Thesis
A qualitative study of English language learners and their families navigating school selection
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Sep 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000948
Abstract
School choice has shaped decades of education policy in the United States, and advocates claim that it can serve as an equalizer, particularly in urban areas where different schools have access to vastly different resources. As the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) continues to grow, primarily concentrated in urban areas, city school districts must find ways to connect these students to educational opportunities that will allow them to learn and thrive. This qualitative study examines ways that ELLs and their families gather information about the many schooling options available to them in a large Northeastern city. Data was collected via interviews with guidance counselors and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers, in one district and one charter school, as well as a district-level professional. Using a thematic analysis method to study the interviews, the researcher found that even as ELLs and their families navigate language and culture barriers, these communities have found their own ways to gather information and choose schools within the urban context. Relying heavily on social networks and information gained from others in their communities, families of ELLs share information about school choice in the city. One implication from the study suggests that in order for school choice to truly provide equitable options for all students in the district, deeper issues of resource allocation (between English speaking students and ELLs, and between district and charter schools) must be addressed.
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Details
- Title
- A qualitative study of English language learners and their families navigating school selection
- Creators
- Sandra Petri
- Contributors
- Vera J. Lee (Advisor)Andrew Zitcer (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- 47 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Strategy; Architecture, Design, and Urbanism; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 991014695243704721