Publication Date

Fall 2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Advisor

Rebeca Burciaga; Luis Poza; Roberto Renteria; Yolanda Jimenez

Abstract

This qualitative study was twofold. The study began by exploring how educators perceive students who are Long Term English Learners (LTELs) and then moved to an autoethnographic examination of the researcher’s own secondary school experiences as an LTEL. The research reviewed teacher and administrator perceptions by focusing on three high school teachers who taught Long Term English Learners during the study period to understand the reclassification process. The researcher interviewed a district-level administrator to understand institutional policies and procedures that determine LTEL student identification and reclassification processes. The researcher presented their autoethnographic narrative to explore how holistic measures support multilingual learners alongside other students. The research framework incorporated both Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) model and Poza’s (2021) Dignity Frames for English Learner Education (DFELE) approach. The study utilized autoethnographic principles to focus on the experiences of a student who went through the reclassification process while in high school. The SJSU EdD Program supports dissertation research that addresses causes of inequitable outcomes in PK-12 and higher educational institutions through transformative pedagogies, practices, interventions, and curricula that could potentially improve the life chances of all parties in a system (e.g., students, teachers, staff), especially those from minoritized groups.

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