Building Bridges: A Cross-Case Study of Classroom Experiences of a Curriculum for Students With Interrupted Education

• In Event: Equity and Diversity in Literacy Learning and Teaching

Abstract

This study examined how implementation of a curriculum designed for refugee and immigrant students with interrupted education (SIFE) affected student learning in three bilingual and multilingual secondary schools in New York State. A two-course program was designed to explicitly embed development of foundational literacy skills, academic thinking and conceptual understandings for students with developing literacy in home language. Researchers examined progress monitoring data over a year-long period and conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers, administrators and students. Using a grounded theory approach to identify salient themes across sites, researchers identified promising practices in working with students during their transition to U.S. schools. Results showed that students in all settings made growth in foundational literacy skills and reading comprehension in English.

Authors

• Lisa Auslander, Research Foundation - CUNY

• Magdalen Ann Beiting-Parrish, CUNY Graduate Center