Primary Language Matters: Is There a Link Between Bilingual Education and English Language Learners’ Academic Achievement? 1 Nury Rodriguez Education 7202: Seminar in Applied Theory and Research II Fall 2010

Method  Participants:  20 first grade students at P.S. X in Brooklyn, New York.  Students are Hispanic.  Two groups of students will be involved.  Parents of participating students.  Teachers and administration.

Table of Contents  Research Design  Threats to Internal Validity  Threats to External Validity  Proposed Data  Proposed Data Analysis  References

Research Design Quasi Experimental: Quasi Experimental: Nonequivalent Control Group Design Two groups: Designated treatment group (X 1 ) and control group (X 2 ) are pretested, exposed to a treatment (X), and posttested (O). Symbolic Design: O X 1 O O X 2 O Groups are not randomly assigned.

 History  Maturation  Testing – Pretest Sensitization  Instrumentation  Mortality  Statistical Regression  Differential Selection of Subjects  Selection-Maturation Interaction Threats to Internal Validity

 Ecological Validity  Generalizable Conditions  Pretest  Selection  Specificity of Variables  Multiple Treatments  Treatment Diffusion  Experimenter Effects  Reactive Arrangements/Participants Effects Threats to External Validity

Pretest & Posttest  Two Groups  Primary Language Assessment  Reading Assessments  Pretest Developmental Reading Assessment  Posttest Developmental Reading Assessment

Proposed Data Reading Comprehension Pretest and Posttest Reading Comprehension PretestPosttest StudentGroup 1Group 2Group 1Group 2 177%55%79%57% 278%56%78%57% 377%66%76%68% 478%68%79%67% 579%68%80%69% 680%72%82%73% 781%34%81%35% 883%45%85%47% 977%60%78%63% 1072%57%72%58% Mean PretestPosttest Group Group

Proposed Quantitative Data Group Pretest /Survey Question #4 StudentSurvey Responses Comprehension Score 1477% 2478% 3177% 4378% 5479% 6380% 7381% 8383% 9171% 10172% Correlation between parents’ primary language attitudes and reading assessment. Likert Scale Survey Question #4: Is it important for your child to learn and maintain his/her native language? The coefficient is rxy.  

Proposed Data Analysis  The chart shows that there is possibly a positive correlation between primary language attitudes and academic performance. The coefficient is rxy. The high X scores are paired with the high Y scores. The coordinates are close to the trend line of best fit, and it is fair.    Therefore, if attitudes and support of parents concerning the use of the primary language are positive, students reading comprehension scores are high.

References O’Connor-Petruso, S. A. (2010). Descriptive statistics and threats to validity [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Brooklyn College Blackboard Web site: