CHAPTER THREE Methodology

The purpose of the study was to determine achievement and high school completion rates of Hispanic students with no English language skills compared to Hispanic students with some English language skills attending the same high school in an immigrant responsive city.

Participants

Individuals who participated in this study were identified upon entering the research high school in their ninth-grade school year, Hispanic immigrant students with no English language skills compared to Hispanic immigrant students with some English language skills. Identification of the study participants was based upon their entering Las Links assessment scores and their placement into the English Language Acquisition program within the research study high school. Individuals who participated in this study attended the same high school from entry in ninth-grade until high school completion.

Number of participants. The maximum accrual for this study was N = 24.

Study participants consist of students with no English language skills (n = 13) who entered the research high school in their ninth-grade school year, attended the same high school until completion of high school, scored at a level one on their initial Las Links assessment of English language proficiency skills given prior to the students entering the research high school, and were placed into the English Language Acquisition program at the research high school. Students with some English language skills (n = 11) who entered the research high school in their ninth-grade school year, attended the same high

school until completion of high school, scored at a level two or above on their initial Las Links assessment of English language proficiency skills given prior to the students

entering the research high school, and were placed into the English Language Acquisition program at the research high school.

Gender of participants. The gender of the group of students with no English

language skills that received a score of one on their initial Las Links assessment prior to entering the research high school, and were placed into the English Language Acquisition program at the research high school was male n = 8 (61%) and female n = 5 (39%). The gender of the group of students with some English language skills that received a score of two or above on their initial Las Links assessment prior to entering the research high school and were placed into the English Language Acquisition program at the research high school was male n = 8 (73%) and female n = 3 (27%). The gender of the study participants is congruent with the research high school districts gender demographics for entering ninth-grade students with no English language skills and entering ninth-grade students with some English language skills where the overall gender demographics for the research high school is males n = 82 (63%) and females n = 47 (36%).

Age range of participants. The age range of the students with no English

language skills entering ninth-grade was 14 years to 17 years. The age range of students with some English language skills entering ninth-grade was 14 years to 16 years. The age range of the study participants was congruent with the research high schools ninth- grade age range demographics.

Racial and ethnic origin of participants. The ethnic origin of the students with

and placed into the English Language Acquisition program, and the ethnic origin of the students with some English language skills entering ninth-grade with a Las Links score of two or greater and placed into the English language acquisition program was Hispanic, n = 25 (100%). The racial and ethnic origin of the study participants is congruent with the research high schools racial and ethnic origin demographics for entering ninth-grade students placed into the English language acquisition program.

Inclusion criteria of participants. Study participants consisted of entering

ninth-grade students with no English language skills who scored a one on their entering Las Links assessment and were placed into the English Language Acquisition program and who completed high school (n = 13), and entering ninth-grade students with some English language skills who scored a two or greater on their entering Las Links assessment and were placed into the English Language Acquisition program and

completed high school (n = 11). Students qualifying for and receiving special education services were not included in the sample of study participants.

Method of participant identification. Study participants who had no English

language skills or some English language skills upon entering the ninth-grade at the research high school were placed into the English Language Acquisition program at the research high school. Reason for referral to the English Language Acquisition program of entering ninth-grade students at the research high school identified for English language proficiency testing prior to school entry included: (a) parent selection of a language other than English as the student’s first language, and (b) Las Links assessment results of an English language proficiency level of one, two, or three in one or more of the tested domains including: (1) speaking, (2) listening, (3) reading, and (4) writing.

Description of Procedures

Research Design. The pretest-posttest two-group comparative efficacy study

design is displayed in the following notation. Group 1 X1 O1 Y1 O2

Group 2 X1 O1 Y2 O2