Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2014 School Leaders' Perceptions of Caribbean Students' English Language Needs Erica Pike Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University COLLEGE OF EDUCATION This is to certify that the doctoral study by Erica Williams-Pike has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Timothy Lafferty, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Michael Brunn, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Tammy Hoffman, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2014 Abstract School Leaders’ Perceptions of Caribbean Students’ English Language Needs by Erica P. Williams-Pike MS, Walden University, 2004 BS, Nyack College, 2000 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University November 2014 Abstract Although British West Indian Caribbean (BWIC) immigrant students are considered to be English speaking students by U.S. public schools, many of them speak other languages. These students experience hardships and have unique remediation needs that many schools are not providing. The conceptual frameworks that guided this case study were sociocultural theory, acculturation theory, and leadership theory. These theories postulate that culture influences learning, second language acquisition is linked to adapting to a new culture, and leadership is important to implement system-wide changes. Qualitative data included interviews with 6 teachers and 3 administrators who work closely with BWIC students, New York City Department of Education English Language Test results of 512 students, and 26 BWIC student school enrollment forms. Data were analyzed through a coding process to determine emergent patterns and themes. Key findings indicated that participants identified the students’ academic struggles with Standard English and that teachers experiment with various strategies to reach the students. Recommendations include development of identification and remediation programs for BWIC students and additional research on strategies to teach English to these students. Study findings may promote positive social change by encouraging school districts to work with the Caribbean-American community to help increase BWIC student retention rates. School Leaders’ Perceptions of Caribbean Students’ English Language Needs by Erica P. Williams-Pike MS, Walden University, 2004 BS, Nyack College, 2000 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University November 2014 Dedication I dedicate this doctoral study to my family: Rohan Sr., Gabrielle, Rohan Jr., my mom Winnifred, dad Bressford, and my brother Alton and family. A special dedication goes to the British West Indian students whom I taught in Bronx, NY, who inspired me to venture down this road of research. Acknowledgments Thank you to all of the individuals who played an important role in the accomplishment of this doctoral study. First, thank you Dr. Desiderio and Dr. Karin Zotzmann for taking over this case and for helping me find the focus of this study. Dr. Desmond and Dr. Brunn motivated me and believed in this area of study. Dr. Lafferty and Dr. Hoffman, thank you for helping me bring this study to completion. I am grateful for all of your insights. Thanks to my husband, Rohan Pike, Sr., for allowing me the time to focus on this study. You took over the household chores and allowed me the opportunity to focus on completing this research. Thank you so much. Mom, thank you for all of the help with the children. Gabrielle and Rohan Jr. thank you both for being the best children a parent could ask for. You both are fantastic children, which made it easier for me to invest the long hours on the weekend to complete this study. Also, Nash Alexander III, thank you for your support and encouragement. Finally, thank you to the British West Indian students I taught in Bronx, NY. You all evoked a desire in me to help struggling British West Indian immigrant students improve their oral and written use of Standard English. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi Section 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................3 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................4 Specific Research Questions ..........................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................6 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................9 Definitions of Terms ....................................................................................................13 Assumptions of the Researcher ....................................................................................15 Delimitations ................................................................................................................16 Limitations ...................................................................................................................16 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................17 Summary ......................................................................................................................18 Section 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................20 Introduction ..................................................................................................................20 Background on BWIC Immigrants ..............................................................................22 Political Views .............................................................................................................24 Students at Risk............................................................................................................25 Interventions for BWIC Students.................................................................................28 School Leaders’ Perspectives ......................................................................................29 Contributing Factors ....................................................................................................32 i Native English Speakers ..............................................................................................37 Review of Related Research and Literature .................................................................39 Second Language Learners ..........................................................................................39 Minority Language.......................................................................................................40 Mistrusted and Mistreated............................................................................................44 Misjudged ....................................................................................................................46 Educational Issues ........................................................................................................47 Educational Aspects .....................................................................................................50 Socioeconomic Impact .................................................................................................55 Demographic ................................................................................................................56 Literature-Based Description .......................................................................................58 Caribbean English-Based Creoles ................................................................................60 Second-Language Acquisition Theories ......................................................................62 Leadership ....................................................................................................................66 Distributed Leadership .......................................................................................... 66 Transformational Leadership in Education ........................................................... 67 Literature Related to the Method .................................................................................70 Section Summary .........................................................................................................71 Section 3: Research Method