Date of Award
5-1-2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Educational Leadership
First Advisor
Dr. John W. Hill
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine the reading and math outcomes of randomly selected majority culture students participating in an elective, parent choice, full academic content area Spanish Immersion Program kindergarten through fifth-grade compared to randomly selected same school control majority culture students participating in a traditional academic content area English only program kindergarten through fifth-grade. Study results indicate that posttest ending third-grade NWEA MAP-Reading Test Scores M = 196.02 (SD = 46.18) compared to post-posttest ending fifth-grade NWEA MAP-Reading Test Scores M = 227.07 (SD = 9.58) following kindergarten through fifth-grade participation in an elective, parent choice, full academic content area Spanish Immersion Program was statistically significantly different rejecting the null hypothesis in the direction of improved NWEA MAP-Reading Test Scores where dependent t(39) = 4.05, p < .001 (two-tailed), ES = 1.11. Furthermore, posttest ending third-grade NWEA MAP-Math Test Scores M = 197.42 (SD = 46.22) compared to post-posttest ending fifth-grade NWEA MAP-Math Test Scores M = 238.72 (SD = 14.70) following kindergarten through fifth-grade participation in an elective, parent choice, full academic content area Spanish Immersion Program was statistically significantly different rejecting the null hypothesis in the direction of improved NWEA MAP-Math Test Scores where dependent t(39) = 4.99, p < .0001 (two-tailed), ES = 1.35. Students who participated in a traditional standard of care academic content area English only program serving as a control group also made statistically significant reading and math gains over time. Between group post-posttest ending fifth-grade NWEA MAP-Reading Test Scores for students in an elective, parent choice, full academic content area Spanish Immersion Program compared to post-posttest ending fifth-grade NWEA MAP-Reading Test Scores for students in a traditional standard of care academic content area English only program were statistically significantly different rejecting the null hypothesis in the direction of greater post-posttest NWEA MAP-Reading Test Scores for students in an elective, parent choice, full academic content area Spanish Immersion Program where independent t(78) = 3.22, p < .01 (two-tailed), ES = 0.73. However, the null hypothesis was not rejected for the between group post-posttest NWEA MAP-Math Test Scores comparison indicating statistical equipoise where independent t(78) = 1.63, p = .107 (two-tailed), ES = 0.40. It is clear from the study results that students participating in the programs of this research are making significant academic progress as measured by norm-referenced reading and math test results over time, third-grade to fifth-grade. It is also remarkable that students who are learning basic skills at the elementary level in a second language, Spanish, are doing so at an observed above grade level pace suggesting that they will be ready for middle school English and math coursework with an advanced promise of success in future second language, Spanish, coursework as well.
Recommended Citation
Rega, Matt K., "Reading and Math Outcomes of Randomly Selected Majority Culture Students Participating in an Elective, Parent Choice, Full Academic Content Area Spanish Immersion Program" (2015). Student Work. 3616.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/3616
Comments
A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education. Copyright 2015 Matt K. Rega.