Academic achievers : whose definition? : an ethnographic study examining the literacy (under) development of English language learners in the era of high-stakes tests / Pierre W. Orelus.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Orelus, Pierre W.

Contributor:

James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English language--Study and teaching (Secondary)--United States--Foreign speakers.

English language.

Academic achievement--United States--Testing.

Academic achievement.

United States. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

United States.

Testing.

English language--Study and teaching (Secondary).

Physical Description:

xiii, 211 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Rotterdam ; Boston : Sense, 2010.

Summary:

Orelus (curriculum and instruction, New Mexico State University) presents his five-year study on the damaging effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the regime of standardized testing on the academic development of English language learners (ELLs). Focusing on the impact of policy on the day-to-day educational lives of four middle-school ELLs, the study shows how students' engagement with literacy as a meaning-making process is undermined, and demonstrates that even students who have been labeled 'academic achievers' by their schools are deemed deficient through the lens of the testing regime. Even strong parental support, first-language literacy, and motivation may not be enough to counteract test-oriented pedagogical practices. The study incorporates textual analysis of the students' writing, and an appendix includes photocopies of student papers. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Introduction : an endless journey

Beyond empty rhetoric : examining the determining factors leading to ELLs' academic (under) achievement

Unveiling the flaw in the deficit theory : school, family, and student academic achievement

Situating the context of study : the school, state and federal policies, poverty, and student learning

The study itself : data method collection and analysis

Urban teachers' teaching practices and ELLs' academic development in th era of high-stakes testing

Achievers among (under) achievers

Academic achievement : whose definition? Mapping the literacy growth of Maria, José and Juan in the era of standardized tests

Conclusion : beyond institutional representation of student academic achievement.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-206) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

ISBN:

9460912354

9460912362

9789460912368

9789460912351

OCLC:

645654013

Publisher Number:

99945723738