Volume 3 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal for K-12 Educational Research - Page 25

Journal of K-12 Educational Research 23 DIFFERENCES IN EARLY LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: ANALYZING PERFORMANCE BETWEEN TRANSITIONAL AND DUAL LANGUAGE BILINGUAL PROGRAMS Lori DeAnn Rapp, Ed.D. Introduction Despite numerous state and school district efforts to raise achievement of English Language Learners (ELLs), large changes in demographics continue to impact the landscape of bilingual education. Questions that pervade K-12 education related to ELLs were posed by Haynes (2007); “How long does it take a student to learn English?” and “How long should students receive language support?” (p. 25). Texas students in bilingual education are struggling to perform at the same level of literacy as their White peers (Lopez & McEneaney, 2012). According to the 2015-16 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) (Texas Education Agency, 2016), only 64% of students in bilingual education met the passing standard for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading and 44% of ESL students met the STAAR reading passing standard. In 2015, the gap between limited English proficient (LEP) students and White students for third grade reading STAAR was 19 percentage points, and the gap between Hispanic students and White students was 15 percentage points. These sizeable gaps in student performance on STAAR tests indicate a need for concern for the literacy achievement of ELLs. Literature Review Four foundational studies related to bilingual program design and implementation form the basis for all subsequent research on this topic (Samway & McKeon, 2007). These studies are the Baker and deKanter Report (1981), Willig’s Meta-Analysis (1985), the National Longitudinal Study (1991) also called the Ramírez report, and Collier’s (1992) synthesis of studies examining long- term data on the academic achievement of ELLs. The most recent comprehensive review on programs for ELLs was written by Genesee, Lindholm-Leary, Saunders, and Christian (2006). The evidence from the majority of these foundational studies established that bilingual education, specifically utilizing the native language of students, has a positive impact on student learning and performance for ELLs. However, analysis of the 17 comparative studies regarding educational programs for ELLs conducted by Genesee et al. (2006), revealed there are limited studies that analyzed multiple bilingual programs simultaneously for grades K-3. Cloud, Genesee, and Hamayan (2009) concluded students who develop literacy in their native language through a bilingual program are successful in learning a second language. Four bilingual program models are allowed by Texas Administrative Code that districts can use for serving English Language Learners: transitional bilingual/early exit, transitional bilingual/late exit, dual language immersion/two-way, and dual language immersion/one-way (Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 89, Subchapter BB, §89.1201). Journal of K-12 Educational Research 2019, VOL. 3, ISSUE 1 www.dbu.edu/doctoral/edd