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"Con respeto": Factors related to the academic performance of Mexican-American fourth graders in selected Florida elementary schools

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Date Issued:
1998
Summary:
The purpose of this study was to identify how various student, school, and staff predictors related to the academic performance of Mexican American fourth graders in selected schools as evidenced by their scores on the Florida Writes Assessment as well as on norm referenced achievement tests in reading comprehension and math applications. Three null hypotheses were tested to show if there was a correlation between predictors and these criterion variables: writing skills, reading comprehension, and math applications. A sample of 64 students from two Florida districts and twelve elementary schools was obtained. Data were collected from archival sources within each school district as well as from surveys distributed to English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers. These were then analyzed to determine correlations with Florida Writes and with Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) as well as California Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) subtests in reading comprehension and math applications. The researcher was most interested in determining the relationship between a language arts pull-out program and achievement of ESOL students at a focal school which was in danger of being identified by the Florida Department of Education as "critically low" in academic performance because of low test scores. Correlations of predictor variables including the pull-out program were analyzed to determine statistical significance. Only the third hypothesis--that relating to math applications--was rejected at a probability level of.05. In this case, three predictors were considered significant: number of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, number of Mexican American students, and the pull-out program. Because of small sample size and limited applications, no far reaching conclusions were drawn although further study was suggested because the Mexican American population in Florida is growing, and these students have historically not performed well in school. It was also recommended that the Florida Department of Education reconsider the timeline for ESOL student participation in norm referenced testing in writing and reading because most research shows that it takes at least five to seven years for most students to acquire comprehensible second language skills.
Title: "Con respeto": Factors related to the academic performance of Mexican-American fourth graders in selected Florida elementary schools.
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Name(s): Mosley, Mary Lindquist.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Gray, Mary B., Thesis advisor
Morris, John D., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1998
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 84 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The purpose of this study was to identify how various student, school, and staff predictors related to the academic performance of Mexican American fourth graders in selected schools as evidenced by their scores on the Florida Writes Assessment as well as on norm referenced achievement tests in reading comprehension and math applications. Three null hypotheses were tested to show if there was a correlation between predictors and these criterion variables: writing skills, reading comprehension, and math applications. A sample of 64 students from two Florida districts and twelve elementary schools was obtained. Data were collected from archival sources within each school district as well as from surveys distributed to English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers. These were then analyzed to determine correlations with Florida Writes and with Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) as well as California Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) subtests in reading comprehension and math applications. The researcher was most interested in determining the relationship between a language arts pull-out program and achievement of ESOL students at a focal school which was in danger of being identified by the Florida Department of Education as "critically low" in academic performance because of low test scores. Correlations of predictor variables including the pull-out program were analyzed to determine statistical significance. Only the third hypothesis--that relating to math applications--was rejected at a probability level of.05. In this case, three predictors were considered significant: number of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, number of Mexican American students, and the pull-out program. Because of small sample size and limited applications, no far reaching conclusions were drawn although further study was suggested because the Mexican American population in Florida is growing, and these students have historically not performed well in school. It was also recommended that the Florida Department of Education reconsider the timeline for ESOL student participation in norm referenced testing in writing and reading because most research shows that it takes at least five to seven years for most students to acquire comprehensible second language skills.
Identifier: 9780591808100 (isbn), 12557 (digitool), FADT12557 (IID), fau:9445 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1998.
College of Education
Subject(s): Mexican American students--Florida
Academic achievement
Educational tests and measurements--United States
Education, Elementary--Florida
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12557
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.