Reading comprehension and attrition in French immersion programs
Subject
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between low achievement in reading comprehension in elementary French immersion schools, and French immersion attrition by the beginning of grade 9 in School District 79 (Cowichan Valley). The number of elementary French immersion students, from six separate cohorts, who achieved a level of “not yet meeting expectations” on the reading portion of the grade 4 Foundations Skills Assessment, were compared to the number of students from the same cohorts who left the French immersion program by the beginning of grade 6 and 9 using a correlational analysis. Similarly, the number of students from the same six cohorts who achieved a level of “not yet meeting expectations” or “minimally meeting expectations” on grade 6 spring DART assessments, were compared to the number of students from the same six cohorts who left the French immersion program by the beginning of grade 9 using a correlational analysis. The results of this study indicate that there appears to be no relationship between reading comprehension and attrition between grades 4 and 9, or grades 6 and 9. However, the correlational data analysis indicates that there is a strong positive relationship between attrition by grade 6 and reading comprehension levels in grade 4.