LINGUISTIC MINORITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Technical Report

Russell W. Rumberger and Loan Tran

January 2006

Executive Summary (PDF, 11 pgs, 34 KB)

Study Abstract: This study examined participation in preschool and its relationship with the cognitive and social development of language minority students from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of third grade. The study was based on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), which included a representative sample of students and parents who did not speak English. The study found that the majority of students who entered kindergarten in the fall of 1998 had attended some form of preschool; yet language minority students were not only less likely than non-language-minority students to attend non-Head Start preschool programs the year before kindergarten, they were also less likely to attend such programs for more than one year.

The study also found that, on entry to kindergarten, both language minority and non-language- minority students who attended non-Head Start preschool programs had higher literacy levels and less likelihood of repeating kindergarten and being identified as having a disability, but also an increased likelihood of exhibiting external behavior problems. By the end of third grade, the cognitive and social effects faded to inconsequential levels, but the effects on retention and special education persisted at low levels.

Technical Report #2003-1

Robin Scarcella

April 2003

Study Abstract: Learning academic English is probably one of the surest, most reliable ways of attaining socio- economic success in the United States today. Learners cannot function in school settings effectively without it. This variety of English entails the multiple, complex features of English required for success in public schooling and career advancement. It involves mastery of a writing system and its particular academic conventions as well as proficiency in reading, speaking, and listening. Unfortunately, academic English has often been ignored or under-emphasized in public school instruction. Many have not understood its importance in helping students function in school settings or have misunderstood its complex nature.

This paper discusses approaches to the study of academic English and presents a multi-dimensional framework for analyzing it. The dimensions include linguistic, cognitive, and socio-cultural/psychological ones. The paper also describes the relationship between the English used in everyday situations and in academic ones. It concludes with a brief discussion of research implications pertaining to instruction, assessment, and professional development.