Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership Theses and Dissertations by Subject "Acculturation"

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    Gauging Community Support for a Bilingual Two-Way Immersion Program for K-8 Students Using Under-Represented Languages
    (University of Oregon, 2018-10-31) M'Enesti, Milan; Bullis, Michael
    This application is for the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Innovation and Research Program to secure funding for a market analysis to gauge the interest of Portland, Oregon parents for opening a two-way immersion (TWI) Romanian-American bilingual public charter school. Initial conversations with members of the Romanian community in the Portland area indicate that such interest may exist. A formal survey of that community has not yet been conducted to firmly establish the potential market for such a school. Moreover, there is evidence to document that such an educational option could increase the academic achievement of English Language Learners from Underrepresented Languages (ELL-UL). Some English Language Learners (ELL) face great academic challenges in today’s public educational system which may be masked within the larger ELL population. First generation Romanian children, as ELL students, are represented across the Portland metropolitan area. Although their presence is pervasive, they constitute only a small proportion of all students (2.4 percent of all students in one district). Because of the low incidence of Romanian students, and the fact they are enrolled in schools across a broad geographical area, practical barriers prohibit their participation in bilingual education programs compared to students from well-represented cultures and languages (e.g., Spanish). This project will conduct a market analysis to gauge the Portland Romanian community’s interest in opening a bilingual two-way immersion (TWI) public charter school, embracing both the Romanian culture and language. By documenting this interest, a clear direction and structure for such a school will be established, which should foster the academic success for children of Romanian heritage.
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    The Relationship Between Cultural Identity and Achievement for Latino Youth in Oregon: An Explanatory Study
    (University of Oregon, 2019-09-18) Katsuda, Tasha; Martinez, Charles
    DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Since 2011, the Latino K-12 population has been the fastest growing racial-ethnic group in our Oregon schools, representing 22.7% of the statewide student population (n = 131,089) in 2017 and 72.6% of the growth of 18,001 total students from 2011-12 to the 2016-17 school years (Oregon Department of Education, 2017). The rapid and large increase in the number and proportion of Latino students should translate into changes in school systems, structures, and practices. Outcome evidence shows that Oregon’s educational systems and services have not adjusted to the cultural and linguistic diversity reflected in our school communities. Oregon’s 2016-17 Statewide Report Card reflects disparity between Latino students and all students across multiple metrics: lower state assessment proficiency rates in English Language Arts and math, discipline disproportionality with 5.9% receiving one or more disciplinary referrals as compared to all students at 5.2%, and a 5.4% lower graduation rate, hovering at 69.4% (Oregon Department of Education, 2017). Though the overall dropout rates have remained relatively stable since 2005, the percentage of Latino students dropping out of school still exceeds their white counterparts despite high school attendance rates. Freshman on track reports show that Latinos are 77% are on track to graduate (as measured by credits earned) as compared to all students at 88% (ODE, 2017). These trends reveal inequities in our statewide systems, districts, and schools across the state, showing an even higher probability of poor outcomes for Latino students. This proposed study will use a descriptive, non-experimental design to examine the relationship between cultural identity of Latino adolescents, their sense of self-efficacy, and academic success. I will analyze quantitative data from the Adolescent Latino Acculturation Study (Martinez, McClure, Eddy, and Wilson, 2011) to explore the relationship between ethnic-cultural identity, self-efficacy, and academic achievement for Latino middle school students in Oregon. Findings from the study will contribute to the body of literature on cultural identity and support the development of effective interventions to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for students.