Rural Long-Term English Learners' (L-TELs') Funds of Knowledge, Teacher Attitudes, and School Success in Today's Political Climate

• In Event: 75.027 - "Post-Truth" Discourses in Rural Educational Contexts: English Learner Students, Families, and Teachers

Abstract

Purpose
Across the U.S. EL populations are lower in rural than in urban areas, and average 3.6% nationwide (McFarland, Hussar, Wang, Zhang, Wang, Rathbun, Barmer, Forrest Cataldi, & Bullock Mann, 2018). Long term ELs, or L-TELs, whose families have become rooted in local communities, represent a large and steadily growing group of ELs in public schools. L-TELs are students who remain classified as ELs after seven or more years in U. S. schools (Kim & García, 2014). This paper presents data from L-TELs from a small rural district in the southwest. One half of the community where the district is located consists of rapidly-growing suburban neighborhoods, while the other consists of horse ranches where many students work. Within this context are new ESSA regulations (ESSA, 2015) mandating that schools either create a separate English Language Arts (ELA) course for only EL students (effectively isolating all ELs from the general student population), or require all teachers to become certified to teach ESL. The district chose the second option, despite the lack of buy in from their teachers.

This paper spotlights rural teachers’ attitudes of L-TELs in light of the political and educational context, and reveals how they may play a role in student success. Recently, the district’s teachers engaged in a professional development (PD) program to cultivate and value ELs’ home language and culture in the classroom through use of translanguaging pedagogy (García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017). This paper shines a light on the district’s teachers’ attitudes, juxtaposed with their L-TELs’ high stakes test scores.

Theory
Research suggests that when the educational system cultivates authentic caring in the classroom and school, it values all students’ home cultures and languages regardless of whether or not that language or culture is represented by the majority of students (Valenzuela, 1999). Moreover, students who perceive that their diverse language practices are valued will develop greater socioemotional strength compared to when their home culture and language is either ignored or dissuaded (García et al., 2017). When students’ funds of knowledge are considered, students find more success in the educational environment (Gonzales, Moll, & Amanti, 2005).

Methods
Using mixed methods, this study investigates ELA teachers’ attitudes before and during the PD using both quantitative and qualitative survey data. Scores on L-TELs’ ELA portion of their high stakes test are used to indicate trends showing student success.

Results
In the 2016 school year, the district’s L-TELs performed lower than ELs statewide on the 2017 End of Course (EOC) English assessments. These L-TELS had a passing rate of 11.8% as compared to a statewide EL passing rate of 30.7%. Teacher attitudes, discerned from surveys, revealed that they generally did not consider students’ funds of knowledge in curriculum planning.

Significance
When rural teachers take into account L-TELs’ home languages and cultures, students’ backgrounds are valued. Understanding the relationship between student success and teacher attitudes in rural settings provides support for developing appropriate PD for teachers in their work with L-TELs.

Authors

• Holly H. Hansen-Thomas, Texas Woman's University

• Elizabeth Hughes, Texas Woman's University