The Effect of Foreign Language Instruction in the Elementary School on Math and Verbal Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Scaled Test Scores Dr. Kimberly Glick

Background / West School District / Suburban Philadelphia / 10 elementary schools / 2 cohorts (pre-FLES/post-FLES) / Math and verbal PSSA scaled test scores compared / West School District / Suburban Philadelphia / 10 elementary schools / 2 cohorts (pre-FLES/post-FLES) / Math and verbal PSSA scaled test scores compared

Background / Outcomes / Good proficiency with standards orientation / Interest in language and culture / Interest in future language study / Correlation with core subjects / Realization of value of foreign language / Outcomes / Good proficiency with standards orientation / Interest in language and culture / Interest in future language study / Correlation with core subjects / Realization of value of foreign language

Background / Statement of the problem / My dissertation will address the relationship between 3rd grade PSSA test scores in math and verbal and FLES instruction in order to provide quantitative validity relating to the effectiveness of FLES programs. / Statement of the problem / My dissertation will address the relationship between 3rd grade PSSA test scores in math and verbal and FLES instruction in order to provide quantitative validity relating to the effectiveness of FLES programs.

Background / Research questions: / Does FLES have a general effect on third grade mean PSSA test scores in math and verbal? / Is the difference between the mean test scores in math and verbal universal across all schools? / Research questions: / Does FLES have a general effect on third grade mean PSSA test scores in math and verbal? / Is the difference between the mean test scores in math and verbal universal across all schools?

Background / Rationale: / FLES enriches the regular elementary language arts and mathematics curriculum / Language arts skills / Comprehension / Word analysis / Vocabulary / Fluency / Grammar / Mechanics / Rationale: / FLES enriches the regular elementary language arts and mathematics curriculum / Language arts skills / Comprehension / Word analysis / Vocabulary / Fluency / Grammar / Mechanics

Background / Uniqueness of study / Outdated / Qualitative / PSSA test specific / Needed in today’s society / Uniqueness of study / Outdated / Qualitative / PSSA test specific / Needed in today’s society

Literature / Gladys Lipton / Declining budgets - short-lived trend / Supports my hypothesis but only in theory / FLES increases cognitive development in mental flexibility, creativity, divergent thinking and higher order thinking skills / Ease of learning a second foreign language / Brain research based on the consumption of glucose / Age of 10 is optimal age to begin FL education / Gladys Lipton / Declining budgets - short-lived trend / Supports my hypothesis but only in theory / FLES increases cognitive development in mental flexibility, creativity, divergent thinking and higher order thinking skills / Ease of learning a second foreign language / Brain research based on the consumption of glucose / Age of 10 is optimal age to begin FL education

Literature / Johnson, Flores and Ellison (1963) / Effect on general elementary curriculum due to lessened time for regular curriculum / FLES students scored higher on Iowa Every Pupil Test of Basic Skills in reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, language skills, arithmetic and work study skills. / Johnson, Flores and Ellison (1963) / Effect on general elementary curriculum due to lessened time for regular curriculum / FLES students scored higher on Iowa Every Pupil Test of Basic Skills in reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, language skills, arithmetic and work study skills.

Literature / Cooper (1987) / Found a positive relationship between SAT verbal scores and FLES instruction / Found a positive relationship between SAT math scores and FLES instruction as well; however, the effect was not as great as the verbal and was not seen until after 3 years of FL study. / Cooper (1987) / Found a positive relationship between SAT verbal scores and FLES instruction / Found a positive relationship between SAT math scores and FLES instruction as well; however, the effect was not as great as the verbal and was not seen until after 3 years of FL study.

Literature / Cooper / Foreign language studied doesn’t make a difference in its effect on scores / Length of foreign language study is one variable that seems most closely linked with superior SAT scores. / Cooper / Foreign language studied doesn’t make a difference in its effect on scores / Length of foreign language study is one variable that seems most closely linked with superior SAT scores.

Methodology / Overview / Measure: 3rd grade PSSA scaled scores in math and verbal from 10 elementary schools. / Subjects: 836 students from the pre- FLES group and 848 students from the post-FLES group. Total= 1684 students / Overview / Measure: 3rd grade PSSA scaled scores in math and verbal from 10 elementary schools. / Subjects: 836 students from the pre- FLES group and 848 students from the post-FLES group. Total= 1684 students

Methodology / Analyses / 2 two way analyses of variance (1 for math, and 1 for verbal) / Pre-FLES and post-FLES main effect test / School main effect test / Pre-FLES and post-FLES by school interaction tests / 20 individual analyses of variance looking at individual schools (10 for math and 10 for verbal) / ANOVA shows that the means are significant / Analyses / 2 two way analyses of variance (1 for math, and 1 for verbal) / Pre-FLES and post-FLES main effect test / School main effect test / Pre-FLES and post-FLES by school interaction tests / 20 individual analyses of variance looking at individual schools (10 for math and 10 for verbal) / ANOVA shows that the means are significant

Reading Results Source of VarianceDfFp Pre/Post FLES School Interaction of Pre/Post FLES and School Error1664

Reading Results / Table of Means and individual ANOVAs / Total average gain of all ten schools was points. / Nine of the ten schools experienced an increase in scores ranging from points to points / 2 schools showed statistical significance, 2 schools showed nearly statistical significant increases as a result of FLES / Table of Means and individual ANOVAs / Total average gain of all ten schools was points. / Nine of the ten schools experienced an increase in scores ranging from points to points / 2 schools showed statistical significance, 2 schools showed nearly statistical significant increases as a result of FLES

Reading Results

Math Results SourceDfFp Pre/Post FLES School Interaction of Pre/Post FLES and School Error1664

Math Results / Table of Means and Individual ANOVAs / Total average gain of all ten schools was points / 6 of the ten schools experienced an increase ranging from to points / 4 schools experienced a decrease ranging from to points / 2 schools experienced statistically significant increases, 1 school experienced a nearly significant increase, and 1 school experienced a significant decrease in scores as a result of FLES / Table of Means and Individual ANOVAs / Total average gain of all ten schools was points / 6 of the ten schools experienced an increase ranging from to points / 4 schools experienced a decrease ranging from to points / 2 schools experienced statistically significant increases, 1 school experienced a nearly significant increase, and 1 school experienced a significant decrease in scores as a result of FLES

Math Results

Discussion / Hypotheses Accepted / FLES has a general effect on 3rd grade mean PSSA verbal scaled scores. / FLES has no general effect on 3rd grade mean PSSA math scaled test scores. / Hypotheses Accepted / FLES has a general effect on 3rd grade mean PSSA verbal scaled scores. / FLES has no general effect on 3rd grade mean PSSA math scaled test scores.

Discussion / Hypotheses accepted / The difference in mean verbal scaled scores as a result of FLES instruction is universal across all ten elementary schools / The difference in mean mathematics scaled test scores as a result of FLES instruction is not universal across all ten elementary schools. / Hypotheses accepted / The difference in mean verbal scaled scores as a result of FLES instruction is universal across all ten elementary schools / The difference in mean mathematics scaled test scores as a result of FLES instruction is not universal across all ten elementary schools.

Discussion / Reading / 9 of 10 schools experienced an increase / School 5 experienced decreases in both reading and math scores. / Teacher turn-over rate / Site based curriculum planning / Reading / 9 of 10 schools experienced an increase / School 5 experienced decreases in both reading and math scores. / Teacher turn-over rate / Site based curriculum planning

Discussion / Mathematics / Varying results / Short term study in comparison to others / Rote memorization v. real life scenarios / Old teaching methods v. new methods / Less emphasis on mathematics / School based initiatives / Age of students involved in study / Mathematics / Varying results / Short term study in comparison to others / Rote memorization v. real life scenarios / Old teaching methods v. new methods / Less emphasis on mathematics / School based initiatives / Age of students involved in study

Discussion / Cooper (1987) / Length of study increases math scores / In 1st year of foreign language study, scores actually decreased / Not until 3rd year that math scores saw a significant increase. / Cooper (1987) / Length of study increases math scores / In 1st year of foreign language study, scores actually decreased / Not until 3rd year that math scores saw a significant increase.

Discussion / Lopato (1963) / Study involving high school students shows that FLES causes increase in math scores / Older students / Outdated teaching methods / Longer time / Other influences / Longer period of foreign language study / Lopato (1963) / Study involving high school students shows that FLES causes increase in math scores / Older students / Outdated teaching methods / Longer time / Other influences / Longer period of foreign language study

Discussion / Shultz and Willard-Holt (2004) / Increase in math standardized test scores of students taking a foreign language over non-foreign language students could not be seen until the eleventh grade. / Length of study / Age of student / Other influences may come into play / Shultz and Willard-Holt (2004) / Increase in math standardized test scores of students taking a foreign language over non-foreign language students could not be seen until the eleventh grade. / Length of study / Age of student / Other influences may come into play

Discussion / Recommendations based on benefits of FLES / Cognitive, academic, creative and multicultural enrichment / Reinforces regular curriculum / Foundation for future FL study / Improved grammar / Improve problem solving abilities / Recommendations based on benefits of FLES / Cognitive, academic, creative and multicultural enrichment / Reinforces regular curriculum / Foundation for future FL study / Improved grammar / Improve problem solving abilities

Discussion / More benefits / Improved word analysis / Multicultural awareness and acceptance / Syntax and language structure / Code-switching/ mental flexibility/divergent thinking/ ability to think abstractly without relying on words. / Creative inquiry and critical thinking skills / More benefits / Improved word analysis / Multicultural awareness and acceptance / Syntax and language structure / Code-switching/ mental flexibility/divergent thinking/ ability to think abstractly without relying on words. / Creative inquiry and critical thinking skills

Discussion / Non-academic benefits / Positive self-concept / Cultural enrichment / Sense of culturally diverse community / Promotes native proficiency, dialect and accent / Facilitates learning of other languages / Fosters comparison of cultures, and critical inquiry of society / Non-academic benefits / Positive self-concept / Cultural enrichment / Sense of culturally diverse community / Promotes native proficiency, dialect and accent / Facilitates learning of other languages / Fosters comparison of cultures, and critical inquiry of society

Discussion / Recommendations / States should consider adopting a mandated FLES program similar to New Jersey’s for the academic, social and global benefits. / Recommendations / States should consider adopting a mandated FLES program similar to New Jersey’s for the academic, social and global benefits.

Discussion / Recommendations for future study / Impact of FLES on math scores / Age, length of study / FLES and minority student enrollment / The effect of FLES on minority and ELL student populations. / Foreign language acquisition and gender / Recommendations for future study / Impact of FLES on math scores / Age, length of study / FLES and minority student enrollment / The effect of FLES on minority and ELL student populations. / Foreign language acquisition and gender

Discussion / More recommendations / The effect of FLES on students with special needs / The effect of FLES on students of different socio-economic status relating to their rationale for valuing foreign language study. / Same study over a longer time frame / More recommendations / The effect of FLES on students with special needs / The effect of FLES on students of different socio-economic status relating to their rationale for valuing foreign language study. / Same study over a longer time frame

Chapter 2: Literature / Curtain and Pesola / Agree with Lipton / “…Goethe clearly saw it (reciprocal independence) when he wrote that he who knows no foreign language does not truly know his own…the acquisition of a foreign language…liberates him from the dependence on concrete linguistic forms and expressions.” / Vygotsky, as cited in Curtain and Pesola, p.8 / Curtain and Pesola / Agree with Lipton / “…Goethe clearly saw it (reciprocal independence) when he wrote that he who knows no foreign language does not truly know his own…the acquisition of a foreign language…liberates him from the dependence on concrete linguistic forms and expressions.” / Vygotsky, as cited in Curtain and Pesola, p.8