal schooling
• self-‐reported L1 literacy on arrival from student survey in 2012 – L1 literacy con:nuous variable (1 to 4 with 1 being lowest)
– Low L1 literacy (scores of 2 or lower)
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Other independent variables being controlled for
• ESOL classes: – number of sheltered ESOL classes the student took in 2011-‐2012 school year
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How common was limited formal schooling for ELs?
Similar to other es:mates (DeCapua, Smathers, & Tang, 2007; Fleischman & Hopstock, 1993; Ruiz-‐de-‐Valasco & Fix, 2000; Walsh, 1999; Zehr, 2009) 15
Did SIFE have lower English proficiency in 2012?
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a strong and significant negaHve
associaHon
Do SIFE learn English more slowly?
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no significant associaHon
Does arriving with below-‐grade-‐level math skills predict slower English learning?
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a significant negaHve
associaHon
stronger when controlling for
ESOL
Does arriving with low L1 literacy predict slower English learning?
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a significant negaHve
associaHon
sHll significant when controlling
for ESOL
Is L1 literacy a product of schooling?
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a significant posiHve
associaHon
Are math skills a product of schooling?
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a strong and significant negaHve
associaHon
FINDINGS
• The prevalence of limited formal schooling – Nearly 14% of the students had at least two fewer years of grade-‐rela:ve schooling and would be classified as SIFE in New York State.
– Nearly 59% had arrived with below-‐grade-‐level math skills.
– Nearly 20% reported low L1 literacy skills.
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FINDINGS
• English proficiency aWainment – SIFE tended to have lower English proficiency later because they had arrived with lower English proficiency not because of slower learning.
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FINDINGS
• The effect of Hme spent in school (formal schooling) – Students’ grade-‐rela:ve years of schooling (SIFE) not significantly associated with English gains
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FINDINGS
• The effect of arriving with lower academic skills? – Significantly associated with lower English gains. • Arriving with below-‐grade-‐level math skills • Arriving with lower L1 literacy
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APPLICATIONS • Consider students’… – Math skills – L1 literacy skills
– as more reliable predictors of their rate of English learning than grades completed in school before coming to the U.S.
– to measure the adequacy of a student’s previous formal schooling
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APPLICATIONS
• ELs should be given math and L1 literacy tests during intake.
• Newcomer programs and other services for SIFE should consider more than just missing years of schooling as eligibility.
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