Northside Independent School District Bilingual Program Evaluation 20032004

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Northside Independent School District Bilingual
Program Evaluation 2003-2004

• Director R.C. Rodriguez
• Researchers Dr. Venita Holmes and Alfredo A.
  Gavito

2
State Law

• The Northside Independent School District
  implemented a Transitional Bilingual Program as
  mandated by the State Board of Education on May
  11,1991 under TAC Chapter 89 Subchapter A. State
  Plan for educating language minority children.

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Purpose of the EvaluationTexas Education Agency
requires that all Bilingual/ESL programs be
evaluated annually. This evaluation

• Provides program implementers with useful
  information regarding instructional quality, oral
  language proficiency, reading proficiency,
  academic performance and staff development.
• Examines test scores over two years.
• Conducts an analysis of cohort data to determine
  program impact on students served.

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Literature Review

• In 1968, the Bilingual Education Act (BEA), also
  know as Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary
  Education Act (ESEA), was enacted to help access
  to the school curriculum through alternative
  language instruction and thereby address the
  schools negligence toward children with limited
  English skills (Crawford 1999)
• The landmark Supreme Court decision , which
  addressed the issue of access, was Lau v. Nichols
  in 1974. The class action lawsuit was filed on
  behalf of Chinese students enrolled in San
  Francisco schools, and stated that the children
  were not receiving an equal educational
  opportunity because they did not understand the
  language of instruction. (Judge Shirley
  Hufstedler of the Ninth Circuit Court on the Lau
  Decision,1974 as cited in Crawford 1999)
• Bilingual Education today is based on the
  formally endorsed position that the provisions of
  alternative language instruction to language
  minority students is necessary to ensure equal
  educational opportunities. (Maxwell-Jolly
  Gandara,1999 Solis,2000)

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Research and Theorizing in Bilingual Education

• The following are delineated to show the four
  basic trends in bilingual research
• 1. Understanding/explaining ideas on the nature
  of bilingualism (Baker, 1993 Bourdieu, 1977,
  1991 Chamot OMalley, 1985 Cummins, 1996
  Darder, Torres Gutierrez, 1997),
• 2. Predicting and controlling variables to
  explain bilingual education program outcomes
  (August Hakuta, 1998 Collier, 1992 Cummins,
  1999 Greene, 1998 Krashen, 1999 Ramirez, 1991
  Rossell Baker, 1996 Thomas Collier, 1997
  Willig, 1985),
• 3. Describing and developing effective teaching
  and learning practices with linguistic minority
  students (which encompassed ideas on how to build
  parent and community relationships and included a
  shift in perspective from personal skills to
  cultural practices for student learning), (August
  Hakuta, 1998 Dalton, 1998 Tharp, 1997), and
• 4.Illustrating operational frameworks for what
  constitutes effective policymaking in changing
  education for diversity (Corson, 1993, 1999
  Quartz, 1995 Tashakkori Ochoa, 1999), and
  exploring how to put the above bodies of
  knowledge into action (Corson, 1998,1999 Dalton,
  1998 Greenfield, 1997 Guiton, Oakes, Quartz,
  Lipton, Balisok, 1999 Hargreaves Fullan,
  1998 Pease-Alvarez Hakuta, 1997 Quartz, 1995
  Snow Genessee 1989, Stone, 1998).

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Methods

• Interviews
• Classroom observations
• Reporting of test scores
• Analysis of student test scores

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Analysis Quantitative Qualitative

• Descriptive demographics
• Descriptive data from classroom observations.
• Descriptive test reports such as the percent of
  students at each Language Assessment Scales
  proficiency level the percent of students
  scoring at each proficiency level of the Reading
  Proficiency Test in English and the percent of
  students passing the reading, mathematics and
  writing subtests of the Texas Assessment of
  Knowledge and Skills for 2003 and 2004.
• Through the application of a repeated measure
  t-test, mean scale score on the LAS, RPTE and
  TAKS from 2003 and 2004 were examined to
  determine their statistical significance.

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Research Questions

• School Visits
• 1. What activities were promoted to achieve
  academic excellence in the Northside bilingual
  program delivery system?
• Performance of Current Bilingual and ESL Students
• 2. What were the number and percent of LEP
  students scoring at each Language Assessment
  Scales (LAS) Level by program?
• 3. Was there a significant difference in LAS mean
  scale scores for matched students as a result of
  participation in the program?
• 4. What number and percentage of bilingual and
  ESL students were rated at each proficiency level
  on the spring 2003 and spring 2004 Reading
  Proficiency Test in English (RPTE)?
• 5. Was there a statistical significant
  improvement in the RPTE performance from 2003 to
  2004 as a result of participating in the
  Bilingual/ESL program?
• 6. What number and percent of bilingual and ESL
  students were enrolled and assessed with the
  English and Spanish TAKS in the spring 2003 and
  spring 2004?

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Research Questions (continued)

• 7. What was the passing rate for current
  bilingual and ESL students on the English and
  Spanish TAKS for the spring of 2003-04?
• 8. What was the passing rate for current
  bilingual and ESL students on the English and
  Spanish TAKS in the spring of 2002-03 compared to
  the spring of 2003-04?
• 9. Was there a statistical significant
  improvement in the TAKS performance from 2003 to
  2004 as a result of participating in the program?
• Performance of Exited Bilingual and ESL Students
• 10. What number and percent of LEP students
  exited the Bilingual/ESL program in 2002-03?
• 11. What percent of LEP exited students scored at
  each proficiency level on the Reading Proficiency
  Test in English (RPTE) administered in spring
  2004?
• 12. What number and percent of exited LEP
  students passed the English TAKS reading in
  spring of 2004?

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Research Questions (continued)

• Parent Denials
• 13. What number and percentage of parent denials
  students were rated at each proficiency level on
  the spring 2003 and spring 2004 Reading
  Proficiency Test in English (RPTE)?
• 14. What was the passing rate for parent denial
  students on the English TAKS for the spring of
  2003-04?
• Special Education
• 15. What percent of LEP Special Education
  students scored at each proficiency level on the
  Reading Proficiency Test in English (RPTE)
  administered in spring 2004?
• 16. What was the passing rate for LEP Special
  Education students on the English and Spanish
  TAKS for the spring of 2003-04?
• Staff Development
• 17 .What was the scope and frequency of training
  of bilingual, ESL teachers and instructional
  aides training in 20032004?

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Population
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Population
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Population
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Population
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Population
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Population
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Population
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Population
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Research Question 1What activities promoted
academic excellence in the Northside bilingual
program delivery system? The following
activities were observed during site visits to
the schools

• Principal interaction with Bilingual Program
  Director
• Principal involvement with Bilingual teachers
• Principal knowledge of Bilingual/ESL curriculum
• Teacher interaction with instructional
  supervisors
• Teachers sharing ideas with other Bilingual/ESL
  teachers
• Teachers preparing a Bilingual learning
  environment
• Student interactions with teacher and students
• Student work displayed throughout the school
• Students prepared to learn

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Research Question 2What were the number and
percent of LEP students at each Language
Assessment Scales (LAS) Level by program?
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Research Question 2 What were the number and
percent of LEP students at each Language
Assessment Scales (LAS) Level by program?
(Continued)
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Research Question 2 What were the number and
percent of LEP students at each Language
Assessment Scales (LAS) Level by program?
(Continued)
23
Research Question 2 What were the number and
percent of LEP students at each Language
Assessment Scales (LAS) Level by program?
(Continued)
24
Research Question 3Was there a statistical
significant improvement in LAS mean scale score
for matched LEP students by program?

• The results from across level analysis found that
  there was a statistical improvement in oral
  language proficiency as measured by the LAS. The
  students in the four program schedules were
  matched over two years and their mean scores
  improved over time. The improvements were
  statistically significant which indicated program
  impact.

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Research Question 4 What percentage of bilingual
and ESL students were rated at each proficiency
level on the spring 2003 and spring 2004 Reading
Proficiency Test in English (RPTE)?
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Research Question 5Was there a statistical
significant improvement in the RPTE performance
of LEP students from 2003 to 2004 as a result of
participating in the program?

• The results from across level analysis found that
  there was a statistical improvement in Reading
  Proficiency scale scores as measured by the
  Reading Proficiency Test in English. The
  students in the three program schedules were
  matched over two years and their mean scores
  improved. The scale scores analysis yielded
  statistically significant results which indicated
  the scores improved as a result of program
  services.

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Research Question 6What percent of LEP students
were enrolled and assessed with the English and
Spanish TAKS in the spring of 2004?
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Research Questions 7 8What was the passing
rate for current bilingual students on the
Spanish TAKS in spring 2003 compared to spring
2004?
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Research Questions 7 8What was the passing
rate for current bilingual students on the
English TAKS in spring 2003 compared to spring
2004? (continued)
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Research Questions 7 8What was the passing
rate for current ESL students on the English
TAKS in spring 2003 compared to spring 2004?
(continued)
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Research Question 7 8What was the passing
rate for current ESL students on the English
TAKS in spring 2003 compared to spring 2004?
(continued)
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Research Question 9 Was there a statistical
significant improvement in the TAKS performance
from 2003 to 2004 as a result of participating in
the program?

• The results from across grade level analysis
  found that there was a statistical improvement in
  mathematics scale scores as measured by the Texas
  Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The students
  in Bilingual Spanish (ABCs) were matched over
  two years. The scale scores analysis yielded
  statistically significant results only in the
  Spanish TAKS mathematics for Bilingual ABC
  students.

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Research Question 9 Was there a statistical
significant improvement in the TAKS performance
from 2003 to 2004 as a result of participating in
the program? (continued)

• The results from across grade level analysis
  found that there was a statistical improvement in
  reading and mathematics scale scores as
  measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and
  Skills. The students in Bilingual Bilingual
  English (Ds) were matched over two years.
  Analysis of pre-post test scale scores indicated
  program impact in reading and mathematics.

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Research Question 9 Was there a statistical
significant improvement in the TAKS performance
from 2003 to 2004 as a result of participating in
the program? (continued)

• The results from across grade level analysis
  found that there was a statistical improvement in
  reading and mathematics scale scores as
  measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and
  Skills. The students in English as a Second
  Language Program (56s) were matched over two
  years. Analysis of pre-post test scale scores
  indicated program impact in reading and
  mathematics.

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Research Question 10What number and percent of
LEP students exited the Bilingual/ESL program in
2002-03?
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Research Question 11What percent of LEP exited
students scored at each proficiency level on the
Reading Proficiency Test in English administered
in 2004?
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Research Question 12What number and percent of
exited LEP students passed the English TAKS
reading in spring of 2004?
38
Research Question 13What number and percentage
of parent denials students were rated at each
proficiency level on the spring 2003 and spring
2004 Reading Proficiency Test in English (RPTE)?
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Research Question 14What was the passing rate
for parent denial students on the English TAKS
for the spring of 2003 and spring 2004?
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Research Question 15What percent of LEP
Special Education students scored at each
proficiency level on the Reading Proficiency Test
in English (RPTE) administered in spring 2003 and
2004?
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Research Question 16What was the passing rate
for LEP Special Education students on the English
TAKS for the spring of 2003 and 2004?
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Research Question 17What was the scope and
frequency of training for bilingual
administrative staff, bilingual/ESL teachers, and
instructional aides in 20032004?

• Bilingual Facilitators Monthly Meeting
• Technology Integration in Bilingual Classroom
• Training Model Rosetta Stone Language Library
• Las Partes de la Oracion
• Elementary Observation Protocol
• Secondary ESL Teachers Monthly Meeting
• Secondary Teachers Sheltered Content Area
  Instruction
• Making Content Comprehensible
• Secondary Observational Protocol
• Sixty seven training sessions were held for
  Bilingual and ESL staff from August 1,2003
  through May 31, 2004.

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Recommendations

• 1. Discuss LAS data file and research questions
  for 2004-05.
• 2. LAS data for matched students shows
  improvement in oral language proficiency so there
  is no need to change procedures or program
  delivery.
• 3. RPTE decreases for ESL students at 4th and 6th
  grade levels need to be addressed.
• 4. At elementary grades, target TAKS
  instructional objectives at 4th grade reading in
  English and 4th grade mathematics in English, 5th
  grade mathematics in Spanish and 4th grade
  English writing.
• 5. At the middle and high school grades, target
  TAKS instructional objectives at 7th,9th,10th,
  and 11th grade in reading and 7th, 8th,9th, and
  10th grade in mathematics. In the spring,
  monitor the number of students being tested in
  the middle and high school ESL program.
• 6. LPAC should closely monitor ESL exits.
• 7. Monitor parent denials to see if they are LEP.
• 8. Verify with Special Education staff that LEP
  students are receiving language support in their
  home language as well as English as a Second
  Language instruction.
• 9. Meet with all staff involved with LEP data to
  better track students and utilize student
  achievement scores in making program decisions.