Achievement of Southeast Asian Students and its Relation to School Resource Program.
Author(s):
Abramson, Shareen; Lindberg, Gordon
Format:
Report
Publisher:
1985.
Language:
English
Abstract:
A study was made to ascertain the achievement of Hmong refugee children attending elementary school in the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) and to examine relationships of classroom factors and school resource program characteristics to Hmong student achievement. A total of 237 students from 136 first through sixth grade classrooms participated in the study. Measures used to assess students' educational performance included the 1977 California Achievement Tests (CAT) and the Hmong Student Impact Survey (HSIS). Other data were collected regarding students' classrooms and school resource programs. Findings indicate that Hmong refugee children bring important strengths to their new school environments. The social-emotional traits they possess not only facilitate learning and school adjustment, but are also conducive to favorable teacher attitudes. In curriculum areas requiring little proficiency in English, HSIS teacher ratings indicate that Hmong students' achievement is similar to their classmates'. Both HSIS and CAT results indicate that the oral and written language skills of Hmong students require attention. Programs stressing small group instruction and providing individualized attention seem to be most beneficial to reading achievement among the Hmong. While the use of primary language tutors representing home culture has intuitive appeal, this study found no evidence to support this use. (RH)