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With the exception of reading, all the correlations of students'
ratings in English are statistically significant with the oral
language sample ratings. In total English, both speaking and under
standing correlations are statistically significant with total English.
None of the students' ratings in Spanish are statistically correlated
with oral evaluations or total rank scores.
Table 4-17 displays correlations of parents' self-ratings of
language proficiency with rank on oral language proficiency and rank
on total Spanish and English scores. No significant correlations in
English are found between parents' ratings and students' scores.
Statistically significant correlations exist between parents ratings
and students' rank on oral Spanish with speaking and writing. There
is a strong trend toward statistical significance at the .05 level of
confidence for reading. Two of the parents' self-ratings are signif
icantly correlated with students' rank on oral Spanish scores but no
significant correlations are found for rank on total scores.
Discussion of results of students' and parents' surveys
The importance of these surveys derives not only from the answers
which the students and their parents supplied, but also the behavior
which was displayed in completing the surveys. The surveys were given
after students had completed the individual oral language tests. I
had, by that time, talked informally with all the participating
students and observed them in class. The day I administered the survey
I became the teacher for a short period of time. Working as a teacher,
I realized these students were different from any other students with
whom I had ever worked. The students appeared enthusiastic about