Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Publication Date

9-12-2014

Abstract

This is a qualitative study of four Muslim parents whose ESL children attend an Islamic private school in the American Southwest. The study investigates the preparedness of these Muslim ESL students to meet the Common Core State Standards-based assessments. The focus of the study is the conceptual processes included in the academic skills embedded in the standards. With this in mind, the study provides a detailed analysis of these conceptual processes and an analysis of the conceptual processes available to these Muslim ESL students in their households and in their Islamic Studies textbooks. Next, the study highlights challenges that Muslim ESL students might face with the CCSS-based assessments due to the discrepancies between the conceptual processes included in the CCSS on the one hand, and the conceptual processes available for them in their households and their Islamic Studies textbooks on the other. Finally, the study offers recommendations for assessment consortia who design the CCSS-based assessments about ways they can take into consideration the level of preparedness among Muslim ESL students to meet the conceptual processes of the standards. Similarly, the study recommends ways in which this Islamic private school can consider the needs of their ESL students while assessing their readiness to meet the standards.

Keywords

Common Core State Standards, English Language Learners (ELLs), ELL assessment, Assessment, Muslim students, Islamic Private School, English as a Second Language (ESL)

Sponsors

UNM

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies

First Committee Member (Chair)

Zancanella, Donald

Second Committee Member

Mahn, Holbrook

Third Committee Member

Husain, Altaf

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