Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
EdD Program for Educational Leaders
Advisor
Charles Amuso
Committee Member
Claudia Santin
Keywords
elementary education, elementary school programs, exit testing, foreign language instruction, grant funding, instructional materials, parent surveys, professional development, program evaluation, school district expansion, sequential language study, Spanish, student achievement, teacher certification, teacher surveys, third grade students, urban elementary schools
Abstract
This report describes a program that was initiated to promote the sequential study of foreign language beginning in the elementary schools. The program involved 78 third grade students from an urban elementary school. Approximately 10% of the students had some knowledge of the language before the program. The planned strategies included (a) distribution of a survey to parents and teachers within the pilot school; (b) tallying the responses; (c) adopting Spanish as the second language based on parent and teacher responses; (d) hiring an elementary school teacher with Spanish certification; (e) obtaining grant money for professional development . of the instructor, in-service instruction for supporting personnel, and instructional materials, both teacher-made and textbooks. The implementation of the program took place during the 2000-200.1 school year. Intervention with this practicum increased the students' ability in a foreign language. Upon completion of the program, 88% of the participating students scored 80% or higher on the exit testing. The success of this program enabled the school district to expand the foreign language elementary school program the following year. The program is expected to be expanded further.