Funding: Grant from the International Research & Studies program of the U.S. Department of Education (P017A170028)

In 2017, CAL was granted by the International Research & Studies program of the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a three-year research study aimed at identifying successful Spanish/English dual language bilingual (DLBE) programs. The study was conducted by analyzing state-wide longitudinal data in the two program languages and documenting characteristics of DLBE in high achieving programs based on case studies. The project had three main objectives, which were to:

1. identify successful Spanish/English dual language immersion (DLI) programs by analyzing state-wide longitudinal data in the two program languages;
2. document characteristics of DLI in high achieving programs based on case studies; and
3. disseminate the results of the research study so that the study may be replicated and its results applied in programs with similar objectives.

CAL dual language researchers worked with the Oregon State Department of Education (ODE) from 2015 to 2017 to support six districts in the development, implementation and evaluation of dual language programs as part of the K-12 Biliteracy Pathways project. After a fruitful collaborative experience, CAL researchers submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a research study with Oregon dual language programs with the support of ODE.

Two specific research questions were addressed by the project:

1. Which dual language immersion programs in the state of Oregon have consistently reported high reading achievement in Spanish and English for native speakers of English and native speakers of Spanish?
2. What features of dual language education are documented in programs that result in high reading achievement in Spanish and English for native speakers of English and native speakers of Spanish?

As part of the project, CAL researchers conducted a biliteracy study of reading achievement growth in Spanish and English by students in all of the Spanish/English dual language programs in the state of Oregon. The results of the study were published in in a TESOL Quarterly special issue on equity in DLBE (Arteagoitia & Yen, 2020).

Reference
Arteagoitia, I. & Yen, Shu Jing. (2020). Equity in representing literacy growth in dual language bilingual education for emerging bilingual learners. TESOL Quarterly, 54(3), 719-742. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.588

While dissemination was the focus of Years 3 and 4 of the project, dissemination efforts began early in the project with presentations on Years 1 and 2 findings at various conferences (e.g., ACTFL, AERA, NABE and La Cosecha). and the publication of a study in the peer-reviewed TESOL Quarterly journal. Dissemination efforts continued throughout Years 3 and 4 of the project with presentations at national and international conferences (e.g., ACTFL, AILA, La Cosecha, and NABE).

Link: Education Equity page of the Oregon Department of Education, Biliteracy Initiatives