Date of Award
2017
First Advisor
Francisca Oyogoa
Second Advisor
Mileta Roe
Abstract
This thesis is an exploration of Spanish-speaking students and their families in the public school system of Massachusetts. Starting broadly with an overview of immigration history and language policy at the national level, I then narrow my focus to three Massachusetts high schools: East Boston High School, Springfield High School, and Lowell High School. By examining town demographics and achievement trends in conjunction with the town histories, I demonstrate that Spanish is an important language to take into account when writing state and national language policy and creating educational resources for parents (forms, students handbooks, etc.). I finish with several suggestions as to how schools might be able to improve their practices and the broader system.
Recommended Citation
Lienhard, Hannah, "¿Repita, Por Favor? An Exploration of the Challenges Faced by Spanish-speaking Students and Families in Massachusetts" (2017). Senior Theses. 1158.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/sr-theses/1158
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