Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe how regional occupational program (ROP) teachers integrated English-language arts (ELA) standards into career and technical education (CTE) courses. It describes what motivated them to integrate ELA standards into CTE courses and instructional strategies used to teach English-language arts. Methodology. The qualitative research methodology used for this dissertation was descriptive case study. Teachers participated in interviews and classroom observations. Data collection was accomplished through document investigation, semi-structured interviews, and observations. Data was analyzed by individual cases and variables. Findings. Fifty percent of the teachers were observed teaching ELA standards. All of the participants identified ELA standards that they believed they were teaching. Fifty percent of them were observed teaching to a standard. Twenty percent used a standards-based instruction model to integrate and teach ELA standards. Participants identified the greatest number of ELA standards from the writing domain and the grades nine and ten list of standards. Thirty percent used documents with end-of course outcomes that included ELA standards, none included ELA standards in their course overview, and 20 percent included ELA standards on their lesson plans. All were self-motivated to teach ELA standards, and 70 percent cited awareness that students need academic skills for future success as a motivation factor. Sixty percent did not differentiate between strategies used to teach CTE content and ELA standards. Conclusions. The teachers did not participate in standards implementation training that provided the information and experience necessary to learn how to teach standards using a standards-based instruction model. Unless ROPs adopt a standards-based model and teach academic standards, they will not fully participate as partners with districts in preparing students to achieve the competencies necessary to pass California's standards tests and the future existence of ROPs will be in jeopardy. Recommendations for future research. This study should be replicated with a larger sample of CTE teachers; teachers who are integrating mathematics, science, and social science standards; teachers within the same occupational cluster; teachers who have had the same standards integration staff development; and teachers who teach at occupational centers.