Enhancing Achievement for Language Minority Students

Preventing Disproportionate Representation: Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Prereferral Interventions

“…This understanding leads to an additive view of culture and language (Cummins, 1986), and there is a focus on designing accessible, inclusive, and equitable learning environments that develop bicultural/ bilingual competence among all students. Moreover, students' success and failure are considered to be the results of a match (or mismatch) between the learning environment and their learning needs and characteristics (García, Wilkinson, & Ortiz, 1995). Finally, shared responsibility for all students also means that teachers have systematic opportunities to plan and coordinate services when students are taught by more than one teacher (e.g., middle and high school students) or are served by more than one program (e.g., students receiving pull-out English as a second language [ESL] services, instruction from reading specialists, or special education).…”

“…When coordinated effectively, these efforts can be successful in developing resilience and increasing educational performance (Wang & Kovak, 1995). These programs are academically rich (i.e., focus on higherorder thinking and problem-solving in addition to basic skills) and provide high-quality instruction designed to meet high expectations (García et al, 1995). Of course, high-quality instruction presumes the availability of highly qualified teachers who have expertise related to culturally and linguistically diverse students.…”

Responding to the Needs of the Whole Child: A Case Study of a High-Performing Elementary School for Immigrant Children

“…Research on language acquisition has shown that meeting this challenge can be extremely difficult. In addition to developing communicative English language proficiency for students whose first language is not English, there is a need to simultaneously build content literacies for English language learners (Wells, 1994), many of whom also have low cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) skills (August & Shanahan, 2006;Chamot & O'Malley, 1994;García, Wilkinson, & Ortiz, 1995). In many cases, students may gain sufficient proficiency in the English language to exit an English as a second language (ESL) program after 3 years, but for most students it can take between 5 and 7 years to become fully competent in both communicative and academic discourse (Cummins, 1981).…”

The role of an affirmed black cultural identity and heritage in the academic achievement of African‐Canadian students

“…Johnson proposes that 'child-environment interactions' occur in 'four nested ecosystems': Academic achievement of African-Canadian students 39 classroom, domestic, community, and sociocultural contexts. Translated in more specific terms, it is suggested that if Johnson's framework is adapted to discuss current educational and familial contexts that influence the achievement of minority students, it will focus on three levels or contexts (and the characteristics within each) that are conducive to success: classroom, school, student and family (Garcia et al, 1995). Within this context, the successful educational process or experience for minority students is viewed 'as a series of ongoing interactions between schools, communities, families, educators and students.…”