2012 UCEA Convention

Exiting ‘Limited English Proficient’ Status: What School Leaders Need to Know About English Proficiency Reclassification. Madeline Mavrogordato, Vanderbilt University This study investigates the rate at which ELL students exit ‘Limited English Proficient’ status. Using event history analysis, this paper disentangles how English proficiency and achievement tests, student demographics and local schooling context drive the rate of the reclassification process, which may in turn determine how quickly ELLs are granted access to valuable educational resources such as more advanced academic tracks, higher quality teachers and meaningful social networks with peers who are proficient in English.

Exploring School Belonging as a Protective Factor for Economically Disadvantaged Students in the Middle School. Nathern Okilwa, University of Texas at Austin
The cumulative nature of risks related to middle school transition, early adolescence development, and poverty often result in undesirable school outcomes such as grade retention, behavior problems, school dropout, and lower academic achievement. However, protective factors such as school belonging are associated with positive school outcomes including academic motivation, pro-social behavior, school engagement, and better academic achievement. Using ECLS-K 1998/99 data, this study established that school belonging was a significant predictor of 8th grade achievement.

Madrasas or Privately-funded Islamic Faith-based Schools in Mali and Social Justice. Mohomodou Boncana, Georgia Southern University
The study’s purpose is to provide a critical analysis of how Madrassas, as privately-funded, Islamic teaching institutions in Mali, struggle to cope with social injustices as a result of government policies and practices. The researcher intends to demonstrate how these injustices affect Madrassa students regarding their integration into Malian society. This study explores the extent to which the intersection of religion, politics, and schooling in education affects the relationship between policymakers and their constituents.

Students, Families, and Community in Contexts of Homelessness and Residential Instability: Anatomizing the Situation. Peter M. Miller, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Alexandra Pavlakis, University Wisconsin-Madison; Lea Samartino, University Wisconsin-Madison; Alexis Bourgeois, University Wisconsin-Madison
The purpose of this study is to learn about how multiple spaces of homelessness shape families’ educational experiences in order to develop school and community understandings of how to best serve them. The study is relevant considering that not only are more students experiencing homelessness in the U.S. than in any other times in recent memory, but the places in which they are homeless are increasingly diverse.