Congratulations to Sergio Davila who on Friday, May 16, 2025, successfully defended his final dissertation. The title of Sergio’s dissertation is: "QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS REGENTS REQUIREMENT FOR NEWCOMER HISPANICS TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL."
In this qualitative study, Sergio explored English as a new language (ENL) teacher’s perceptions of the equity of the English language arts (ELA) Regents exam as a graduation requirement for newcomer Hispanic English learners (NHELs) in New York State. Educational equity theory, which emphasizes fairness, inclusivity (Mu et al., 2013), and the removal of barriers that hinder success (Noguera, 2019), underpinned this research. This theory served as a lens to understand graduation requirements affecting NHELs’ ability to attain a high school diploma. Interviews with ENL teachers raised concerns about the fairness of the ELA Regents exam, its impact on the well-being and academic success of NHELs, and its effects on their graduation outcomes. Findings indicated although the ELA Regents exam aims to ensure ELA proficiency, it may not adequately meet the unique needs of NHELs, could exacerbate dropout rates, and may hinder their graduation. The findings suggest alternative assessments are essential to provide NHELs with equitable opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge. Based on these findings, Segio proposes recommendations for future research and policy revisions, including the adoption of assessment strategies that recognize linguistic and cultural challenges faced by NHELs to enhance their educational experiences and success.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Yiping Wan
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dr. Dulce Barker
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