"Improving Schooling for Language-Minority Children: A Research Agenda" ed. by Diane August and Kenji Hakuta

The book reviews a broad range of studies–from basic ones on language, literacy, and learning to others in educational settings. This book focuses on this central question, striving toward the construction of a strong and credible knowledge base to inform the activities of those who educate children as well as those who fund and conduct research.


How do we effectively teach children from homes in which a language other than English is spoken?

This comprehensive volume provides perspective on the history of bilingual education in the United States; summarizes relevant research on development of a second language, literacy, and content knowledge; reviews past evaluation studies; explores what we know about effective schools and classrooms for these children; examines research on the education of teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students; critically reviews the system for the collection of education statistics as it relates to this student population; and recommends changes in the infrastructure that supports research on these students.


Contents
Preface
Executive Summary
1 Overview
2 Bilingualism and Second-Language Learning
3 Cognitive Aspects of School Learning: Literacy Development and Content Learning
4 The Social Context of School Learning
5 Student Assessment
6 Program Evaluation
7 Studies of School and Classroom Effectiveness
8 Preparation and Development of Teachers Serving English-Language Learners
9 Estimating Population Parameters
10 Issues Related to the Research Infrastructure
11 Priorities for Research
APPENDIX A The Infrastructure for Research on English- Language Learners and Bilingual Education
APPENDIX B Federal and State Interviews
APPENDIX C Funded Research Activities
APPENDIX D Committee Sources
Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff
Index