Three filled journals, two jobs, one master's degree, and
four years later, I would like to resume contributions to this blog.
Thankfully, my internet connection in Silicon Valley is better than it was in
India. I have a vision for merging my drive for research with my love for
creative writing, so we will see how this experiment goes... First, I'll
introduce some of the projects I have been working on lately (populations and
organizations anonymized of course). Reflections, ideas, and more failures and
successes to follow...
Linguistic Equity for All? Comparing Educational Language
Policies in Bolivia, Sweden, and the State of California from 1955 to 2013
July, 2015-- Abstract
With the proliferation of an international human rights
dialogue, nations face increasing pressure to incorporate equity into state
education policy. This study uses a comparative textual analysis of education
policies from Bolivia, Sweden, and California (along with United States federal
policies) to understand how these states frame equity for minority language
populations though educational policy. The analysis is guided by world society
theory, and specifically the notion that states strive to incorporate economic
progress and social justice into their policy agendas in order to achieve
equity. Qualitative analyses of education policy from these three countries
reveal that Bolivia and Sweden simultaneously include both economic and justice
perspectives on educational equity for minority language students, while California
uses largely economic justification for English-only policies, and avoids
rights-based language. These findings have important implications for countries
seeking to build inclusive and equitable education systems for linguistically
diverse populations.
Towards a Reading Rwanda: Exploring Sociocultural and
Linguistic Influences on Literacy Development through a Literacy Intervention
May, 2015-- Abstract
A large body of literature suggests that sociocultural and
linguistic factors influence the literacy development of primary school
students. The influence of different sociocultural factors on literacy
development presents numerous challenges for literacy program designers and
implementers, as these programs should be appropriate for and responsive to
local contexts. Our study seeks to evaluate the extent to which a literacy
intervention by a large international non-governmental organization is able to
enhance the early reading skills of primary school students in a northern
district of Rwanda, given varying socioeconomic and linguistic characteristics.
Using the organization's baseline and midline literacy assessment data, we find
significant increases in the reading skills of students from baseline to
midline. Although we find that these increases are not directly attributable to
the intervention, our results indicate that different sociocultural and
linguistic factors—which the intervention does address directly–significantly
predict the reading skills of students. This suggests that consideration of
local context and sociocultural factors should be essential components of
literacy interventions.
Art-based Assessment for Environmental Learning: Pilot Study
Report
August, 2015-- Executive Summary
As part of a research study at Stanford University designed
to evaluate the impact of environmental education on student environmental
behavior and engagement, this pilot of an art-based student assessment was
intended to gauge how such an evaluation might be used within this area of
research. The intended objective of an art-based assessment is to understand
elements of student learning, and of the student nature experience as a whole,
by evaluating students’ pre- and post-activity drawings using a rubric that is
tailored to measure specific educational outcomes. Such a rubric is intended to
qualitatively analyze the extent of students’ learning from the targeted
activity, as well as students’ own perceived connection to nature.
A pilot of this assessment was conducted at an environmental
education campus from July 29−July 31, 2015, during a coastal camping program.
The assessment was piloted with two groups of children aged five to seven. One
group of eight students was assessed before and after an hour of activity in a
tide pool lab. The other group of six students was assessed mid-week, and at
the end of the week, providing a longer period of time in between the pre and
post assessments. The student data provide a foundation for developing this
art-based assessment further, and suggest that art-based evaluation can provide
a unique insight in to student environmental learning.
