How to Develop Balanced Biliteracy in Language Minority Children

Education 703.22Fall 2010

Romina G. Ladner

Table of Contents

Research Design3

Threats to Internal Validity 4Threats to External Validity 5Pretest and Posttest

6Reading Levels Analysis 2008 & 2009

7Possible Reading Levels 2010 82nd Grade Reading Performance

9Possible Survey Responses 10Proposed Data Analysis and Correlation 11

Research Design

Pre-Experimental Design: One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design.

Single Group: Single group is pre-tested (O), exposed to a treatment (X), and posttested (O).

Symbolic Design: OXO

Threats to Internal Validity

History: Poor weather conditions, student misbehavior, and classroom distractions.Maturation: Students may lose interest in L1 and improve skills in L2.Testing/Pre-test Sensitization: Students may do better on the post-test since they already had a pre-test.Instrumentation: Researcher may not administered the test correctly or parents may not fully understand the survey.Mortality: Possible students' drop outs and transfers. Statistical Regression: Test scores may differ between the data obtained two years ago.Differential Selection of Subjects: The group may be different due to transfers to other programs or changes in the classroom.Selection-Maturation Interaction: Students’ progress in both languages may vary in terms of maturation an interaction.

Threats to External Validity

Ecological Validity: The results of this study may be generalized with other students that are in bilingual programs and need to achieve balance biliteracy.Generalizable Conditions: The same program could be applied to other participants but the results may not be the same because of different variables like age, culture, education, etc.Pre-Test Treatment: The pre-test questions may have an impact on the post-test scores. Selection Treatment Interaction: Students were not randomly selected.Experimenter Effects: The researcher may affect the performance and responses of the participants.Reactive Arrangements/ Participants Effects: Students may react differently once they know they are involved in a action research study.

Pretest and Posttest

Students will be given four exams (two in English and two in Spanish) to test their reading and writing skills in both languages.

Pretest: Two pretest will be given to students; one in English and one in Spanish.

Posttest: Two posttest will be given to students; one in English and one in Spanish.

Reading Levels Analysis 2008 & 2009

Reading Levels 2008 Reading Levels 2009

A B C D E F G H I J K L M0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Reading Levels Fall 2008

EnglishSpanish

Levels

Stud

ents

A B C D E F G H I J K L M0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Reading Levels Spring 2009

English Spanish

Levels

Stud

ents

Possible Reading Levels 2010

A B C D E F G H I J K L M0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Possible Reading Levels 2010

English Spanish

Levels

Stud

ents

2nd Grade Reading Performance

English Spanish

55%

45%

English Level

Under LevelOn Level

75%

25%

Spanish Level

Under LevelOn Level

Possible Survey ResponsesHow often do you read to your child?

Every Day 3 Times a Week Once a Week Never (4) (3) (2) (1)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 200

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

How often do you read to your child?

Series1

Students

Resp

onse

s

Proposed Data Analysis & Correlation

0 5 10 15 20 250

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Parents & Reading Levels

Series1Linear (Series1)

Reading Levels

How

ofte

n do

par

ents

read

to th

eir

chi

ld

ResourcesO’Connor – Petruso, S.,(2008)

Stat.scales.analyses.threats.design.ppt.