A Quantitative Comparison of the Reading Achievement of English Learners in Dual Language and Transitional Bilingual Programs

<p>One of the goals of bilingual education research is to identify programs that have shown to be effective in increasing the English proficiency of English learners (ELs). The purpose of this archival comparative study was to conduct a quantitative comparison of the English reading achievement of third grade ELs enrolled in dual language education (DLE) programs to those enrolled in transitional bilingual education (TBE) programs in order to determine which program is more effective in improving the reading proficiency of third grade ELs in the Chicago Public Schools. The data analyzed in this study were the 2010-2014 reading scores on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and reading proficiency levels on the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs). Independent sample t-tests were used to compare the data, from two DLE programs and two TBE programs, in order to test hypotheses that predicted that ELs in DLE programs would score significantly higher than those in TBE programs. The findings did not support the hypotheses. Overall, there was not a statistically significant difference between the ISAT reading scores of the two groups; however, ELs in the TBE programs obtained significantly higher reading proficiency levels on the ACCESS for ELLs. The findings of this study are significant because they provide the CPS with information that can be used to evaluate programming options and make decisions for the success of ELs, but most importantly, the findings provide support for the need of long-term analysis of the impact of language acquisition programs.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Lopez, Shajaira P.

• dual language education
• transitional bilingual education
• English language learners
• English learners
• Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
• Education
• Educational Leadership

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/166

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-1169