Standards and Personalization in the Writing of Linguistically Diverse Students

Authors

  • Kerry Anne Enright University of California, Davis Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v6i1.59

Keywords:

adolescent writer, standards, personalization, secondary teaching, linguistically diverse

Abstract

This study examines the interplay between standards and personalization for linguistically diverse adolescents in a year-long Senior (12th grade) Exhibition project in a U.S. public high school. Focal students included a bilingual Mexican-origin immigrant, a transnational bilingual student of Mexican origin, and an English-only adolescent from California, all female. Qualitative data consisted of multiple drafts of each student’s 15–20 page research essay, interviews, writing conferences, and school-based standards documents. Analyses attended to how conceptions of personalization of learning in relation to a major research and writing assignment were operationalized in the experiences of three learners and the consequences of each approach for the student’s attention to standards in her inquiry and writing processes. Findings highlight the normative power of standards in promoting standardization within the current accountability paradigm and the potential of deep personalization to enhance learning around writing.

Author Biography

  • Kerry Anne Enright, University of California, Davis

    Kerry Anne Enright is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Davis. Since earning her Ph.D. from Stanford University, Enright’s research has examined uses of academic language and literacy in secondary classrooms, and the classroom-based language and literacy practices of bilingual and monolingual adolescents. Her research is published in journals such as Written Communication, The Journal of Second Language Writing, TESOL Quarterly, Language and Education, and The American Educational Research Journal.

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Published

2014-06-10

Issue

Section

Research Matters

How to Cite

Enright, K. A. (2014). Standards and Personalization in the Writing of Linguistically Diverse Students. Writing and Pedagogy, 6(1), 59-88. https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v6i1.59

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