| The Springdale School District has a large concentration of Marshallese students with a current population of 1,579, or 8.39% of the total population. To put this into perspective at the state level, Springdale has more Marshallese students than 188 (71%) Arkansas School Districts have students total in their individual districts. One fact that makes this population different from most other English as a Second Language populations served in American schools, is that they are still in the first generation of numerically significant immigration and cultural assimilation. This study provides an overview of Marshallese cultural, educational and immigration history, the current reality of Marshallese student performance in a Springdale elementary school, and the cultural and social implications of a newly significant ESL population and a school and district's instructional response to meeting the needs of elementary aged Marshallese students. |
