Goal: To determine if living on the United States/Mexico border affect English language acquisition for elementary students. If so, to develop and provide quality instruction to students.
Action Step(s): School administrators will be interviewed in regards to the recent trends of language acquisition in the campus. Teachers will also be interviewed in order to give their personal accounts of English acquisition in the classrooms. It is also very important to interview parents so that they can share information about their culture and the way they interact with his/her child at home. Community members also playa a major role in the every day life of the students, therefore they will also be interviewed. Language acquisition measurement tools will also be used, including Texas English Proficiency Assessment and the Texas Primary Inventory. This information will be gathered and studied to determine if living on the United States/Mexico border affects English Language acquisition.
Person(s) Responsible: Roman Martinez
Timeline Start/End: September 1, 2010 – May 1, 2011
Needed Resources: Texas English Proficiency Assessment and the Texas Primary Reading Inventory Results
Process: Initial assessment will be done after administrator, teacher, parent, and community member interviews. Assessment will conclude after TELPAS and TPRI assessments are reviewed.
Evaluation: The tools that will be used to evaluate English language acquisition are the Texas English Proficiency Assessment and the Texas Primary Reading Inventory. Two types of surveys will also be included one for teachers and the other for parents.
1. SETTING THE FOUNDATION The issue of English language acquisition in border cities has been around for a long time. Many changes in instruction have been done through out the years and results seem to be the same. I understand that all communities different but the composition of border communities is unique.
2. ANALYZING DATA Data will be collected from administrator, teacher, parent and community member interviews. Texas English Proficiency Assessment and the Texas Primary Reading Inventory data will also be analyzed. This will give a better picture of English language acquisition in border cities.
3. DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING We need to understand that we live in a very unique community. People from all over Latin America and recently from Asia come and settle in border towns along the Rio Grande River. The composition result in many different cultures colliding in one area. Border cities are often linked with poverty. There are many families that live below the poverty line.
4. ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION This is my tenth year as a teacher and I have seen the effects of English language acquisition in my community. I have long wanted to study this area. Living in a border town has given me the opportunity to witness this first hand. I believe that my findings will help me get more involved.
5. EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS There has long been a pattern of delayed English acquisition, but the problem has never been attributed to anything in specif. This has raised many questions in the type of quality of instruction that has been provided to the students. Hopefully the data that I gather will help alleviate some of these patterns
6. DETERMINING DIRECTION I will work with other stakeholders to better answer my action research question. There are many stakeholders that have the same doubt and I know they will collaborate to the fullest. This research will help all the stakeholders especially the teachers and students. The findings will help administrators and teachers determine what course of action to take to better serve the students. In turn, the students will receive the best instruction possible to acquire the English language
7. TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT I will be meeting with the campus administrator and teachers to inform them about my question for my action research. This will give them the opportunity to ask questions about my research. It will also give me the opportunity to receive feed back and suggestions that may assist in my research. I will be sharing my findings with the administrators and teacher. My findings will hopefully help in determining what course of action to take in the classroom.
8. SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENT As I share my findings with the campus I will continue to look for ways to help my community with any other problem that comes along the way. I will strive to provide students with the best instruction possible. Action research will be a constant in my professional development
Could you collect random samples of students who consistently scored low on all the test and compare them with random samples of students who consistently score high on the tests...maybe you could identify some recurring factors or themes??
ReplyDeleteTrue. Thank You.
ReplyDeleteRoman,
ReplyDeleteI think it is important that you work with other stakeholders. This task is going to require collaboration. It is also essential that everyone involved understand the data you will be using. This will help to prevent confusion when it comes to determining what approach should be taken to develop and provide quality instruction to the students. Good Luck!