Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Paul Borthwick
Committee Member
Judith Stein
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
alternative assessment, cooperative learning, core subject areas, demographics, English for Students of Other Languages, ESOL III, ESOL IV, evaluation methods, failure rate, in-service activities, interview questions, language arts, mainstreamed classroom, math achievement, middle school students, Palm Springs Middle School, portfolios, school demographics, student portfolios, student surveys, Students of Other Languages, supplemental assistance, teacher surveys, teacher training, tutoring services
Abstract
The program was intended to help reduce the failure rate of English for Students of Other Languages (ESOL) III and IV students in the middle school, mainstreamed classroom. The objectives for the program were to provide both ESOL levels III and IV students and their teachers with the strategies found in the available literature that had shown to be effective.
It was anticipated that ESOL levels III and IV students would initiate a student portfolio that would be used as an alternative method of evaluation. It was further anticipated that 100% of teachers with ESOL III and IV students enrolled in their classroom would be provided with in-service activities intended to introduce cooperative learning strategies, and that this group of teachers would have access to an on-site tutor that will assist them by providing supplemental assistance to ESOL III and IV students. Through this study it was anticipated that the failure rate of ESOL III and IV students would be lowered by 10%.
Upon completion of the intervention, the actual impact of the study lowered the failure rate by 9%. Moreover, the success rate per core subject area improved by at least 24% in math and as high as 44% in language arts.
Tables and figures were presented to highlight the demographics of Palm Springs Middle School(PSMS) and failure rate among ESOL levels III and IV students, respectively. The appendices included both teacher and student surveys, and key interview questions for ESOL III and IV students.