As Minnesota's cultural landscape continues to change, it is important that we recognize the challenges that diversity presents to our communities. Perhaps the most significant adaptation must take place within our education system. It is imperative that teachers and students alike recognize the hurdles that arise from the cultural and language barriers present in today's classrooms.
Dr. Lillian Duran (middle) works with staff at the Faribault Head Start Program to assess the outcomes of Spanish–and English–only classrooms for Spanish speaking preschool children.
Dr. Lillian Duran of the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education and Dr. Daria Paul Dona of the Department of Educational Studies: K–12 and Secondary Programs are working hard to provide successful approaches for bridging the culture gap between today's teachers and students. Both professors are currently working on research that will help ensure success for Minnesota's teachers, students, and school districts as we continue to face an ever–changing population.
Dr. Lillian Duran's research stemmed from her work as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher for the Spanish–speaking population in southern Minnesota. "I was working with so many Spanish speaking children in this area and I wanted to know how to better serve them," explains Duran. "There are currently no special services in place for bilingual preschool children and no one was asking whether this was the best approach for these kids."
In response, Duran implemented a transitional bilingual program at the Faribault Head Start this past fall. A three–year endeavor, the program focuses on assessing the language and literacy learning outcomes of bilingual children. "I'm hoping that the program will help us to better understand if we need native language support to improve school readiness," says Duran.
Two classrooms made up entirely of Spanish speaking children have been established. The first year, only English will be spoken in one classroom and, in the other, only Spanish. The same cohort group will move on to their second year at Head Start and again the students in the English–speaking classroom will speak only English. However, the students in the Spanish–speaking classroom will move on to a classroom in which both English and Spanish are spoken. The third year will be used to track both groups' progress during their year of kindergarten.
Although the pre–test data were collected this fall, time limitations have kept Duran from analyzing and presenting the results. However, her dissertation, which dealt with similar issues in a different Spanish–speaking population, found that students' language performance was low in both Spanish and English and she's curious to see if this trend exists in this population as well. Duran's previous research also highlights the fact that teacher training is critically important, no matter the language. "It's not just about the kids; it's about the teacher as well," says Duran.
Through the Minnesota Teacher Educational Research Consortium (MNTERC), Dr. Daria Paul Dona is researching the various elements of teacher preparation that train students to teach in diverse settings.
Dr. Daria Paul Dona's research focuses on this very idea. Paul Dona is currently a member of the Minnesota Teacher Educational Research Consortium (MNTERC), which is comprised of faculty from Minnesota State Mankato, the University of Minnesota, and the College of St. Catherine. The consortium is making a collaborative effort to research and evaluate the various elements of teacher preparation that train students to teach in diverse settings. "As we look at Minnesota schools, the demography of our state is changing fairly rapidly in terms of the diversity of student bodies," explains Paul Dona. "How well are our teachers prepared to effectively impact the learning of these students?"
The project, Preparing Minnesota Teachers for Diverse Contexts, involves reviewing national research, as well as collecting both qualitative and quantitative primary data. The consortium designed a survey that was given to spring 2006 graduates from the participating institutions who are currently working in the field. In addition, a selected sub–sample of teachers were given phone interviews and shadowed during a day of work.
With data from the first class collected, the consortium is currently focusing on analyzing the data, presenting their results at several educational conferences, and increasing the validity and reliability of the survey before it is given to graduates this spring. "We want to continue to move forward each year with our research," says Paul Dona.
By focusing on the needs of teachers and students, Duran and Paul Dona are explicitly addressing how our educational system will respond to the changing demographics of our communities. The result should be two–fold: teachers who feel confident in their ability to guide their students through their education and students who feel a sense of inclusion and importance in our society. We have an ethical responsibility to ensure that these two goals are met, and Duran and Paul Dona are on the front lines making sure that we do.
