TO EQUIP THE REGULAR EDUCATION TEACHER

The ESL Immigrant Student: How to Equip the Regular Education Teacher to Face the Challenge

Chapter One:

Introduction

This study focuses on the problem of the challenges faced by regular education teachers while dealing with the ESL Immigrant Student. For this purpose the study will address the stated problem and discuss that how to equip the regular education teacher to face these challenges. (Byrnes, 1998, 26-31) It is the teachers of America who meet the daily challenge of addressing the culturally diverse needs of both immigrant and native students. Researchers demonstrate that understanding the background and culture and immigrant children is a necessary component for teachers to provide a more successful educational experience for these students. Much educational research illuminates that the majority of teachers who do not have English as a Second Language (ESL) background or training can be ill-equipped to work with immigrant, non English speaking, and culturally diverse children. (Byrnes, 1998, 26-31)

Background

The site chosen for this study will be an urban middle school in a large school district in Texas. This school was located in an economically disadvantaged urban setting, had an immigrant student population of more than 30%, and has an "acceptable" academic rating on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS: Texas Assessment of Academic Skills) for the 2000 2001 school year. The state standardized named Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) will be used. The test will replace the following year by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. (Byrnes, 1998, 26-31)

My Personal Involvement

This study will enable readers to understand the challenge of regular education teachers and how to equip them to face the challenge. In this study I will focus on the problem of the Challenges faced by regular education teachers when dealing with the ESL Immigrant Student. For this purpose in this study I will address the problem of regular education teacher challenges they face when teaching ESL Immigrant Student furthermore I will discuss that how to Equip the Regular Education Teacher to face these challenges. (Allington, 1994, 14-29)

Problem Statement

The National Center for Educational Statistics (1994) shows 17 states, including Texas; now require all students to pass minimum competency tests to graduate from high school. The state mandate in Texas also includes immigrant students who have lived in the United States for three years. Such mandates impact the public education accountability system, especially in Texas, as teachers are pressured to prepare immigrant students to pass the TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills Test) successfully beginning at third grade. School districts and individual schools are held publicly accountable for how all their students score on this test. Students who have spent three years in English as Second Language (ESL) classrooms are now required to take this test even though Cummins. (Allington, 1994, 14-29) It takes eight to ten years for an individual to be completely competent in a second language. In this dissertation study I will shed light on the experiences of both middle school students and regular ...