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A case study: one California high school's commitment to preparing students for a global world

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A case study: one California high school's commitment to preparing students for a global world

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A CASE STUDY:
ONE CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL‟S COMMITMENT
TO PREPARING STUDENTS FOR A GLOBAL WORLD

by

Eryn F. Hoffman

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2011

Copyright 2011 Eryn F. Hoffman
ii
Table of Contents

LIST OF TABLES iv

ABSTRACT v

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1
Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 6
Purpose of the Study 9
Significance of the Study 9
Limitations and Delimitations 10
Definitions 12
Organization of the Remainder of the Study 17

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 18
Introduction 18
History of Globalization in K-12 Education 19
Definition of Globalization and Global Education 23
Factors Driving Global Education 25
Best Practices to Develop Global Competency in Students 41
Summary 60

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 63
Introduction 63
Research Questions 64
Conceptual Model 65
Figure 1: Conceptual Model 65
Research Design 67
Criteria 68
Population and Sample 69
Instrumentation 71
Data Collection 75
Data Analysis 78
Ethical Consideration 79
Summary 79

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS 81
Introduction 81
Research Questions 85
Criteria 85
Methodology 87
Participants 88
iii
Response to Research Questions 89
Emergent Themes 133
Summary 141

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 145
Introduction 145
Purpose, Significance, and Methodology of the Study 146
Themes 148
Conclusions 150
Recommendations 151
Summary 152

BIBLIOGRAPHY 154

APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: DOCUMENT REVIEW INSTRUMENT 162
APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW INSTRUMENT 163
APPENDIX C: SURVEY INSTRUMENT 165
APPENDIX D: OBSERVATION INSTRUMENT 168
APPENDIX E: TRIANGULATION MATRIX 171

iv
List of Tables
Table 1: Survey Questions #1-5 94
Table 2: Survey Questions #6-10 109
Table 3: SAT College Entrance Exam Comparative Results 123
Table 4: Survey Questions # 11-15 125

v
Abstract
Today‟s global society, defined by political interconnectedness, technologically-
based communication, and complexity of cultures, peoples, and perspectives, challenges
K-12 education to prepare students like never before. International benchmarking
assessments and the academic literature indicate the need for American students to
graduate from high school with the ability to think creatively and analytically, to
communicate and empathize with peoples from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and to
apply information across disciplines. Without such skills, Americans will face economic
challenges at both an individual and national level in an international marketplace and
global society.
This dissertation presents a qualitative case study of a California high school
addressing globalization in its curriculum and organizational structure, and the associated
student outcomes. XX High School embraced elements of globalization through its
curricular program that emphasizing problem-solving through environmental
stewardship. Through a well-coordinated and well-planned curriculum, the school
facilitated teacher collaboration in order to provide a truly interdisciplinary and project-
based college-preparatory learning experience for all students. For this school, planning
and collaboration underscored the school‟s program, making it truly global. While the
school diverged from the literature by focusing on environmental sustainability instead of
a multitude of global issues, this emphasis provided abundant opportunity for students to
develop the skills and habits of mind deemed crucial for global competitiveness.
1
Chapter 1: Overview of the Study
Introduction
Our world is global. The ease with which individuals migrate beyond national
boundaries means that Americans will increasingly encounter people who speak different
languages and practice different cultures. Companies produce and market products in
multiple countries. The growing global economy is inherently connected to the
challenges we face in our natural environment. As Thomas Friedman (2008) explained,
as we try to increase everyone‟s standard of living and facilitate the transition from
developing to developed countries, we deplete our natural resources, increase our reliance
on oil, and accelerate climate change. To foster long term prosperity of ourselves, our
planet, and future generations, we must create “tools, strategies, energy sources, and
values that will allow the world as a whole to grow in cleaner, more sustainable ways” (p.
57). In other words, we need globally-cognizant responses to these global challenges.
To meet these demands, American schools must embrace globalization and
prepare students to lead in a global arena. Students must be prepared to think critically,
to solve complex problems, to effectively interact and communicate with diverse
individuals, and to respect the different histories and cultures of other countries.
Competency in world languages is crucial, as it is a basis for mutual understanding
between individuals from different countries (Committee for Economic Development,
2006). Flexibility and problem-solving are also crucial skills in a world of rapidly and
inevitably changing conditions (Achieve, Inc., 2005a; Asia Society, 2008a). Further,
with technological advances diminishing the importance of geographic boarders,
2
American students must compete with those of other nations for jobs. As a result, they
must not only stand out amongst each other, but amongst the world.
Despite these demands that the global society places on the nation‟s education
system, educational researchers and policy-makers conclude that American schools are
failing to prepare globally-minded and –capable graduates. A McKinsey & Co. report
(2009), The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools, asserted that
the U.S. fails to realize the full human potential of its citizens because of the failings of
its K-12 education system. By the fourth grade, many students demonstrate lagging
achievement in fundamental math and reading skills, a powerful indicator of high school
drop-out rates and lower life-time earnings than students in other countries. The report
notes that by the time of high school graduation, American students‟ problem-solving and
critical thinking abilities are on par with students from Portugal and Slovakia, and far
behind more powerful economic competitors like Canada, the Netherlands, Korea, and
Australia (McKinsey, 2009). International benchmarking assessments support McKinsey
& Co.‟s (2009) dismal findings. On the 2006 administration of the Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA), which measured applied learning in math and
science of fifteen-year-olds in thirty industrialized nations, the U.S. ranked twenty-fifth
out of the 30 countries in math and twenty-fourth in science. Though performing slightly
better on the 2007 administration of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS), American fourth graders still scored below those of eight other
industrialized Asian and European nations, and eighth graders‟ results placed them below
five Asian countries and not measurably different from the average eighth-grader in five
3
other countries. In other words, American students lag behind their international peers in
academic preparation.
Researchers suspect that American students‟ comparatively negative academic
achievement has economic repercussions for years to come (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006; Darling-Hammond, 2007; Friedman, 2008; McKinsey, 2009). The
McKinsey report (2009) concludes that the persistence of this global achievement gap, in
which American students perform significantly below those of other developed nations,
imposes on the U.S. the effects of a permanent recession. Had U.S. students performed
comparable to students of nations such as Finland and Korea, the American GDP in 2008
may have been $1.3 trillion to $2.3 trillion higher than it was, representing a 9 to 16%
difference (McKinsey, 2009). Thomas Friedman (2009) recognizes the consequences of
the global achievement gap presented by McKinsey. He argues that the U.S. has “lost its
way in recent years” resulting in society‟s weakening ability and willingness to address
big challenges and “realize our full potential” (p. 56). Instead of preparing students for
highest paying service jobs, American schools emphasize rote learning that transfers into
$12-an-hour jobs (Friedman, 2009). If the U.S. does not “take the lead in solving the
problems of a hot, flat, and crowded planet,” it “is going to lose – big” (McKinsey, 2009,
p. 57).
Technology contributes to the global society, making the impact of the U.S.‟s
disappointing academic performance more serious (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006; Friedman, 2006). Advanced computer systems, email, and the
internet enable distant regions of the world to connect and interact like never before.
4
Transportation is also cheaper and faster than ever before. As a result, corporations scour
the world for the most capable and cost effective employees (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006). Through computer networks, a New York-based company can
manage a service-sector workforce in India, while directing a production plant in
Bangladesh and coordinating the international shipping from factory to markets
worldwide. While U.S. workforce dominated the service-sector and manufacturing
industries in the 1950s and 1960s, this is no longer true (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006). Today, countries like China and India have workers that are better
trained and willing to work for lower wages than their American counterparts
(Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Friedman, 2006). Without a competitive
advantage, American workers increasingly lose job-opportunities as companies outsource
positions to other countries (Friedman, 2006). The skills and abilities of American
workers must, therefore, be competitive with those of the workers of all nations.
The imperative is now – American schools must embrace the values of
globalization in order to prepare students to compete in a global society (Committee for
Economic Development, 2006; Darling-Hammond, 2007; Friedman, 2008; McKinsey &
Co., 2009). Students prepared to compete and lead in a global world need to be
competent in several key areas. First, the challenges of a global society necessitate
individuals adept at higher levels of thinking, particularly analysis and problem-solving
(Darling-Hammond, 2007; Friedman, 2008; McKinsey & Co., 2009). The ever-changing
nature of the world means that workers and leaders must quickly adapt to shifting
demands and mediums. Flexibility is crucial, as is independence and adaptability from
5
one context to another. Next, those who succeed in the global 21
st
century will
effectively communicate with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and regions
(Asia Society, 2008b; Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Darling-Hammond,
2007; Friedman, 2008; McKinsey & Co., 2009). The study of foreign languages
facilitates such understanding, as does multicultural education that fosters empathy (Asia
Society, 2008b; Friedman, 2008). Finally, individuals must have a basic understanding
of international issues, and their causes and consequences. Thus, students need to
become competent in the histories of different regions and the interplay between culture,
religion, politics, and economics (Jackson, 2004; Sanders & Stewart, 2004; Stewart,
2007, 2008). Technology facilitates this new type of learning, by providing students
opportunities to interact with people that are otherwise geographically distant and to
foster problem-solving and critical thinking using a variety of tools (Christensen, 2008).
A 21
st
century, global education, therefore, prepares students to be independent and
empathetic thinkers, with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully compete in an
international marketplace.
Officials at the highest levels of the U.S. government have recognized the need to
revitalize the American education system. Over twenty-years ago, the U.S. Department
of Education warned of the declining relative position of American students in relation to
foreign counterparts in groundbreaking publication, Nation at Risk (National Commission
on Excellence in Education,1983). The report noted that out of 19 academic tests,
American students were never first or second, and were last seven times, among
industrialized countries (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983).
6
Demonstrating the severity of the problem and laying the foundation for a call to action,
the report states:
If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre
educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act
of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves (National
Commission on Excellence in Education,1983, p. 1).

Seemingly heeding the warning of A Nation at Risk (1983), federal, state, and
local reforms sought to reinvigorate the nation‟s K-12 education system. Educators
throughout the country began pressing for articulated student learning goals and
comprehensive assessments of student achievement. President Bill Clinton‟s Goals 2000
(H.R. 1804) Educate American Act (1993) created incentives for schools to identify
content standards and assess student progress. By 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB) replaced Clinton‟s voluntary system of standards-based education. The new
legislation mandated states to develop content standards and public schools to annually
assess student learning towards those standards. However, critics argue that NCLB
(2001) focuses on lower level thinking (memorization) of traditional subject matter
(Wagner, 2008). The higher level skills of analysis and problem-solving that characterize
the global society are left out of NCLB‟s mandates. Further, NCLB (2001) fails to
require competency in world languages, multiculturalism, or international issues.
Statement of the Problem
Given the imperative of preparing students for the challenges of the global 21
st

century and the widespread failure of American schools to respond accordingly, those
schools that do embrace globalization stand as models for 21
st
century education. The
7
Asia Society‟s twenty International Studies schools operate with a shared mission to
develop globally-competent, college-ready high school graduates (Asia Society, 2008a).
The schools all foster student engagement with the rest of the world through an
interdisciplinary and international curriculum, required foreign language study,
opportunities for international travel, and global community service projects. Over 2,800
elementary, middle, and high schools currently offer the International Baccalaureate
Organization‟s curricular model, whose mission is to develop students‟ abilities to live,
learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world (International Baccalaureate Organization,
2008). In addition, scores of other schools, districts, and states are adopting global
programs and practices in order to prepare students.
Nevertheless, there is currently an absence of coordinated policy on global
education. Foreign language offerings vary by school and district and only three states
(Michigan, New Jersey, and New York) require students to take a foreign language in
order to graduate from high school (Dounay, 2007). States‟ content standards tend to
emphasize specific concepts that are easily accessed through standardized exams, rather
than the open-ended problem-solving, flexibility, and creativity demanded of individuals
in the global economy (Wagner, 2008). Further, while NCLB (2001) provides an
incentive for schools to achieve student proficiency in math and reading, the legislation
makes no mention of students‟ global-readiness and leaves states and schools on their
own to develop global education. While states like North Carolina have proposed
curricular reform in order to prepare students to be globally competitive, others, like
8
California and Texas, have done less in this regard (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006; Jackson, 2008; Sanders & Stewart, 2004).
This dissertation recognizes the problem that currently there is no defined
program of global education in American K-12 schools (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006; Jackson, 2008; Sanders & Stewart, 2004). California demonstrates a
unique example of this problem, since the state‟s curriculum frameworks and content
standards make little mention of the impact of globalization. The state‟s stated
educational goal is to support student achievement, with a specific focus on closing
achievement gaps (O‟Connell, 2007). These achievement gaps were defined, by State
Superintendent Jack O‟Connell in his 2007 State of Education Address, as the differences
in achievement among different socio-economic and ethnic groups within the state. No
mention was made of a global achievement gap or the difference in achievement between
California‟s students and the rest of the world (O'Connell, 2007). Thus, California is an
example of an educational system that makes no explicit efforts to incorporate issues of
globalization into its school system. Nevertheless, as the Asia Society and International
Baccalaureate Organization demonstrate, some California schools do seek to integrate
issues of globalization in their program and practices (Asia Society, 2008a; International
Baccalaureate Organization, 2008). However, without state political or economic
leadership, those schools that do address globalization do so through a variety of
definitions and programs. As a result, the scope and impact of global education is
sporadic, unequal, and, often, unstudied (Committee for Economic Development, 2006).

9
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to identify curricular elements and their associated
student outcomes among California schools that address globalization. This dissertation
is one of eight in a thematic dissertation group at the University of Southern California.
Each dissertation studied a unique California school currently embracing globalization in
its programs and practices in order to identify its curricular elements, organization
structures, and perceived student outcomes. Taken together, the eight case studies of this
thematic dissertation group provided a basis for understanding the nature of global
education as it exists in California schools.
The thematic dissertation group worked together to develop three shared research
questions to shape each researcher‟s case study. These questions guide the research in
order to best understand the nature and perceived outcomes of global education. The
research questions were:
1. What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
2. What organization structures support globalization in California schools?
3. What perceived student behaviors and outcomes are associated with schools
embracing globalization?
Significance of the Study
The challenges and opportunities of the 21
st
century necessitate that students are
prepared with both knowledge and skills to interact with an increasingly international,
diverse, and complex environment (Darling-Hammond, 2007; Friedman, 2008).
However, without a coordinated national or state policy on global education in K-12
10
schools, California schools have applied varied strategies and programs to respond to the
broader issue of globalization and student outcomes from such strategies and programs
have largely been unstudied.
This study will contribute to the current literature on globalization and education
by studying the curriculum, organizational structure, and associated student outcomes of
a school that has implemented a global education program. The observations and
conclusions made through the qualitative case study may be used as a catalyst to assist
other schools as they move towards preparing students for globalization.
Limitations and Delimitations
Limitations
The limitations of this study refer to conditions that are beyond the control of the
researcher. Limitations are important as they address the issue of internal validity and the
basis for the researcher‟s inferences made from the study (Creswell, 2003). Several
important limitations to this qualitative study exist, all of which are inherent in the nature
of a case study. First, the researcher‟s access to the school, the subject of the study,
exists only at the will and convenience of the school‟s leadership. Although the
researcher took care in planning the visit and selecting days and events that would
represent the school‟s normal course of business, the school‟s principal ultimately
determined when and where the researcher visited. Secondly, the researcher had no
control over the truthfulness or accuracy of the information provided through the
interviews, faculty survey, document review, and observations. In fact, the researcher
accepted the information gathered through the data-collection process as truthful and
11
accurate, and used that information as the basis for the study‟s discussion and
conclusions, presented in Chapters Four and Five. Finally, this qualitative case study was
limited by place and time. Since the document review, faculty survey, observations and
interviews occurred over a short period of time in the Fall of 2011 at one particular
school, the inferences drawn from the study are unique to that school at that time. The
conclusions drawn, therefore, may not be able to be generalized to other places and other
periods of time.
To address these limitations, all efforts were made to triangulate the data-
collection process. Triangulation enabled the researcher to check and verify observations
through multiple methods and sources of data-collection (Creswell, 2003). This multi-
faceted investigational strategy reduced the likelihood that the researcher‟s findings were
the result of chance, bias, or error and enhanced the study‟s internal validity.
Delimitations
Despite the limitations of the study, the researcher developed delimitations to
limit the extent of the study‟s external validity (Creswell, 2003). Before selecting the
school that would serve as the subject of the case study, the researcher developed school
selection criteria. The criteria represented the fundamental characteristics of K-12
schools embracing globalization represented in the scholarly literature review. The
thematic group, using the educational literature on the topic, identified several
characteristics of California schools embracing globalization. The programmatic
overviews highlighted in the research of the Asia Society (2008a), the International
Baccalaureate Organization (2008), Stewart (2007), as well as the economic analyses of
12
education from Carnevale & Desrochers (2003) and the Committee for Economic
Development (2006) emphasized factors characteristic of globally-relevant educational
programs. These criteria, then, became the basis for the school selection process and
served delimitations of this study. The criteria identified were:
A California elementary or secondary school;
The issue of globalization must be present in the school‟s mission and/or vision
statement, or purpose;
The school must
o Use technology an instructional learning tool;
o Include foreign language skills;
o Seek to develop students‟ levels of problem-solving and critical thinking;
o Include global issues, international content, and multiculturalism;
o Embrace international programs, including, but not limited to student
travel opportunities, international partnerships, programs such as Model
United Nations or global service learning.
Using the school selection criteria enhances external validity by limiting the ability to
generalize the conclusions of this study to only schools that share these characteristics.
Definitions
This dissertation uses the following terms. To ensure clarity for the reader and
consistency throughout, all terms are defined below.
Academic Performance Index (API):The Academic Performance Index
derives from California‟s Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 (PSAA).
13
The purpose of the AP is to measure the academic performance and growth of
schools. It is a numeric index (or scale) that ranges from a low of 200 to a
high of 1000. A school‟s score on the API serves as an indicator of its
performance level. The statewide API performance target for all schools is
800. A school‟s growth is measured by how the extent to which it moves
toward or past that goal (California Department of Education, 2009).
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP): The federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Act of 2001 requires that California implement a system to evaluate the
progress of public schools, districts, and county offices of education towards
achieving 100% student proficiency in key subject areas. AYP criteria
encompass four areas: participation rate, percent proficient, API, and
graduation rate (California Department of Education, 2009).
California Standards Test (CST): The California Standards Test evaluate
students‟ proficiency in the areas of English-language arts, mathematics,
science, and history-social science. They are developed under the supervision
of the California Department of Education and are administered only to
students in California public schools. Except for a writing component of
fourth and seventh grade English-language arts tests, all questions on the
CSTs are represented in an objective multiple choice format. These tests were
developed in order to assess students‟ performance on California‟s Academic
Content Standards. The State Board of Education adopted these standards that
14
specify what all California children are expected to know and to demonstrate
in each grade (California Department of Education, 2009).
Civil Rights Act of 1964: Signed into law by President Lyndon John on July 2,
1964, this act prohibits discrimination in public places, provides for the
integration of schools and other public facilities, and makes employment
discrimination illegal (U.S. Congress, 1964).
English Learner (EL): English Learner is defined as a student who is in the
process of acquiring English and has a first language other than English. It
also include a status of reclassified-fluent-English-proficient (RFEP) student,
who has scored below proficient on the CST in English-language arts for three
years (California Department of Education, 2009).
Goals 2000 (H.R. 1804) Educate American Act: This act was signed into law
by President Bill Clinton in March 1994. The legislation encouraged each
state to set its own content standards. The act built upon the National
Governors' Association‟s adoption in 1990 of six national goals designed to
boost student achievement by the year 2000. The goals were developed by the
governors in consultation with the White House, and were based on a plan
developed at a 1989 education summit that included then President George
Bush and the nation's governors. The final law included two additional goal,
set by President Clinton, that addressed teacher training and the role of parents
in a child‟s education. each state to set its own competency standards in lieu
of a single set of national standards.
15
Growth Targets: Schools must meet their annual school wide API growth
target, as well as API growth targets, for each numerically significant
subgroup, which includes ethnic/racial, socio-economically disadvantaged,
English Learner, and students with disabilities. If the school‟s (or subgroup‟s)
API is between 200 and 690, the growth target is five percent of the difference
between the school‟s (or subgroup‟s) API and the statewide performance
target of 800. If the school‟s (or subgroup‟s) API is between 796 and 799, the
growth is determined through a calculation based on the difference between
the API and 800. If the school‟s (or subgroup‟s) API is 800 or more, the
school (or subgroup) must maintain an API of at least 800 (California
Department of Education, 2009).
International Baccalaureate (IB): The International Baccalaureate program
includes three curricular models designed for the elementary, middle, and high
school levels. Founded by the International Baccalaureate Organization in
1968 in Geneva, Switzerland, the IB curriculum reflects the organization‟s
mission of promoting intercultural understanding and respect through
international education and assessment (International Baccalaureate
Organization, 2010).
National School Lunch Program: The National School Lunch Program is a
federally-funded meal assistance program operating in over 100,000 public
and non-profit private schools and residential child-care institutions. It
provides funding for nutritionally-balanced low-cost or free lunches to
16
children each school day. The program was established under the National
School Lunch Act, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946
(United States Department of Agriculture, 2009).
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB): The No Child Left Behind Act is
most current federal legislation overseeing public education throughout the
United States. It requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be
given to all students in certain grades as a condition to continue receiving
federal funding for schools. The Act does not set national achievement
standards; standards are set by each individual state. The Act does mandate
that each state demonstrates 100% student proficiency in reading and
mathematics by 2014 (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 2001).
School Accountability Report Card (SARC): In November 1988, California
voters passed Proposition 98, also known as The Classroom Instructional
Improvement and Accountability Act. This ballot initiative provides
California‟s public schools with a stable source of funding separate from local
property tax revenue. Under this act, all public schools in California are
required to prepare and to disseminate to the public a SARC annually. The
SARC includes information based on the API and AYP and is intended to
provide the public with information about school performance (California
Department of Education, 2009).
Socio-economic Disadvantaged (SED): Socio-economically disadvantaged a
student status that indicates that the students‟ parents have not received a high
17
school diploma OR that the student participates in the free or reduced-price
lunch program, administered under the National School Lunch Program
(California Department of Education, 2009).
Organization of the Remainder of the Study
The remainder of this dissertation will be divided as follows. Chapter Two,
Literature Review, will provide a thorough review of the most important scholarship on
the characteristics and best practices of schools embracing globalization. Chapter Three,
Research Methodology, will explain the methodology and the research design used in this
qualitative case study of a California school integrating issues of globalization. Chapter
Four, Discussion of Findings, will summarize and discuss the key findings of the case
study in response to the three research questions. Finally, Chapter Five, Conclusions,
will apply what the researcher learned from this dissertation to the findings of the other
case studies in the thematic dissertation group and the conclusions from the literature
review in order to draw broad conclusions about shared characteristics of California
schools addressing globalization in their program and practices.
18
Chapter Two: Literature Review
Introduction
In 1903, W.E.B. DuBois declared that the problem of the 20th century would be
the problem of the “color line” (1903, p. 24). As such, issues of race and, particularly,
the interaction among different races would challenge and reshape existing political and
social structures. While DuBois (1903) was referring to relations between African
American and whites within the United States, his words were prophetic. In the global
world of the 21
st
century, the problem of the „color line‟ can also refer to the breakdown
of national and social boundaries, increasing confrontation, interaction, and
interdependence of different regions, peoples, and cultures. Education must respond by
embracing globalism and preparing students to compete in and lead a global society.
This chapter will examine the existing literature on globalization as a component
of K-12 education in three sections. First, an overview of policies that have affected
education since the post World War II period will analyze the United Nation‟s
educational recommendations (1945) and U.S. legislation and policy beginning with the
Civil Rights Act (1964) and continuing through the implementation of NCLB (2001).
This brief background of the history of globalization in K-12 education will illuminate
the growing, albeit limited, focus on global issues and goals in American schools over the
last several decades (Crum, 1992). Second, the social and economic analyses of
education from Carnevale and Desroches (2003), Achieve, Inc. (2005b), and Suárez-
Orozco (2001) and American students‟ performance on international benchmark exams
(Gonzales et al., 2008; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2007)
19
will provide the theoretical and practical justification for a shift in educational
programming toward global issues. Finally, a review of the best practices, as identified
by the Asia Society (2008a, 2008b), Darling-Hammond (2007), Jackson (2008), Stewart
(2007), and Wager (2008) will highlight the practices and programs that successful
schools currently use to promote global competency in students.
History of Globalization in K-12 Education
The idea of steering educational processes and practices to address the issues and
challenges of globalism has gradually developed throughout the second half of the 20
th

century, though never has it been more powerful than today. With the formation of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1945,
“education for international understanding” became a mode to achieving world peace. In
its curricular proposals distributed to member states, UNESCO suggested that a global
education should provide knowledge of other countries and cultures in order to foster
human morality and to promote friendly relations between peoples and nations (Fujikane,
2003). Though UNESCO‟s involvement never went beyond the advisory stage, its
formation and presence indicates an early recognition of the pertinence of global
awareness and competency in preparing students for the future.
Social and political developments in the 1960s and 1970s further expanded
American education to become more global. By the end of the 1960s, American
education had grown to incorporate issues of multiculturalism, spawned by the Civil
Rights movement and the 1964 Civil Rights Act (U.S. Congress, 1964). Teacher
education programs and curricular materials focused on the growing cultural and racial
20
pluralism of the United States. However, the movement tended to focus on
multiculturalism within the country, rather than global multiculturalism and diversity
(Crum, 1982; Fujikane, 2003). With international events such as the Vietnam War and
the nuclear arms race, educational experts in the 1970s began criticizing the ethno-centric
and nationalistic curricula and pedagogy that defined the Cold War years (Fujikane,
2003). Educators and policy makers called for global education to emphasize global
perspective, aiming at mutual understanding among different groups (Fujikane, 2003).
From 1977 to 1981, under the Carter Administration, Secretary of Education Shirley
Hufstedler reorganized the Department of Education by upgrading the International
Education Office, which provided guidance to states‟ educational programs (Crum,
1982). Nevertheless, the Secretary of Education‟s efforts failed to lead to widespread
integration of international issues in American classrooms (Crum, 1982).
By the 1980s, the driving force behind the global education movement shifted
from the social/political arena, to the corporate one, as economic and policy leaders
argued for education as a way for the U.S. to compete in an international economic arena
(Fujikane, 2003). While conservative politicians criticized global education for
furthering ambiguous and liberal goals, such as ethnic/racial minority interests and
affirmative action, private companies and foundations invested in education in order to
gain a competitive edge. With resources from economically-oriented foundations like
Rockefeller and Ford and corporations such as Coca-Cola, the purpose of global
education shifted from increasing multiculturalism to maximizing one‟s competitive
advantage in the economic realm (Fujikane, 2003). Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of
21
Education‟s A Nation at Risk (1983) found that American students scored significantly
lower than their international counterparts, ranking last in seven out of 19 test areas, and
never ranking first or second (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983).
The report concluded that the American educational curriculum had been diluted and
diffused to the extent that students graduated from high school without basic academic
skills (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983). The report‟s
conclusions alarmed national leaders, who feared that reduced student achievement
would ultimately threaten the country‟s worldwide economic superiority.
In the wake of the A Nation at Risk (1983), the U.S. education system moved
toward standards-based education. Proponents of the standards movement argued that
clearly articulated and regularly assessed learning goals would ensure that all students
were minimally prepared for the workplace to ensure that the U.S. would remain
competitive with other countries (Fujikane, 2003). President Bill Clinton‟s Goals 2000
(H.R. 1804) Educate American Act (1993) challenged schools to identify content
standards and assess student progress and provided the foundation for No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) legislation. NCLB (2001) went further than Goals 2000 by mandating
that every public school implement standards and annually assess student progress
toward those standards, with the goal of reaching 100% student proficiency in math and
reading by 2014. The legislation included a punitive system of accountability whereby
schools risked losing federal funding and autonomy if they fell behind. Notably, NCLB‟s
(2001) mandates focus on the traditional disciplinary domains, with particular attention to
math and reading, and do not require that students demonstrate mastery in global
22
knowledge or world languages. As such, some critics claim that the high-stakes
standards-based movement undermines global education (Wagner, 2008).
Today, states throughout the country embrace objectives such as „global
citizenship‟ and „international awareness‟ in their educational policies (Achieve, Inc.,
2005a; Asia Society, 2008a). The Department of Education in North Carolina created a
task force of 100 educators, business leaders, lawmakers to determine the most effective
implementation of global issues and skills in the state‟s schools (North Carolina
Department of Public Instruction, 2008). The task force worked with the Department of
Public Instruction to revise the state‟s K-12 curriculum with a fundamental purpose of
preparing students for a global workplace and society. The resulting Standard Course of
Study promotes a flexible, integrated curriculum that “mirrors the world in which we
live” and critical, problem-solving skills (North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction, 2008). Likewise,Colorado‟s Department of Education has launched an
Advisory Board that will investigate methods of infusing globally-relevant skills and
content into the state curriculum. The group has proposed a math and science residential
high school to reinforce the state‟s capacity for global competitiveness. Other proposals
include expanding the state‟s use of the International Baccalaureate program, using
international benchmarking to drive state instructional goals, and tailoring the curriculum
to emphasize student creativity (Jones, 2009).
Beyond state initiatives, private investment is supporting this trend towards global
education (Asia Society, 2008a). The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested
$7.5 million in K-12 urban schools with a global focus. Since 2003, the Goldman Sachs
23
Prize for Excellence in International Education, in partnership with the Asia Society, has
recognized schools for innovation in international education in the United States (Asia
Society, 2008a). Nevertheless, coordinated policy and action toward globalization in
education has yet to be made. While a handful of states and organizations are taking
steps to institutionalize global issues in the curricula, there is no national mandate for
such action (Sanders & Stewart, 2004). Without a defined national policy to guide the
analysis of this dissertation, the next section of this chapter will develop a definition of
globalization as it relates to education using the research of Asia Society (2008a),
Gibson, Rimmington, & Landwehr-Brown (2008), Reimers (2004), Rothenberg (2003),
and Suárez-Orozco & Qin-Hilliard, 2004).
Definition of Globalization and Global Education
Though a common definition of globalization does not exist throughout the
scholarly literature, researchers tend to agree that it is the result of the rapid movement of
people, goods, and ideas across borders and among societies (Suárez-Orozco & Qin-
Hilliard, 2004). It refers to the connectivity between countries and people because of
increasingly multinational and transnational economies, social issues and technology
(Asia Society, 2008a).
Globalization directly impacts education and schools, setting new demands for
learning objectives and student outcomes. To compete in a global economy, to debate
and address global problems, and to effectively engage with a global citizenry,
individuals must be competent in a range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Friedman,
2006, 2008). Yet, researchers, theorists, and educators differ about the exact nature of
24
these global competencies. For example, Reimers (2009) defined global education as on
that develops (1) knowledge/skills to understand the world, (2) skills to integrate across
disciplines, (3) intellect to address diverse issues respectfully. Another interpretation of
global education emphasizes the values of people and cultures throughout the world,
focusing on interactions and the integration of diverse people, companies, and
governments (Rothenberg, 2003). While both Reimers (2009) and Rothenberg (2003)
agree on the need for education to incorporate international points of view, Reimers‟
characterization of global education stems from international content knowledge while
Rothenberg supports more values-based attitudes of respect and understanding.
Nevertheless, the definition put forth by Sanders and Stewart (2004) best
encompasses the goals and purposes of global education expressed throughout the
literature. This definition builds on Reimers‟ (2009) emphasis on international content
knowledge, while including more general interpersonal relations and communication
between individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. Accordingly, a global
education should focus on
developing a citizenry and work force knowledgeable about world regions,
cultures, and international issues; preparing experts and leaders in business,
politics, and all major professional fields who are capable of addressing
international opportunities and challenges; increasing the ability of our citizens to
communicate in languages other than English; connecting young people in the
U.S. with young people in other countries so that they can learn to build their
common future (Sanders & Stewart, 2004, p. 201).

The understanding of global education presented by Sanders and Stewart (2004)
best incorporates researchers‟ focus on tailoring the educational process to the demands
of a multifaceted global community and using schools for a transnational purpose of
25
human betterment that relies on engagement with that global community. It represents
the 21
st
century educational demands of global citizenship, in which students learn to
participate as members of a global world, using knowledge, skills, and attitudes to
address issues arising from increased interconnectedness and interdependence (Gibson,
Rimmington, & Landwehr-Brown, 2008).
Factors Driving Global Education
Globalization defines our lives and our futures. Governments face challenges like
global warming, immigration and emigration, and international conflict that require
solutions extending beyond political boundaries (Friedman, 2008). Corporations harvest
resources on one continent, manufacture goods on another, and market and sell their
finished products throughout the world. Citizens engage with others who speak different
languages, practice different religions, and adhere to diverse cultural norms. National
security has also become an international issue, as countries can no longer seek refuge
within their own borders, but must engage with the world and find commonalities across
regions and cultures (Friedman, 2008). Technology increases the frequency and intensity
of global interactions, by deconstructing what once were physical boundaries and
accelerating the process of communication and association among different places and
peoples (Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Friedman, 2008).
Due to the increasingly global nature of the 21
st
century world, American schools
must prepare students to, in the words of the Asia Society, “compete, connect, and
cooperate” on an international level (2008a, p. 4). As Tony Wagner (2008) explains after
interviewing hundreds of corporate and educational leaders, not only must students learn
26
traditional skills such as reading, writing, and math, but they must become adept in
transferring their knowledge to unpredictable and unforeseeable situations. Students
must be skilled in higher level thinking in order to problem-solve, critically analyze, and
evaluate competing ideas. They must be innovative and adaptable to the latest
technology and organizational structures. The abilities to communicate effectively and
empathize with people from different cultures are also important, as global interactions
become more frequent and complex. However, our schools currently fail to adequately
prepare our students for these new global demands (Friedman, 2008; Suárez-Orozco,
2001; Wagner, 2008). Rather than preparing students to engage in a linguistically diverse
world, most schools mandate English as the only language-related graduation
requirement (California Department of Education, 2009; Suárez-Orozco, 2001). Instead
of focusing on the abstract thinking and collaborative learning competencies that a global
economy demands, American high schools emphasize performance-based outcomes
measureable by standardized assessments in traditional disciplines (Friedman, 2008;
Wagner, 2008).
American Students Fare Poorly on International Benchmarks
American students‟ comparatively low performance on international math,
science, and reading assessments provides a compelling rationale to infuse a globally-
relevant curriculum into American K-12 education (Gonzales et al., 2008; Darling-
Hammond 2007). As the results from a variety of international benchmarking exams
indicate, American students lack the knowledge and skills to compete with and lead the
rest of the world. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
27
is an international comparison assessment that has been administered four times since its
initial administration in 1995 (Gonzales et al., 2008). In 2007, the most recent TIMSS
administration, 58 countries participated in the assessment at the fourth- or eighth-grade
level. The results indicated that U.S. fourth-graders scored 529 and eighth-graders
scored 508, on average, in mathematics, slightly higher than the TIMSS international
average of 500 for both levels. Although U.S. fourth-graders outperformed 23 of the
other 35 countries, they were still lower than eight countries (all of which are in Asia or
Europe), and not markedly different than four other countries. For U.S. eighth-graders,
the situation is similar. Although eighth-graders outscored 37 of the 47 participating
countries, they were lower than five countries (all of them in Asia) and not measurably
different from the average eighth-grade scores in the remaining five countries.
The results for the science component of the TIMSS study were comparable to
those of the math section (Gonzales et al., 2008). While the average scores for U.S.
fourth- and eighth-graders were above the study‟s average scaled scores (539 and 520
respectively, compared to the TIMSS scaled average of 500), the results suggest that
American students still lag behind students from other nations. The average U.S. fourth-
grade science score was higher than those in 25 of the 35 other countries, but lower than
in four Asian countries. Meanwhile, the average U.S. eighth-grade science score was
higher than those in 35 of the 47 other countries, but lower than in nine countries (all of
them in Asia or Europe). These scores indicate that though American students are
receiving a minimal level of preparation in crucial skills, they lag behind those from other
industrialized nations (Gonzales et al., 2008).
28
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) (2007), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) presents even
more dismal results for the relative position of American students. PISA is a triennial
survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds. Using content developed by
participating countries, the test aims to develop comparisons of student performance
across countries. In 2006, the most recent test administration, 400,000 students from 57
participating countries took part, representing almost 90% of the world economy. From
these students‟ results, nationally representative samples were drawn, representing more
than 20 million students. Based on the 2006 PISA science scale, Finland, with an
average of 563 score points, was the highest-performing country. Six other high-scoring
countries had mean scores of 530 to 542 points: Canada, Japan and New Zealand and the
partner countries/economies Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei and Estonia. Australia,
the Netherlands, Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic,
Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Ireland, and the partner countries/economies
Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Macao-China also scored above the OECD average of 500
score points. The United States ranked 36 of the 57 countries in science, with a mean
score of 489 (below the OECD average). In mathematics, the U.S. ranked 35 out of the
57 countries, with a mean score of 474, 26 points below the OECD average (OECD
Publishing, 2007).
In addition to these two international benchmarking exams, other indicators also
suggest that American schools are not developing the most-prepared and capable students
for the global world. According to the OECD, the U.S. ranks 16
th
out of 20 industrialized
29
countries for high school graduation rate. Further, although the U.S. has one of the
highest college enrollment rates in the world, its college graduation rate is equal or below
that of other developed countries (Achieve, Inc., 2005a). The American public education
system does not provide students with the fundamental skills needed to effectively
compete with the rest of the world in a global economy (Achieve, Inc., 2005a; Carnevale
& Desroches, 2003; Darling-Hammond, 2007).
Economic Consequences
Researchers such as Anthony Carnevale and Donna Desroches (2003) and Linda
Darling-Hammond (2007) and the policy research organization Achieve, Inc. (2005b)
have interpreted American students‟ comparative dismal performance on international
benchmarking exams to have both individual and national economic importance.
Without skills on par with students from other developed countries, scholars warn that the
highest paying jobs will become increasingly out of reach for Americans in a global labor
market (Achieve, Inc., 2005a; Carnevale & Desroches, 2003; Darling-Hammond, 2007).
Further, as Carnevale & Desrochers (2003) found, an American economy comprised of
less skilled workers will have a national impact, as the U.S. finds it increasingly difficult
to keep up with and lead the world. In a global economy based on technical advancement
and innovation, the U.S. economy will continue to grow only if its workers are adept at
adapting to continually changing consumer demands and incessantly increasing consumer
expectations (Carnevale & Desroches, 2003). Without a global education in K-12
schools, the U.S. economy and American workers will suffer (Carnevale & Desroches,
2003).
30
First, American high school students lack the essential skills to successfully
compete with their peers from other industrialized nations and may face increasingly
diminishing economic opportunities. The educational requirements for employment are
more strenuous than ever, in part due to the increasing interconnectedness of national
economies, the changing role of technology in the development and delivery goods and
services, and the ever-evolving demands of culturally and geographically diverse
consumers (Carnevale & Desroches, 2003). In a study of workplace demands and
employer expectations, economists Carnevale and Desroches (2003) found that most
categories of employment today require more education and skills than they did 30 years
ago. While in 1970, only 37% of office workers reported having attended college, today
more than 60% do, and the proportion with a bachelor‟s degree has almost doubled from
20% to 38%. Even 31% of factory workers, a group historically considered to be
unskilled, have some higher education, compared with only 8% three decades ago
(Carnevale & Desroches, 2003). However, Darling-Hammond (2007) notes that less than
30% of the average age cohort in the U.S. earns a college degree. The situation is even
more serious for minorities. Only 17% of African Americans and 11% of Hispanics
between the ages of 25 – 29 have earned a college degree in 2005 (Darling-Hammond,
2007). This translates into a barrier for minority students, and the majority of American
students as a whole, to enter the workplace, especially as international workers
demonstrate more education and skills.
Not only is a college education more important than ever in the labor market, but
the types of skills that employers demand has changed as a result of the 21
st
century
31
economy, even though public education generally has remained static (Carnevale &
Desroches, 2003). In their analysis of the relationship between public education and the
global economy, Carnevale and Desroches (2003) described an economy radically
different than what has ever existed before. Due to global competition and increasing
wealth, individuals increasingly seek quality, variety, customization, novelty, and speed
in products and services. No longer satisfied with mass produced, cheap goods,
consumers have driven an old, manufacturing-based economy into a knowledge and
service-based system (Carnevale & Desroches, 2003). Businesses now invest in flexible
technologies and organizational structures that require fewer, but more highly skilled
employees that can respond to ever-changing and ever more global consumer tastes. As
such, Carnevale and Desroches (2003) concluded that while employees in the 1970s
needed skills such as accuracy, precision, and efficiency, those of the 21
st
century must
be able to problem-solve, relate interpersonally, and demonstrate positive attitude skills
that can adapt to changing environments. In other words, the entire nature of work has
changed.
Free and widespread trade places further demands on American workers,
requiring them to be ever more capable than the rest of the world. No longer are
corporations forced to hire American workers to build goods or American engineers to
develop new products. As Thomas Friedman (2006) argues in his seminal work, The
World is Flat(2006), the ease of outsourcing and international trade enables corporations
to search the globe to find the most productive and efficient workers to fill their ranks.
No longer are Americans simply competing with each other for jobs; they are now
32
competing with the entire world. In his subsequent work, Hot, Flat, and Crowded,
Friedman (2008) asserts that those individuals able to innovate and to tackle issues
related to global warming, international economics, and a growing world-wide middle
class (i.e. a consumer-based class) will dominate the labor market and the possession of
wealth.
The skills demanded of leaders and workers in the 21
st
century world are more
abstract, transferable, and analytical than ever before. After interviews with business
leaders throughout the world, Tony Wagner (2008) affirmed the findings of Carnevale
and Desroches (2003) and concluded that the global society requires individuals able to
think critically and problem solve. Instead of just memorizing and reciting information,
those who emerge successful will be able to collaborate across diverse networks, adapt to
new situations, find links between the past, the present, and the future, and communicate
effectively to find real solutions (Wagner, 2008). Collaboration, adaptation, and liking
information involve higher level thinking skills than what American school typically
emphasizes and what state standards demand (Wagner, 2008).
In its National Education Summit on High Schools Report, Achieve, Inc. (2005a)
studied American school curriculum and instruction, as well as student performance,
concluding that high school graduates are unprepared for the workforce or college.
Achieve, Inc. (2005a) finds students‟ low performance in key areas of problem solving,
abstract analysis, and critical thinking particularly alarming. Based on a study of 1,500
high school graduates, 400 employers, and 300 college instructors, the organization
observed a chronic failure in American high schools to prepare students for college and
33
21
st
century careers (Achieve, Inc., 2005a). The organization found that two out of five
recent high school graduates had significant gaps between the education they received
and the overall skills, abilities and work habits expected of them in entry level jobs.
Some of the largest areas of deficiency were in oral communication, science preparation,
mathematics skills, and research ability. Only 18% of employers in the study said that
high school graduates without further education would have the skills necessary to
advance in their company (Achieve, Inc., 2005b).
Further, employers noted significant dissatisfaction with the performance of high
school graduates in the workforce. In another study of high school graduates and
employers sponsored by Achieve, Inc. (2005b), 41% of employers reported that graduates
lacked the ability to read and understand complicated materials; 42% said that the
graduates lacked fundamental analytical skills; 39% stated that the graduates could not
apply what they learn to real-world problems (Achieve, Inc., 2005b). This signals a
challenge for American workers in the global workforce, where communication,
analytical, and application skills are crucial. Such unprepared workers will struggle in an
increasingly global economy and find themselves shut out of the most challenging and
well-paid positions (Achieve, Inc., 2005b).
Other research confirms the conclusions of Achieve, Inc. (2005b) that American
students may face challenges in the global workplace due to lack of educational
preparation. Anthony Jackson (2004), executive director of the Asia Society
International Studies Schools Network, observes incongruence between high school
curricular content and the demands of the 21
st
century workplace. While the former
34
emphasizes mastery of defined, factual information assessed through standardized exams,
the later requires flexibility, creativity, and intercultural competency to effectively handle
changing technology and the global economy. In her study of American students‟
readiness for college and employment, Linda Darling-Hammond (2007) argues that high
school graduates will be unable to compete with the rest of the world since they lack the
essential skills for the 21
st
century workplace. She notes that while the demands of the
workplace have increased, the number of high school students graduating with a standard
diploma in 2000 was eight percent lower (69%) than in 1969 (77%). The discrepancy
between workplace demands and American workers‟ education levels and skills leaves
American employers searching the overseas labor markets for qualified workers, leaving
American workers in the lowest skilled positions or unemployed (Carnevale &
Desrochers, 2003).
Without the skills needed for the highest paying jobs, and with companies‟
increased access to a global labor market, Carnevale and Desroches (2003) warn that
Americans may face diminished standards of living while their foreign counterparts enjoy
economic advantage. The majority of high-paying jobs in the 21
st
century will be in the
knowledge-service sector, with unskilled, factory and natural resource (mining,
agriculture) jobs declining in absolute number of jobs, share of the economy, and wages
(Carnevale & Desrochers, 2003). The authors explain that from 1959 to 2001, the share
of factory jobs in the U.S. economy fell from 32 to 17% of all jobs, meaning that 21
million fewer factory jobs existed in 2001 than 40 years earlier (Carnevale & Desrochers,
2003). Among workers with the same level of education, those with the highest levels of
35
problem solving skill levels earn the most. Even college-educated workers employed in
typically high-school level jobs earn more than their co-workers with only a high school
education, suggesting that they are more productive workers (Carnevale & Desrochers,
2003). If the U.S. continues to fall behind the rest of the world in education, American
workers will experience fewer economic opportunities and a lower standard of living.
Notably, there are positive aspects of the U.S. education system and the economy.
According to a variety of indicators and measures, the U.S. currently dominates the world
economy, with a GDP of $14 trillion, first among any nation and second only to the
European Union (Central Intelligence Agency, 2009). This GDP translates into an
average per capita income just over $47,000, among the highest in the world (Central
Intelligence Agency, 2009). In non-monetary terms, the U.S. consistently leads the world
in number of Nobel laureates, its colleges and universities attract the brightest students
from throughout the world, and American corporations still lead in innovation, producing
products such as the iPod that have become staples of any developed nation‟s society
(Yong, 2009). However, researchers warn that such national preeminence is in jeopardy
if the K-12 education system does not respond to the demands of globalization (Wagner,
2008).
While the lack of a globally-relevant education presents economic challenges at
the individual level, it also threatens the economy at a national level. The dominance of
the U.S. economy stems from its size and flexibility, as American laws provide flexibility
in corporate structures and organization, the hiring and firing of employees, and delivery
of goods and services across borders (Carnevale & Desroches, 2003). Throughout most
36
of the 20
th
century, European and Asian nations struggled with issues of nation building
and governance, sacrificing economic flexibility for political control (Carnevale &
Desroches, 2003). However, as political liberalization has spread throughout the
developed world, other nations will increasingly achieve the scale and flexibility that has
distinguished the U.S. system. Without such an edge, the U.S. economy will depend
more upon its human capital, its workers, than ever before (Carnevale & Desrochers,
2003; Friedman, 2008). Education is the key component in developing human capital,
thus it is imperative that K-12 schools develop in students the skills and competencies
needed for the 21
st
century (Friedman, 2008).
The American education system supports the mass-production economy that
defined the 20
th
century, not the knowledge-based economy of the 21
st
century.
Information in the factory is broken down into discrete components and workers need not
understand the entire system in order to perform their specific tasks. Typical school
curricula, therefore, tend to emphasize subject areas with little relation to each other.
Factory workers do not need to make decisions, solve problems, or demonstrate
flexibility. Likewise, American schools‟ focus on standards-based education encourages
students to memorize details, not manipulate them to solve larger problems. Since the
1970s, however, the global economy has become knowledge-based (Carnevale &
Desrochers, 2003; Wagner, 2008). Consumers‟ need for mass-produced goods has,
largely, been satisfied. Personalization and innovation are now the standards by which
companies grow (Wagner, 2008). This new economy demands a workforce that is
increasingly independent and complex. In essence, workers must be able to think for
37
themselves, understand complicated and changing information, and respond quickly and
effectively (Reimers, 2009). Such jobs require more skills and knowledge than ever
before. The American educational system, therefore, is obsolete. It serves the needs of
the 20
th
century mass-production economy, not the 21
st
century knowledge-based
economy (Carnevale & Desrochers, 2003; Wagner, 2008).
The new global economy offers the U.S. the opportunity to retain its hegemonic
position and to lead the rest of the world in the 21
st
century. As Thomas Friedman (2008)
explains, the issues the world currently faces are serious and demand responses. The
challenges of global warming and economic recession, two of the greatest problems thus
far in the century, offer opportunities for the U.S. to emerge with dominance in the world
(Friedman, 2008). Whichever nation is able to develop sustainable technology for the
world‟s growing middle class will not only solve global warming and ensure that the
Earth can support life, but will dominate the world‟s economic stage (Friedman, 2008).
This requires individuals able to innovate and problem solve, to work with the rest of the
world to address issues that are international in scope, not simply produce a multitude of
inexpensive plastic goods to ship throughout the world (Friedman, 2008).
Multiculturalism/Immigration and National Security
Beyond the economic imperatives driving global education, multicultural and
demographic considerations also apply. Increased immigration into the U.S. drives K-12
schools to diversify and become global. Marcelo Suárez-Orozco (2001) argues that
American schools (along with schools throughout the world) are receiving unprecedented
numbers of immigrant students because of economically-driven migration, a trend that
38
will only increase in coming decades. Due to the emergence of global markets and
international economies, post-1965 immigration has been more intense than ever before.
In the 1990s, the immigrant population in the U.S. grew by over 30% (Suárez-Orozco,
2001). Unlike earlier waves of immigration in which immigrants came from Europe,
today‟s immigrants come from Latin American (over 50% of all immigrants) or Asia
(over 25% ) (Suárez-Orozco, 2001).
The Committee for Economic Development (2006) called for global education in
response to the increasing multiculturalism in American society. Not only is the
American business population more diverse than ever, but American schools are more
diverse. In 2001, West Virginia conducted $2.2 billion in foreign trade while foreign
companies created 30,000 jobs in the state (Committee for Economic Development,
2006). Between 1990 and 2000, North Carolina‟s Latino population had the highest
percentage growth of any state (Committee for Economic Development, 2006). By 2014,
the majority of California‟s ninth graders will be Latino, and by 2020 experts predict that
Latinos will become the majority racial/ethnic group in California (Committee for
Economic Development, 2006). This increased diversity demands that K-12 schools
prepare all students to competently work with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures,
and regions.
Research by Suárez-Orozco (2001), Darling-Hammond (2007), and Glimps
(2008) suggests some variance in the level of success of immigrant children to adapt and
succeed in K-12 education and calls for more globally relevant curricular and
instructional models. Among today‟s immigrants, the length of residence in the U.S. is
39
associated with declining school achievement, more ambivalent attitudes toward school,
and lower grades (Suárez-Orozco, 2001). This challenges schools to develop curriculum
and instruction that promote skills of global citizenship and mutual understanding,
thereby serving the needs of all students (Darling-Hammond, 2007; Reimers, 2009;
Suárez-Orozco, 2001). In examining the importance and scope of a global education for
special needs students, Glimps (2008) argues that the increased diversity in K-12
classrooms, workplaces, and society requires educators who understand the myriad
cultures and backgrounds of their students and can develop such an understanding in the
students themselves. Since immigrant children are a reality for American schools today,
schools must adapt to best meet their needs by going global.
National security in a world where borders are easily traversed and different
cultures regularly interact also demands global education. The Committee for Economic
Development‟s (CED) 2005 summit, and its resulting globalization statement, outlined
the national security imperative for global education (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006). Today‟s most pressing national security issues are global in scope.
The war on terrorism involves non-state actors from numerous countries and regions;
health concerns such as HIV/AIDS and the H1N1 virus cross national boundaries due to
the ease of transportation; environmental degradation and climate change affect the entire
planet. In his remarks to the Goldman Sachs Foundation‟s recognition of successful
international studies programs, former Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that “to
solve most of the major problems facing our country today – from wiping out terrorism to
minimizing global environmental problems to eliminating the scourge of AIDS – will
40
require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages”
(Glimps, 2008, p. 5). This sentiment was echoed by former Secretary of Education, Rod
Page, who remarked at the 2002 States Institute on International Education in Schools
conference that “our future, and the future of our children, is inextricably linked to the
complex challenges of the global community” (Paige, 2002). The world is complex and
political, social, and economic issues, all affecting the security and wellbeing of
Americans, underscores the need to ensure that K-12 education meets the needs of a 21
st

century, global society (Glimps, 2008).
One area that currently jeopardizes American national security is the deficiency of
individuals trained in key foreign languages. Michael Lemmon, the former Ambassador
to Armenia and former Dean of the School of Language Studies at the State Department‟s
Foreign Service Institute, explains that the American war on terrorism suffers from the
lack of Americans who speak Arabic and can connect with the Arab world (Committee
for Economic Development, 2006). Not only is the analysis of crucial intelligence
information delayed due to lack of translators and interpreters, but there are not enough
effective communicators that can positively represent the U.S. position in the Middle East
(Committee for Economic Development, 2006). The areas of most crucial need are those
languages rarely taught in K-12 schools – Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean,
Persian/Farsi, Russian, and Turkish. In 2001, just months before the attacks on the World
Trade Center, the Army had authorized 329 new translator positions for five languages
(Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Persian/Farsi, and Russian), but was only able to fill 183 of
41
them (Committee for Economic Development, 2006). The U.S. cannot adequately
defend itself without individuals competent in communicating with the rest of the world.
In 2004, the Secretary of Defense office convened the National Language
Conference to initiate changes in U.S. language education. The conference news release
reported that the purpose of the meeting was to address the need of citizens with greater
language competency to meet the demands of the 21
st
century. One of the key proposals
sought to better coordinate the needs of the national government with the elementary,
secondary, and post-secondary systems (U.S. Department of Defense, 2004). Though
such coordination has yet to be accomplished, the attention of the Department of Defense
indicates that K-12 education currently fails to teach the skills needed for security in the
global world (Committee for Economic Development, 2006).

Best Practices to Develop Global Competency in Students
Though schools and districts have initiated numerous strategies to develop 21
st

century skills, the best practices fall into four domains: thinking skills, language
competency, knowledge about other cultures and peoples, and school leadership (Asia
Society, 2008a). K-12 schools that currently succeed in global education emphasize
twenty-first century skills, including analytical problem-solving and flexibility. These
successful programs also target students‟ foreign language competency as a way of
promoting communication and mutual understanding (Suárez-Orozco, 2001). Third,
successful global education programs develop in students a strong and deep knowledge of
other cultures, histories, and customs (Stewart, 2007). Finally, focused and active school
42
leadership underscores the implementation and success of global education (Jackson,
2008; Stewart, 2008).
Best Practices: 21
st
Century Skills
As analytical problem solving and flexibility are the demands of the global
society, schools with successful global education program prepare students to think and
act in an ever-changing world. These schools reframe traditional, subject-based learning
to a model that integrates disciplines and requires multiple levels of thinking.
Recognizing that schools may implement global education in diverse ways, Gibson et al.
(2008) observed several common characteristics of schools that have shifted to a global
curriculum. First, global education embraces content learning that serves substantive and
authentic goals. Challenging real-world problems not only give relevance to students‟
efforts (authenticity), but are addressed only through research, collaboration, and in-depth
thinking (substantive) (Gibson et al., 2008). Next, teamwork defines the instructional
approach to global education, particularly involving diverse teams that include members
from different cultures or countries. Finally, Gibson et al. (2008) observed in successful
global schools that teachers structured learning activities to foster intercultural
communication, interpersonal intelligence, and personal reflection.
Gibson et al. (2008) described the Kansas/Hong Kong Rainforest project as an
example of a learning opportunity that demonstrated these characteristics. Teams of
Kansas and Chinese elementary school students worked together using email and
videoconferencing to research life in rainforests, and then each team created murals
representing their findings. The teams, then, used each other‟s murals to create
43
background murals reflecting the cultural, geographic, and cultural perspective of the
other team‟s work. Photographs were taken and exchanged via email so that the students
could work via videoconference to reflect on the two, finished, collaborative murals. The
authors explain that the murals provided an authentic and substantive opportunity for
students to work in teams with students from another country and develop a global
perspective (Gibson et al., 2008).
Based on observations and studies of schools that have embraced globalization,
Tony Wagner (2008) argues that curriculum and instruction must challenge students to
develop important thinking skills. In his proposal for an overhaul of the American K-12
education system, Wagner (2008) identifies seven skills that he found defined successful
global education programs. First, critical thinking and problem solving shape learning
experiences. Next, all students have frequent opportunities for collaboration and
leadership. Activities and lesson support adaptability, requiring students to tackle
previously unforeseen problems and issues. Global schools promote student initiative
and entrepreneurship, providing students opportunities to lead and apply creative
solutions to common problems. Global education develops students ability to
communicate, both orally and through writing. Additionally, students practice collecting,
organization, analyzing, and applying information. Lastly, global education emphasizes
curiosity and imagination, allowing students to define their own paths. Though the
programs studied by Wagner (2008) vary in many ways, they all share these seven broad
characteristics.
44
In 2003, New York-based international non-profit organization, the Asia Society
received a five-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a
network of ten internationally-themed urban high schools (Asia Society, 2008a). The
Society‟s goal was to challenge the curricular and instructional methods of the traditional
high school by designing schools to prepare students for an international world. Using an
interdisciplinary approach, the Asia Society schools seek to empower students to develop
global habits of mind that include many of the characteristics observed by Gibson et al.
(2008) and Wagner (2008) in their studies. Asia Society schools build curriculum that
challenges students to analyze informational validity, synthesize and apply seemingly
disparate facts to situations, and use knowledge about the past to address current and
future global issues (Asia Society, 2008a; Jackson, 2004). For example, one urban 6
th
-
12
th
grade school uses the four themes of environment, government, cultures, and
economics to guide instruction in individual subject classes. This organizational model
promotes the seven skills that Wagner (2008) cited as characteristic of successful
globalization programs.
Application of classroom learning to real world problems is a cornerstone of 21
st

century education. Ted Sanders and Vivian Steward (2004) studied the curriculum and
instruction at public schools throughout the country to find examples of internationally-
minded programs that promote abstract thinking. Though the pair found a lack of a
coordinated, globally relevant curriculum in most schools and districts, they singled out
several schools that have increased the global preparedness of students (Sanders &
Stewart, 2004). Chicago‟s Evanston Township High School developed an international
45
studies graduation requirement and redesigned the school-wide curriculum to include the
study of other cultures and global challenges. School officials have observed an increase
in higher-order thinking skills and respect for differences. In 2003, the district received a
Goldman Sachs Foundation Prize, recognizing excellence in international education and
achievement (“Honors and awards: Character education awards,” 2003).
The International School of the Americas, in San Antonio, Texas, also supports
the type of curriculum described by Wagner (2008), one that promotes higher order
thinking and problem solving with a focus on application to society. The school requires
all sophomore students to participate in Model United Nations, requiring them to research
and debate a country‟s position on a world issue. Not only does this enhance students‟
knowledge about other countries, but it challenges them to think critically about real
solutions. The school has also shifted its curriculum away from the traditional subject
areas, instead connecting languages arts, science, and social studies to develop students‟
ability to understand the complexity of global issues (Jackson, 2008).
Anthony Jackson (2004) examined a number of schools in California that have
reshaped the standards-based curriculum to emphasize inquiry-oriented instruction. He
found that schools that have effectively embraced globalization, like the Vaughn
International Studies Academy in Pacoima and High Tech High in San Diego, use broad,
overarching concepts and questions to encourage students to apply information across
disciplines and in socially-relevant ways (Jackson, 2004). Students engage in
collaboration through multiple steps in researching the problem, developing potential
solutions, and defending their positions to demonstrate their learning. This integrated
46
curricular structure meets the demands of the state standards while providing students the
opportunity to think critically and creatively, skills necessary for success in a global
world (Jackson, 2004).
Best Practices: Foreign Language Instruction
Foreign language instruction is another fundamental component of global
education. In its publication, Expand World Language Programs: State Governments
Respond to Globalization, the Asia Society notes that schools that embrace globalization
have used foreign language instruction to promote meaningful communication with
people from other countries (Asia Society, 2008b). The Committee for Economic
Development (2006) reports that only five percent of elementary school students study a
language other than English, one-third of students study a foreign language by the time
they graduate from high school, and less than ten percent of college students enroll in a
foreign language. As of 2008, only six states include some amount of foreign language
as a high school graduation requirement (Kittok & Wertz, 2008), yet schools that
successfully develop global competency in students make foreign language a
fundamental part of the curriculum. Myriam Met (2008) explains that foreign language
proficiency not only promotes communication across world regions, but also facilitates
an understanding of world cultures. In her study of the impact of foreign language
programs on student achievement, Met (2008) found significant cognitive and academic
benefits to language study. She differentiates between programs with varying levels of
intensity, noting that while periodic pull-out programs, totaling less than seventy-five
minutes of language instruction per week, may have little impact on students‟ cognitive
47
and academic development, such programs are still successful in heightening students‟
awareness of and respect for other cultures (Met, 2008). More intensive language
programs have more dramatic results. Based on Met‟s (2008) research, full immersion
language programs result in the highest levels of language proficiency, increased student
appreciation for cultural differences and world regions, and gains in student achievement
in all subject areas.
States and national organizations have begun to recognize the importance of
foreign language instruction as a fundamental skill of a 21
st
century, global education.
The College Board has responded to the demand for better student competency in foreign
languages by introducing in 2006 the first world language and culture Advanced
Placement examinations in Chinese, Japanese, and Russian (Levine, 2005). In 2004, the
Wyoming state legislature appropriated $5 million to implement a K-6 foreign language
pilot program in fifty elementary schools. New Jersey requires its students to
demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language to graduate from high school (Committee
for Economic Development, 2006). A Federal Language Program Assistance grant has
enabled Wisconsin to develop academic standards for world languages and pre-service
teacher education to support the offering of Chinese and Arabic in 7
th
-12
th
grade schools.
Meanwhile, the Utah Department of Education has begun expanding language programs
in Chinese and Arabic with supplemental online components (Levine, 2005). Finally, in
July 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives considered, albeit tabled, the U.S. and the
World Education Act (H.R. 3359). The Act would have appropriated $200 million for
the 2010 fiscal year to establish international education and foreign language programs
48
for students in elementary and secondary schools (National Humanities Alliance, 2009).
Though these state and national efforts have helped foster the enrichment of foreign
language instruction in K-12 schools, much of the progress thus far has been sporadic and
has occurred at the local level (Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Levine,
2005).
The Asia Society‟s International Studies Schools Network (ISSN), the
organization that runs its schools, has adopted foreign language study as a fundamental
component of the global curriculum (Jackson, 2004). All students study one or more
world languages throughout their high school years. Further, the ISSN seeks to have all
schools offer at least one Asian language. The schools also have established partnerships
with local universities and community colleges to offer language instruction to students
off-site when the school itself cannot support a fulltime teacher in the language (Jackson,
2004). Finally, ISSN schools encourage students who already are competent in English
and another language to use both languages in the classroom, while still developing
competency in a third language (Jackson, 2004).
The John Stanford International School provides a model for foreign language
instruction and globally-relevant academic success (Jackson, 2004; Committee for
Economic Development, 2006). In its report on promising models for international
education, the Committee for Economic Development (2006) cited the school for its
successful foreign language program. John Stanford International School is the only
Seattle, Washington public school to offer K-6 students Spanish and Japanese immersion
programs. The school uses a model of dual language instruction, with math and science
49
taught in the immersion language, while language arts and social studies are taught in
English. Travel to and contact with students from partner schools in Mexico supplements
the immersion instruction. The school has demonstrated that the emphasis on foreign
language proficiency need not compromise academic achievement (Jackson, 2004). The
students consistently score in the 70
th
and 80
th
percentiles on standardized tests in English
and math (Jackson, 2004). In 2005, the school was recognized with a “Best of the Best”
award from Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction (Committee for Economic
Development, 2006).
For over 40 years, the International Baccalaureate (IB) program has included
foreign language and critical thinking skills in its model for school curriculum and
instruction. The goal of the IB program is to “develop internationally minded people
who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, helping
to create a better and more peaceful world” (Hughes, 2009, p. 131). To accomplish this
broad goal, the IB curriculum organizes information according to six themes that
encourage interdisciplinary study – language (native language), second language,
individuals and societies, experiential sciences, mathematics, and the arts (International
Baccalaureate Organization, 2010). Disparate information is not separated into the
traditional subject area, but interrelates to serve a larger goal. And, the six required
themes ensure that all students that graduate from the IB Diploma Program learn a second
language and understand world cultures. According to the International Baccalaureate
Organization (2010), second language acquisition enables students to communicate for a
variety of purposes and promotes cultural respect. A recent review of the research on IB
50
student outcomes suggests that students graduating from the program demonstrate greater
understanding of complex issues and higher second language proficiency than non-IB
high school graduates (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2008). Nevertheless,
the research on this topic is relatively scarce, as most studies are self-serving with
marketing purposes (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2008). The International
Baccalaureate Organization itself identifies a need for future research on the value-added
effect of the program over traditional curricula (International Baccalaureate Organization,
2008).
Best Practices: 21
st
Century Knowledge
Knowledge for the 21
st
century requires students to understand and respect the
diversity of the world‟s cultures, political systems, economies, and histories. As Thomas
Friedman (2008) explains, Americans must become citizens of the world in order to
engage with and lead the rest of the world in this century, and the responsibility for this
rests, in part, in K-12 education. Larry A. Braskamp (2008), from the Gallup
Organization, developed a Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI) to determine the
knowledge that college graduates should know in order to interact with and compete in
the global marketplace. Based on a survey of over 2,500 college students and recent
graduates, observations at over a dozen study abroad centers in Europe and South
American, and interviews with U.S. college administrators and faculty, Braskamp (2008)
concluded that individuals must understand the diverse political, economic, and social
structures across the planet. Further, Braskamp (2008) found that employers seek entry
level employees who have participated actively engaged with the world. This includes
51
service learning, internships, community activism and involvement, and education
abroad. Such demands require students to learn about the world in much more breadth
and depth than ever before (Braskamp, 2008).
Numerous schools throughout the country have already embraced a curriculum
that develops global knowledge. In her review of successful global innovations in
schools and community, Vivien Stewart (2008) noted several examples of successful
school curricula. The Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago, for
instance, diversified its curriculum to integrate global content. The school requires every
student to study a world cultures for four years and to participate in a home-stay
exchange with a sister school in China, France, North Africa, Japan, Switzerland, Chile,
Italy, or South Africa (Stewart, 2008). A series of international visiting speakers
enhances students‟ exposure to global perspectives. In 2007, the Goldman Sachs
Foundation awarded Walter Peyton College Preparatory with its highest honor, the
Foundation‟s Prize for Excellence in Education (The Goldman Sachs Foundation, 2007).
Anthony Jackson (2004) identifies the strategies and programs the Asia Society‟s
ISSN schools has implemented in order to foster global knowledge and understanding in
students. The schools integrate international content with the state standards, effectively
raising the bar for student achievement based on global issues. The global instructional
framework is a unifying factor for the school, from which all instruction, assessments,
and content arise. Teachers ensure that different perspectives and cultural biases enrich
traditional explanations in order to provide students‟ a broader context to state-mandated
52
context and prepare students to use information on a world-stage. The schools also offer
elective courses to explore world religions, geographies, and social patterns.
Opportunities for international travel characterize the best practices of global
education. Visits to other countries, homestays between individuals of different cultures,
and opportunities for service-learning abroad extend global education from the classroom
to the real world. The John Stanford International School in Seattle has partnered with
schools in Mexico, Tanzania, and Japan to facilitate cultural exchanges among students
and staff (Asia Society, 2008a). Each year, students and faculty from the sister-schools
visit the Seattle school to observe classes, attend school events, and share their
backgrounds with students, parents, and teachers (Asia Society, 2008a). John Stanford
International School students and parents also travel to their Mexican sister-school to
immerse themselves in Mexican culture (Kodama, 2007). The International School of
the Americas, in San Antonio, also uses international travel to enhance student learning.
All sophomores visit Zacatecas, Mexico to learn about the issues of a developing
economy and its impact on society (Asia Society, 2008a). Overseas volunteer work is
also encouraged as a way for students to satisfy a 120-hour community service
graduation requirement (Committee for Economic Development, 2006). With the
support of the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, the Asia Society‟s ISSN schools are
currently working towards a goal of providing each student at least one opportunity to
travel abroad before graduating from high school (Asia Society, 2008a). The travel
program is seen as a fundamental component of its global education, enabling students to
live what they already experience in the schools (Asia Society, 2008a).
53
An effective global education program requires ongoing curricular and
instructional emphasis on cultural contrast. Students must be exposed to differences
among cultural practices and understandings in order to develop knowledge of and
respect towards diverse groups of people. In a comprehensive study of international
programs at American K-12 schools, Gibson et al. (2008) noted that successful
implementations of cultural contrast incorporated examination of cultural characteristics
including beliefs, religion, politics, economics, and language. The greater the students‟
frequency and intensity of exposure to different cultural practices and views, the more
real and long-lasting the learning experience (Gibson et al., 2008). Moreover, the
students with the greatest exposure to cultural contrast demonstrated the highest levels of
acceptance, understanding, and respect for different values.
Technology facilitates opportunities for cultural contrast and the best practices in
global education deliberately use technology for this purpose. Clayton Christensen
(2008) noted the rapid and dramatic rise in the availability of technology in American
classrooms. In 1981, there was an average of one computer for every 125 students in
U.S. public schools. Ten years later, there was one computer for every 18 students. By
2000, schools averaged one computer for every five students (Christensen, 2008). Today,
many schools have one-to-one laptop programs, whereby all students have access to
laptops throughout the school day and at home (Christensen, 2008). Yet, Christensen
(2008) notes that despite the widespread availability of computers in the classroom, the
problem of underuse still pervades many schools. In his national study, Christensen
(2008) reports that students report using computers just 24-38 minutes per week, with the
54
majority school-based computer use as “just another activity center,” not as a tool to
significantly change instruction (Christensen, 2008, p. 98).
The Asia Society International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) (2008a) relies on
technology to transform education in the ways that Christensen advocates. Through
computers and network connects, technology at the ISSN schools introduces international
content to its students when not otherwise possible. Fifth-grade students at the John
Stanford International School use video conferencing to share cultural holidays and
celebrations with sister-school students in Mexico and to understand the daily routines of
similarly-aged students in Tanzania (Asia Society, 2008a; Committee for Economic
Development, 2006). At another ISSN school, students use the internet to read English
and indigenous-language newspapers and to gain first-hand knowledge about sub-
Saharan Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, and Europe by
visiting virtual museums and libraries throughout the world (Jackson, 2004). While such
a world-wide fieldtrip would have been impossible in the real world due to funding, time,
and transportation constraints, with the use of technology students can have such
experiences with relative ease. These are examples of Christensen‟s (2008)
transformative technology.
Technology also facilities collaboration with outside of the school, further
transforming and globalizing the school‟s content offerings and students‟ access to
knowledge. At South Gate International Learning Center in South Los Angeles, school
officials formed a partnership with UCLA‟s Fowler Museum of Cultural History
(Jackson, 2004). Using the internet, the museum‟s staff trained the school‟s teachers to
55
bring the resources into the classroom so that students could view cultures through
multiple perspectives. The Asia Society schools also have used technology to connect to
policy centers, including the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Affairs
Council, to deepen their instructional coverage (Asia Society 2008a, 2008b; Jackson,
2004, 2008). These relationships provide schools with current analyses and materials on
world events. Teachers also have access to internet-based, internationally-relevant
professional development through these partnerships (Jackson, 2004, 2008). Finally,
programs such as iEARN (international Education and Resource Network) bring students
from different countries together to engage in community-oriented problem-solving tasks
(Asia Society, 2008a).
Best Practices: Focused Leadership
Schools that successfully integrate a global curriculum and develop globally-
conscious students demonstrate several common characteristics stemming from strong
leadership. In her examination of global curricula and instruction at schools across the
country, Vivien Stewart (2008) found that school leaders that succeed in creating an
environment that prepares students for the 21
st
century developed common elements in
school culture and curriculum. Such leaders tend to focus on: (1) creating a global vision
and culture, often stemming from a globally-relevant mission statement, (2) developing
an internationally-minded faculty through the recruitment and professional development
processes, (3) integrating international content into all curricular areas, (4) fostering
university, community, and organizational partnerships that expand students experiences
to global issues, and (5) using technology to enhance students‟ access to international
56
perspectives (Stewart, 2008). Stewart (2008) also notes that while singular examples of
global education exist, state and national leadership is necessary, and currently lacking on
any large scale, to propel all schools in such a direction. Thus, the success of global
education demands leadership, at both the community and national levels.
Successful leadership promotes global education through a clear and well-
integrated internationally-focused mission statement supported by a school-wide vision
and culture. Anthony Jackson (2008) found that schools with successful global programs
function according to a consistent mission to develop college-ready, globally competent
students. In Gibson et al.‟s (2008) study of schools that integrated global curricula, these
schools were characterized by a strong, globally-focused mission statement and
underlying internationally-minded values. Respect for differences and openness to others
perspectives, crucial tenets of global education, underscored the missions and values of
the schools (Gibson et al., 2008). Further, a globally-relevant mission statement provides
direction to the school‟s programs and decisions and unifies the entire school community
toward a common purpose.
Sanders and Stewart (2004) studied K-12 global education throughout the country
and found a common set of underlying goals in all successful programs, typically
articulated in the school‟s mission statement. Four common themes characterize
internationally-themed schools‟ goals: (1) to develop students‟ knowledge of world
issues; (2) to prepare students to address global opportunities and challenges; (3) to
increase students‟ ability to communication with others in the world; and (4) to connect
American students with students of other countries (Sanders & Stewart, 2004). While not
57
all international schools include these four goals in their mission statements, their mission
statements incorporate the goals‟ global focus. For example, the mission statement of the
Washington International School, in Washington, D.C., calls “to provide a demanding
international education that will challenge students to become effective world citizens”
(Asia Society, 2008a, p. 14). The Ross School, East Hampton, New York, strives “to
foster interdisciplinary, integrated thinking and innovative leadership; to engage fully in
the global community” (Asia Society, 2008a, p. 14). Creating and integrating such
missions require strong and focused school leadership.
The development of a school culture receptive to global education is another
fundamental role of successful school leadership. Roland Barth‟s (2007) analysis of
school culture explains culture as “the complex pattern of norms, attitudes, beliefs,
behaviors, values, ceremonies, traditions, and myths that are deeply ingrained in the very
core of the organization” (p. 160). A global culture arises from the school‟s underlying
mission, but requires the constant support of the school leadership. The Asia Society
(2008a) noted that many schools claim to have a global culture, supported by the external
display of international regalia and the celebration of various world holidays. However,
those that truly embrace a global culture are characterized by an internationally-
committed leader that keeps the school‟s day-to-day practices and long-term processes
grounded on the development of globally-minded and competent students (Asia Society,
2008a). Support of a globally-receptive school culture calls upon the leader to develop
networks and partnerships with international organizations, to involve the entire school
community in embracing global values and perspectives, and to foster the development of
58
the teachers and staff toward international competency (Devlin-Foltz, 2009; Jackson,
2004, 2008).
Teacher capacity plays a critical role in the success of global education in K-12
schools, another important responsibility of effective leadership. In a 46 state survey on
the characteristics of foreign language instruction, Melina Lucke (1998) concluded that
state foreign language programs currently suffer from a lack of well-qualified teachers,
resulting in fewer foreign language course offerings and less effective instruction. This
echoes Stewart‟s conclusion that “internationally themed schools will remain islands of
innovation unless we attack the teacher capacity issue” (Devlin-Foltz, 2009, p. 5).
School leaders can promote teacher travel and study opportunities abroad as a
way of increasing teacher capacity to educate students to be competent for the global
world (Asia Society, 2008a). Schools can provide teachers with funding and professional
development release time to pursue instructionally-relevant travel or service
opportunities. Further, school leaders can facilitate integration of teachers‟ travel abroad
into the classroom through pre-travel meetings and post-travel debriefing that allows
participants to make connections between their experiences and the school‟s curriculum
and instructional methods (Asia Society, 2008a). Teachers who have travelled abroad
and received administrative support for classroom integration have reported feeling more
confident teaching global topics, more passionate and enthusiastic about the material, and
better equipped to educate students‟ about different cultures (Asia Society, 2008a).
While international travel may not always be possible, the literature indicates a
direct link between classroom-based professional development and teacher preparation in
59
global issues and classroom instruction of globally-relevant content and skills (Asia
Society, 2008a; Devlin-Foltz, 2009; O'Malley, Miller, & Wang, 2004). A study by the
University of Delaware found that over half (55%) of classrooms that cover globally
relevant content do so because of the interest of teachers, which increases dramatically
when teachers are encouraged to pursue internationally-related professional development
(O'Malley, Miller, & Wang, 2004). In its report, the Longview Foundation (Devlin-
Foltz, 2009) prompted school leaders to use professional development to promote global
education. The report advised school administrators to provide teachers with
opportunities to engage with international content and concepts, most easily
accomplished through seminars and workshops. North Carolina teachers benefited from
such professional development when local school districts partnered with Appalachian
State University to offer teachers courses and experiential activities focused on
international topics. In Ohio, teachers seeking a Master‟s Degree at Ohio State
University were required to either go abroad to experience another culture, with time-off
approved by their local school, or work with a local international organization (Asia
Society, 2008a). Ohio State University has also established the Social Studies and Global
Education program that offers online global education courses for participating teachers
in all subject areas (Asia Society, 2008a). School leaders can also prioritize hiring
teachers with an international background or with a global education certificate,
evidencing completion of a program emphasizing global knowledge, skills, and
dispositions increasingly offered at teacher education schools.
60
By facilitating school visits to internationally-themed schools and programs that
embrace globalization, school leaders can help make global instruction tangible to
teachers. The Asia Society (2008a) offers instructional videos of its own ISSN schools
and also recommends that teachers make their own site visits. The school leader can
ensure that such visits impact classroom instruction by selecting schools with exemplary
programs, preparing teachers for the practices and pedagogies they will witness, and
encouraging teachers to experiment with implementing some of the observed practices in
their own classes (Asia Society, 2008a).
Ultimately, schools that succeed in implementing and developing a global
curriculum share strong, internationally-focused leadership. Through developing a core
set of organizational values that shape the school culture, to hiring an internationally-
minded faculty, to promoting professional development opportunities to build the global
capacity of teachers, competent school leaders are a fundamental component of global
education (Asia Society, 2008a; Devlin-Foltz, 2009; O'Malley, Miller, & Wang, 2004).
Summary
Today, globalization has changed the nature of skills and knowledge expected of
individuals, placing increased demands on the American K-12 education system. Yet, the
research and literature indicates that globalization‟s force in education is not a recent
phenomenon (Crum, 1992; Fujikane, 2003). Rather, throughout the 20
th
century,
researchers, policymakers, and educators have increasingly sought to globalize, albeit not
always in name, school programming as a response to political, economic, and social
developments (Fujikane, 2003). Nevertheless, the need for education to best meet the
61
needs of globalization has never been more acute than it currently is. An interconnected
system of international policies, a global economy, and a geographically mobile people
demand that schools broaden their curricula to include world issues and prepare
individuals to interact with the global community. As Tom Friedman (2008) warns,
failure for the nation‟s education system to respond appropriate to these global pressures
will lead to a decline in the U.S.‟s relative position in the world, economic challenges for
the American people, and potentially catastrophic international problems.
In response to these demands, the literature identifies several categories of best
practices that characterize schools embracing globalization (Asia Society, 2008a, 2008b;
Darling-Hammond, 2007; Jackson, 2004, 2008; Stewart, 2007; Wagner, 2008). As
discussed in this chapter, these best practices encompass the broad categories of (1)
critical thinking and problem solving skills, (2) communication/foreign language
competency, and (3) knowledge of global issues and competency in world history and
world cultures. Underscoring the development of each of these three categories in
schools with global curriculum is effective leadership that recruits and trains
internationally-competent teachers and establishes a school culture conducive to global
involvement (Jackson, 2008; Stewart, 2008).
Despite the breadth of literature available on globalization in U.S. K-12
education, an important gap remains. Though researchers have observed and reported the
best practices of a global education, there is little in the scholarly literature on the
associated student outcomes. In other words, while scholars and educators may cite to
seemingly impressive school models of international education, they rarely report
62
corresponding changing in student performance, achievement, attitudes, or behaviors
(Asia Society, 2008b; Sanders & Stewart, 2004; Wagner, 2008). This important gap in
the literature highlights the importance of the case study that will be the focus of the rest
of this dissertation. While reporting on the best practices of global education may
demonstrate possible curricular options, without a corresponding report on student
outcomes, researchers, policymakers and educators are not empowered with the
necessary information to best select and implement global curricula in schools.
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Chapter Three: Research Methodology
Introduction
This study addresses the problem that schools in California address globalization
in their curricula and practices through a variety of definitions and programs. Such
differences lead to varying and, often, unstudied student outcomes (Asia Society, 2008b;
Sanders & Stewart, 2004; Wagner, 2008). Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify
curricular elements and their associated student outcomes in California schools that
address globalization. The first chapter presented an introduction to the topic, as well as
the importance of the issues involved to society-at-large, while the second chapter set
forth a review of the existing scholarly literature on the topic of globalization and
education. Chapter three will explain the methodology and the research design used in
this thematic qualitative case study of the curricular elements and organizational
structures that exist at schools that embrace globalization and the associated perceived
student outcomes.
This study arose from the work of a thematic dissertation group at the University
of Southern California. Consisting of nine colleagues under the direction of Dr. Stuart
Gothold, the group met monthly from October 2009 through May 2010 in order to study
the impact and scope of globalization in curriculum and instruction in K-12 California
schools. After an extensive period of investigation of and collaboration on the findings in
the academic literature on the topic, the group narrowed its focus to three research
questions. Subsequently, each member selected a school as the subject of an individual
case study. The selected schools had to meet the criteria of embracing globalization,
64
exemplified through their mission statements or institutional goals, curricula and
programs, or other significant practices. The resulting selections comprised elementary,
middle, and high school levels, both public, private, and charter organizations, urban and
suburban, and represented multiple regions of the state.
As a thematic dissertation group, the literature, conceptual design and
methodology were discussed, shared, and reviewed. The group worked together to
develop appropriate and useful observational tools and general criteria for selecting
schools. However, each colleague worked independently to study his/her selected school,
to collect information, analyze and report the data, and write his/her dissertation.
Research Questions
The thematic dissertation group developed research questions to narrow the focus
of the phenomenon of schools that embrace globalization. After examining the relevant
scholarly literature, the group discussed and categorized the major conclusions about the
characteristics of successful K-12 global education programs (Asia Society, 2008a,
2008b; Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Jackson, 2004, 2008; Sanders &
Stewart, 2004). Three particular aspects of global education emerged: school curriculum
and programs, school organization and structure, and the intended student outcomes.
Therefore, the three research questions guiding this qualitative study are:
1. What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
2. What organization structures support globalization in California schools?
3. What perceived student behaviors and outcomes are associated with schools
embracing globalization?
65
Conceptual Model
The conceptual model (Figure 1) describes the conclusions summarized in the
second chapter, the literature review, on the nature and relationship of key components of
global education. It represents the three research questions that addressed the overall
purpose for the study, to identify curricular elements, structures, and their associated
student outcomes among California schools that address globalization.
Figure 1: Conceptual Model

Underlying global education are broader political, economic, and social pressures
that arise in the world, represented by Environment in the model. These include
American students‟ dismal comparative academic performance reported in Nation At Risk
(1983) and highlighted by recent administrations of the PISA and TIMSS, No Child Left
Behind (2001), the rise of a global economy, the decrease in the exclusionary effects of
national boundaries, and the rapid increase in technology (Achieve, Inc., 2005a;
66
Christensen, 2008; Council for Economic Development, 2006). As the model reflects,
these environmental demands press the K-12 education system to reiterate itself, its
functions, and its outcomes (Friedman, 2008; Wagner, 2008). Curriculum, as represented
in the conceptual model, includes the school‟s mission and vision, the role of educational
technology, as well as the formal plan of study. This section of the model encompasses
how schools prepare students to best respond to the environmental pressures of the 21
st

century. The next component shown in the conceptual model is Organizational
Structure. The organizational component of global education incorporates the functions
and role of the administrative team, professional development programs, and outside
partnerships, which promote global school program (Asia Society, 2008a, 2008b; Levine,
2003; Lucke, 1999; Sanders & Stewart 2004). Finally, the model highlights Student
Outcomes, including attitudes, behaviors, and skills/knowledge that are associated with
global school curricula and supportive organizational structures (Asia Society, 2008a;
Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Wagner, 2008). The intended student
outcomes are defined, in part, by the underlying environmental factors and, inevitably,
will also shape the broader environment in the years to come.
Each of the three components, Curriculum, Organizational Structure, and Student
Outcomes, has a symbiotic relationship to each other and to the underlying environmental
pressures. Each component of the model affects, and is affected by, the other parts. As
the literature review demonstrated, global education functions in response to the changing
nature of the 21
st
, global society (Friedman, 2008; Wagner, 2008). Due to changes in
technology, the increasing complexity of issues, and global scope of interaction and
67
interdependence, school leadership, practices, and programs must change to ensure that
students are prepared for the 21
st
century world.

Research Design
This study used a case study approach to examine the curricular programs,
organizational structures, and associated student outcomes of schools that embrace
globalization. A case study should provide detailed descriptions of an instance of a
phenomenon (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003). Due to the complexity of any phenomenon, the
researcher must select an investigational focus on which to collect and analyze data. In
this study, the three research questions focused the investigation of global education to
three clearly-defined components – curriculum, organization, and student outcomes.
These questions facilitated a conceptualization of the phenomenon and provided a basis
from which the researcher could collect data.
A qualitative case study approach was selected for this research problem because
it is particularly useful for examining situations that do not fit a general trend or practice
(Gall et al., 2003). This study responds to the problem that schools in California apply
different curricular and instructional practices to address globalization, with varying
results. Therefore, the subject of the study necessarily exemplified practices that differed
from those of other schools. The subject fit the definition of an “outlier”, as it did not
follow a general trend, and lent itself to a case study investigational approach (Gall et al.,
2003, p. 472).
68
This study sought to understand the conceptual model of globalization in
education by seeking out information-rich sources. In a qualitative case study, the
researcher must develop a “thick description” of the conceptual model ( Gall et al., 2003,
p. 439). Thus a purposeful sampling was conducted of one school that has embraced
globalization. According to Michael Patton, purposeful sampling underscores successful
case studies as it directs the study to situations from which the researcher can learn about
the “issues of central importance to the purpose of the inquiry” (2002, p. 230).
Finally, the research design supported a multiple perspective analysis of an
organization through four distinct lenses. Bolman and Deal (2003) suggested that
organizations function through a combination of four frames, or perspectives. The
structural, human resources, political, and symbolic aspects of an organization provide
distinct ways to illuminate the day-to-day operations of the organization and suggest
areas through which change may occur. This case study sought to develop a research
design that would develop an understanding of these four frames in order to best
understand the curricular elements and organizational structure that support globalization
in education and the associated student outcomes.
Criteria
In alignment with the Internal Review Board (IRB) Study Identification UP-10-
00210, each school site selected to be a part of the study had to align to the following
agreed-upon criteria:
The school must embrace globalization, demonstrated through multiple ways,
including, but not limited to:
69
o The school‟s mission and/or vision statements;
o The school‟s curriculum and program;
o The school‟s partnerships with outside organizations;
o Any other significant demonstration of a commitment to global awareness
and understanding among the students.
Population and Sample
XX High School was selected as the subject of this case study. XX High School
is an urban, charter K-12 school in California, with just over 400 students in grades nine
through twelve. It meets the criteria determined above, demonstrating a stated
commitment to global education in its mission statement, curriculum and partnerships
with schools and organizations worldwide. The school‟s mission emphasizes a
developing relationship between its students and the world. It states that the school
“provides a rigorous, student-centered college preparatory curriculum that extends
learning into the local environment so that all students graduate with the knowledge,
values and skills to become life-long learners and quality stewards of their community”
(Board of Directors, 2008). As the school‟s Charter, website, and curricular materials
demonstrate, „community‟ is understood broadly to encompass the global society (Board
of Directors, 1999). Students study their local community as a microcosm of the larger
world and the school seeks to prepare them to make a difference beyond their local
geography. To achieve this mission, the school seeks to enable students to “demonstrate
knowledge of diverse cultures,…manage resources responsible, think critically and
70
collaborate to problem-solve effectively” and become “contributing members of the
community” (Board of Directors, 2008, p. 7).
XX High School curriculum and program also embrace issues of globalization.
To fulfill its mission, the school requires all students to engage in experiential learning by
working on community projects that further course content. The school‟s graduation
requirement promotes the development of skills to enable students to fulfill the mission
of becoming “stewards of their community” (Board of Directors, 2008). All students
must perform at least 80 hours of community service, complete a yearlong environmental
science course, demonstrate proficiency in at least one language other than English, and
successfully complete and senior thesis and portfolio project that incorporates global
issues (Board of Directors, 2008). The school offers a rich-selection of globally-relevant
electives, including courses such as California in the 21
st
Century, Non-Western World
History, Science and Society, and internships with local businesses and organizations
(XX High School, 2010c). The school has also created a Green Ambassadors program.
This program is a class, an after-school club and an extracurricular series through which
students learn about environmental issues facing the planet and collaboratively design
solutions and strategies to address these challenges (XX High School, 2010b).
To enhance its program, XX High School has partnered with local, national, and
international organizations. To provide students real-life opportunities for learning, the
school has sought of community members to serve as designated Green Mentors (Board
of Directors, 1999; Board of Directors, 2008; XX High School, 2010b). The school uses
these mentors to target student growth of interpersonal skills, environmental and
71
scientific knowledge, and ecological values (Krahl, 2008). XX High School has also
partnered with Common Vision, an educational project of the International Humanities
Center, to build the capacity of the students to implement and practice sustainable
solutions (XX High School, 2010b). Finally, the school has partnered with an online
university to offer students opportunities for coursework and learning opportunities that
the school cannot offer onsite due to funding and resource limitations (Board of
Directors, 2008).

XX High School has received numerous accolades for its program. In 2006, it
received the maximum of six year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools
and Colleges (WASC). It has earned the Title One Award for Academic Excellence, and,
in January 2009, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school in the top three percent of
American high schools for its ability to deliver college-ready graduates from its
community (Board of Directors, 2008, p. 7). The school has also been recognized in the
media for its innovative approach to education.
Instrumentation
The qualitative case study used a faculty survey, interviews of selected school
administrators and teachers, extensive observations of school classes/events, and a
detailed document review to identify the curricular elements, organizational structures,
and perceived student outcomes of a school embracing globalization. These varied
methods allowed the researcher to triangulate the observations, supporting the study‟s
validity (Creswell, 2003). Further, each of the methods facilitated analysis through the
four frames described by Bolman and Deal (2003). Using the four frames as lenses for
72
analysis of the school‟s curriculum, programs, and organization and the perceived student
outcomes develops a sense of how school leadership has supported the school‟s global
mission (Bolman & Deal, 2003).
Since the purpose of this case study was to identify the traits of schools embracing
globalization and their students, it was crucial to examine the school beyond a superficial
level. Bolman and Deal‟s (2003) study of organizational structures outlines four frames
that, though distinct and powerful individually, provide a complex and comprehensive
understanding of the organization when considered together. The structural frame refers
to the formal relationships and operations of the school. The rules, policies, hierarchies,
divisions of labor, and other formal operations of the school provide a blueprint for the
patterns of expectations and procedures at the school. The human resources frame
considers the skills, attitudes, opinions, goals, and motivations of the individuals within
the organization. This frame underscores the importance of the motivation and personal
commitment of the employees. The political frame refers to the process of various
interests competing for limited resources. It recognizes that organizations are coalitions
of diverse groups, often with competing and conflicting goals. Thus, the political frame
includes the process of bargaining, negotiating and jockeying to resolve these competing
interests, as well as any conflict that may arise in or from the process. Finally, the
symbolic frame holds that beliefs and values are often expressed most accurately through
the artifacts, rituals, and stories that define that organization. In this frame, the focus is
not on what happens, but on the underlying meanings in order to discern the
organization‟s culture (Bolman & Deal, 2003). These four frames illuminate different
73
aspects of an organization and helped the researcher grasp the ways in which the subject
of the study functioned.
Using the four frames to interpret the data gathered from the instruments allowed
the researcher to demonstrate how the school functioned and to answer the research
questions (Bolman & Deal, 2003). Observation of the school site, classes, school
functions, students, and school staff illuminate the symbolic frame (Bolman and Deal,
2003). The school‟s culture becomes evidence as the researcher experiences the day-to-
day activities, classes, meetings, and events. Reviewing the school documents,
interviews with school administrators provided insight into the way the organization
makes and carries out decisions and allocates scarce resources, the structural and political
frames. In the school setting, the work of the teachers and administrators is particularly
important in enabling the school to achieve its mission, emphasizing the human resources
frame. Thus, teacher interviews and the staff survey also suggested some of the goals
and motivations of the employees. They also provided an understanding of the process of
negotiation between diverse interests and competition for limited resources, the essential
components of the political frame. As the components of this comprehensive study, these
instruments complemented each other and provided a clearer understanding of the entire
school organization through all four of Bolman and Deal‟s (2003) frames.
The thematic dissertation group developed all of the research instruments in order
to identify the curricular elements, organizational structures, and perceived student
outcomes associated with schools that embrace globalization. The tools aligned with the
findings from the literature on globalization in education. They were developed because,
74
taken together, they offered a thick and rich description of the workings at such schools
(Creswell, 2003). Using the examples and discussions cited in the literature, the group
concluded that the following instruments would provide abundant and sufficient relevant
information: (1) a thorough review of the school‟s organizational and operational
documents (Appendix A), (2) staff interviews (Appendix B), (3) staff survey (Appendix
C), and (4) school site observations (Appendix D).
Each of the data-collection instruments provided unique information for the study
and supported the process of triangulation (Creswell, 2003). The staff survey provided a
general sense of the teachers‟ and administrators‟ perception of the school‟s efforts to
promote globalization. From this survey, the research identified programs and practices
to investigate through the rest of the data-collection process. The individual interviews
allowed selected individuals to expand upon the ways in which the school embraces
globalization and enabled the researcher to gather rich details on the perceived student
outcomes, triangulating the information gathered elsewhere. The review of the school‟s
organizational and operational documents was another tool of triangulation. A wide
selection of the school‟s documents established tangible evidence of the curricular
elements and organizational structures intended to further global education. Examining
student work and performance indicators also informed the researcher‟s description of
student outcomes. Finally, the school site observations facilitated the gathering of
detailed and thick descriptions of the daily workings of the school (Creswell, 2003).
These observations occurred at the classroom and school-wide level and sought to
discover both formal and information interactions. They provided additional evidence of
75
school curriculum, organization, and perceived student outcomes, triangulating the data
gathered from the other three data-instruments.
Data Collection
The process of data collection relied on the surveys, interviews, observations and
data review in accordance with the instruments. In the spring of 2010, the researcher
began the data collection process through a document review of the school‟s electronic
and hard-copy materials. Data collection continued in August, with a survey given to the
faculty and staff at the school. In order to achieve the highest possible response rate on
the survey, the researcher attended the opening faculty/staff meeting of the 2010-11 year,
a required professional development day for all school employees. After the school‟s
principal introduced the researcher and explained the purpose of the study to the staff, the
researcher administered and collected the survey. This resulted in a 98% participation
rate (1 teacher was not present). This information provided a preliminary basis for
understanding the school‟s culture and practices that would be continued during the site
visit.
In late August, September and October, the researcher made a total of eight visits
to the school to attend teacher professional development, to observe classes and school
functions, and to interview key people involved in the school‟s program and operations.
All of the data was collected in ways that accorded with the instruments designed by the
thematic dissertation group.
There was an emergent quality to the process of data collection (Office of the
Press Secretary, 2010). Throughout the case study, the researcher used findings already
76
collected to shape subsequent research activities. After each stage of the data collection,
the researcher identified areas in need of additional data and adjusted the research process
accordingly. The findings from the preliminary document review and the faculty/staff
survey highlighted areas that became the foci for interviews and observations during the
site visit. The researcher took time throughout the site visit to analyze data and make
appropriate investigational decisions in response to what was already collected. The
standardized instruments developed by the thematic dissertation group facilitated this
emergent data collection, as these instruments revealed missing information that the
researcher then took care to collect. Further, to facilitate the thick descriptions and
triangulation of this case study, the researcher sought out opportunities for detailed
vignettes and recorded observations and interviews with an appropriate level of detail
(Gall et al., 2003).
Validity and Reliability
Researchers collect case study evidence “in the field” as events occur (Gall et al.,
2003, p. 461). Thus, the case study represents a particular context as it existed at one
time and place. Although the observations and findings were true to that situation, they
may not be applicable in other settings. To generalize the results beyond the limited
temporal context of the study, all efforts were made to triangulate the data-collection
process. Triangulation refers to the process of using multiple methods and sources of
data-collection (Creswell, 2003). Such multi-faceted investigational techniques reduced
the likelihood that the researcher‟s findings were the result of chance, bias, or error. To
support triangulation and a thick description of the phenomenon, this case study included
77
interviews of selected school constituents, classroom and school program observations,
faculty surveys, and a review of pertinent school documents (Creswell, 2003).
The process of triangulation, supported through varied instrumentation and the
four frames of Bolman and Deal (2003), allowed the researcher to consider the findings
of this study valid and reliable. A Triangulation Matrix, presented in Appendix E,
ensures that the data collection process entailed a wide variety of sources and information
types. This case study did not seek to identify a causal relationship within the
phenomenon, making the criterion of internal validity inapplicable (Gall et al., 2003).
The researcher‟s goal was to discover the curriculum, organizational structure, and
perceived student outcomes at a school that embraces globalization. The purpose of the
case study was to determine factors of association, not to uncover what elements of a
school cause a global education or produce student outcomes. Alternatively, this case
study sought to uncover elements of the phenomenon of global schools through an
indepth analysis of one particular school. Thus, it sought to develop external validity, in
which the findings of this case study could be generalized to similar cases at other
schools (Gall et al., 2003). According to Gall et al. (2003), reliability is the extent to
which the results of the study could be replicated at another time and by other researchers
as long as the same instruments and procedures were followed. Reliability underscores
the purpose of this case study the findings are only useful if they can be applied in other
situations at other times. Therefore, the qualitative case study was designed to promote
both validity and reliability.
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To support external validity and reliability, the researcher sought a thick
description of the participants and the context, with attention to obtaining data from a
broad range of sources at the school. Through the instrumentation, therefore,
observations were triangulated and interpreted through the various of perspectives
represented in Bolman and Deal‟s (2003) four frames. The results represented a diverse
and wide sampling portrayed through a comprehensive narrative. This research design
helped assure that the study‟s results were both valid and reliable.
Data Analysis
The researcher applied, what Gall et al. (2003) termed, interpretational analysis to
the document and site observations, interview data, and survey results. Interpretational
analysis is “the process of examining case study data closely in order to find constructs,
themes, and patterns that can be used to describe and explain the phenomenon being
studied” (Gall et al., 2003, p. 453). For this study, the researcher used the steps outlined
by Crewsell (2003) to organize the information collected from the data instruments.
Collected information was organized. Surveys were tabulated and interviews
were taped and transcribed. All observations, materials, and data were classified
and coded into groups.
Attention was paid to the overall school culture.
Information was chunked and coded by a color coding system that corresponded
to Bolman and Deal‟s (2003) four frames and to the study‟s research questions.
The themes that emerged were described using thick and rich description.
Finally, interpretation of the data was discussed.
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Ethical Consideration
This qualitative case study was conducted in a manner that honors the school,
staff, and students being studied. Admittedly, the process of data collection in cast study
research has the unique potential for ethical dilemmas. During the interview process,
individuals may have shared emotionally-charged information with the researcher or have
revealed personal information that might not have been shared otherwise. Further, due to
the nature of a case study, the researcher interacted closely with the investigational
subjects, attending social events at the school, conversing informally with faculty and
staff, and inadvertently gaining personal information about the subjects. To address these
potential ethical problems, all information collected remained private and secured in
order to maintain confidentiality. The researcher also took care to remain an objective
observer and to avoid engaging in a subjectively evaluative way with the subjects. In
accordance with the standards set in IRB Study UP-10-00210, students were not the
direct subjects of this study. All study-related data and notes will be destroyed and
discarded in the fall of 2011.
Summary
Chapter three focused on the methodology utilized in the quantitative case study
research utilized in Environmental Charter High School. The rationale of the study‟s
design and the instruments used was based on research, notably the four frames of
Bolman and Deal (2003) and the case study process outlined by Gall, Gall, and Borg
(2003). The resulting triangulated case study, with the supporting instrumentation,
80
supported an analysis of the curricular elements, organizational structure, and the
perceived student outcomes associated with a school that embraces globalization.

81
Chapter Four: Data Collection and Analysis

Introduction
Chapter One of this dissertation introduced and described the problem that
California schools are addressing the issue of globalization in curriculum and
organizational structure in varying ways. After a thorough review of the scholarly
literature in Chapter Two, several characteristics of school that have incorporated global
issues and globally-relevant skills were identified. These characteristics include a school-
wide curricular focus on global content, cultural diversity, and world languages, an
instructional methodology that emphasizes critical thinking, real-world application, and
interdisciplinary study, and an organization that utilizes technology, professional
development and school-culture to promote global awareness and empathy (Asia Society,
2008a, 2008b; Reimers, 2009; Stewart, 2007, 2008; Wagner, 2008). Following the
description of these characteristics of schools addressing globalization, Chapter Three
described the methodology of this case study. XX High School became the subject of
study for this research because it met the criteria developed by the thematic dissertation
group as those that are typical of schools embracing globalization. This chapter, Chapter
Four, will present and discuss the data collected to answer the three research questions.
After hearing about XX High School in the news for its global and environmental
initiatives, the researcher viewed the school‟s website and read several independent
reviews of the school‟s programming. Since the school seemed to meet the criteria for
participation in the study, contact made in early March 2010 to the school‟s executive
82
director confirmed that the school‟s administration to obtain consent to participate in this
study. The researcher visited the school to make general observations, speak with the
executive director, and take a student-led tour during April 2010. Through this visit, the
researcher determined that XX High School indeed met the criteria of a global school and
would be an appropriate subject of study.
The physical characteristics of the school reflect the culture and spirit of the
neighborhood in which it is located. The school is on a residential street in a working-
class area of a major urban area in the Southwest United States. Most of the surrounding
homes are single-family houses reflecting varying degrees of care. Lawns and driveways
were filled with run-down patio furniture, children‟s toys, trash cans, old appliances, and
well-used cars. Even though it was mid-morning on a weekday, adults in casual dress
mingled on porches and sidewalks and men pushed ice-cream and taco carts down the
street, bringing a feeling of cultural vibrancy mixed with economic hardship to the area.
Women strolled along carrying babies and groceries. Amidst this expression of working-
class life, XX High School sits as a community anchor.
XX High School‟s architecture blends with that of the surrounding community,
but it exudes a spirit of hope. Made of the same color stucco, it is a single level series of
buildings with trailers grouped at one end of the small parking lot. Though separated
from the rest of the community by only a chain-link fence, the school grounds exude a
sense of peace and care. Just within the fence, and still visible to passersby, the school‟s
grounds are well-groomed. The school has a small stream running through it, large
planters with herbs and flowers, a variety of fruit trees, and solar panels mounted to a
83
low-lying classroom roof. Students and teachers can be seen from the street mingling
and interacting.
As I walked from across the street, where I parked, through the main entrance
gates toward the front office, I was struck by the examples of environmental concern.
Throughout the campus, trashcans are identified by signs reading „Landfill‟ and are
juxtaposed with bins for composting and recycling. The stream that can be seen from
across the street is actually a centerpiece of the campus – students sit on benches
alongside it, eating snacks or conversing over the day‟s events with friends. I would later
learn that this stream was made possible by the cooperation of XX High School‟s
students and graduate students from a nearby university. It is a rainwater collection
mechanism that harnesses what would otherwise be runoff water and reuses it for the
school‟s garden and orchard.
During this initial visit in the late spring 2010, it was also apparent that the school
values student achievement. At the school‟s entrance, a large marquee identified the
school by name and mascot and included dates of the upcoming exams. College
pendants and posters were hung on doors to classrooms. School bulletin boards
announced student-run clubs dedicated to issues such as environmental sustainability,
Amnesty International, and global economic development. Inside the school‟s office
were posted „Congratulations‟ signs identify 12
th
grade students, both by name and
picture, who had been accepted into colleges and universities. Newspaper articles and
press announcements lined one wall of the office and praised the school‟s students for
various community-based projects and academic achievements. Papers were taped to the
84
ledge of the receptionist‟s desk announcing the summer reading books and projects for
each grade level.
The students and staff displayed a collegial demeanor. Even though I was a
stranger to everyone there, several students greeted me with a smile and a „hello‟ as I
walked toward the main office. One group of girls even approached me to ask if I needed
help, and kindly guided me to the receptionist. As I waited in the office for the executive
director, I watched students enter freely and casually converse with the secretary. The
secretary knew some of their names and they obviously knew her. As an outsider, I
immediately perceived a warm feeling to the school, one where people know and value
each other.
This first meeting with the executive director lasted about twenty minutes and
included a general introduction about this study and her general introduction about the
school. Clearly, she was proud of the school that she founded more than ten years ago
and was excited for me to highlight the school‟s successes and to identify possible
challenges. She provided names of school staff that might be useful for the study and
suggested dates the late summer and fall for the observational component of the data
collection process (Executive Director, personal communication, April 20, 2010).
After my meeting with the executive director, I took a student-led tour of the
campus. The tour was one of monthly tours that occur throughout the year for
prospective families and students. Led by two tenth graders, I learned about the school‟s
college-preparatory academic program, the variety of environmental sustainability efforts
that the school has undertaken, and the school‟s mission based on preparing students to
85
be community and global leaders. The student tour guides were articulate, passionate,
knowledgeable, and comfortable speaking to the group. They became tour guides as part
of a required sophomore course called Green Ambassadors, a curricular focal point of the
school‟s environmental program. The tour ended, marking the conclusion to this initial
visit to the school. This first visit lasted about 1 hour and provided a warm welcome to
the school that would serve as an example of one school‟s approach to preparing students
for a global world.
Research Questions
The research questions that guided this study focused on the programs, practices,
and strategies the school utilized to prepare students for a global world and on the
perceived outcomes of the students. The specific questions were:
1. What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
2. What organization structures support globalization?
3. What perceived student outcomes are seen in these schools?
These research questions support the study‟s overall objective of identifying curricular
elements and their associated student outcomes among California schools that address
globalization.
Criteria
XX High School was selected because the school met the criteria determined by
the thematic dissertation group. First, elements of globalization are present in the
school‟s mission statement and vision (Board of Directors, 2008). The school also uses
technology as an instructional learning tool. Each classroom is fully equipped with a
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networked computer and teachers use technology to develop student learning activities.
Further, all students must satisfy a foreign language graduation requirement, and cultural
and global issues drive the curriculum. The curriculum emphasizes the development of
students‟ problem-solving and critical-thinking skill by integrating experiential,
collaborative learning throughout all grade levels and courses (XX High School, 2010c).
The curriculum at XX High School is, by definition, global (Board of Directors, 1999).
Each year, the school adopts a global theme to guide interdisciplinary instruction, which
then drives course content and instruction (XX High School, 1999; XX High School,
2010c).
Students also participate in international programs such as Model United Nations,
Green Ambassadors, and international service-learning trips. The school‟s administration
and organizational structure provides ongoing professional development opportunities
and time for teacher collaboration in order to promote meaningful and authentic learning
experiences for students. The school has integrated the issue of sustainability into its
core program. As the executive director explained, environmentalism is the lens through
which students develop the skills needed to engage in a global community (Executive
Director, personal communication, August 18, 2010). As a global issue, environmental
sustainability provides the students a real-world model for learning and action.
Meanwhile, the school is committed to preparing students for college, ensuring that
graduation requirements mirror the University of California A-G criteria (XX High
School Website, 2010). Through an active college advising program that begins the
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summer before the ninth grade, students are prepared for college, apply to college, and,
generally, go to college (XX High School, 1999; Board of Directors, 2008).
Methodology
Information and themes emerged from the data analysis of this study of the
curricular and organizational elements, and associated student outcomes, of a California
school addressing globalization. The data was collected, organized, and analyzed in
accordance with the methods found in Creswell‟s guide to data analysis (2003). The
process of the investigation sought information from various perspectives, sources, and
methods in order to allow for triangulation (Creswell, 2003). To deepen the reliability
and validity of the findings, the study was designed to allow for information to be
collected from each of Bolman and Deal‟s four frames of analysis (2003).
The process of data collection included a wide variety of sources. A thorough
investigation of the school‟s documents preceded the site visit in the fall, providing
insight into the structural organization of the school (Bolman & Deal, 2003). The
researcher reviewed the School Accountability Report Cart, the school‟s Instructional
Framework, the Charter, information from the California Department of Education‟s
website, the school‟s mission, the vision statement, Expected Student Learning Results,
CST scores and data, the Parent Student Handbook, the school website, the map of the
school, the Application for Admission, and the Green Ambassador‟s curricular
documents. This document analysis provided a fundamental understanding of the
school‟s program and served as a foundation for further inquiry and triangulation. The
researcher conducted a survey of faculty and staff in late August at the opening employee
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meeting of the year. The survey sought out attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and opinions
of those that worked at the organization, highlighting the symbolic and political frames of
Bolman and Deal (2003). Several site visits occurred during August, September, and
October in order to observe professional development, teacher planning/collaboration
sessions, classes, extra-curricular programs. The breadth of observations sought data
from all four of Bolman and Deal‟s (2003) frames and enabled opportunities for
triangulation (Creswell, 2003). These site visits included time for formal interviews with
teachers and administrators, as well as informal conversations with staff and teachers.
The researcher analyzed data as it was gathered and used observations to guide further
data collection methodologies. Finally, information was coded and chunked according to
the principles of Creswell (2003) to determine the curricular elements and associated
student outcomes characteristic of a school addressing globalization.
Participants
After meeting with the executive director in the spring of 2010, the researcher
spent eight days on site to gather data. Surveys were completed by 31 staff members,
representing over 98% of the staff at XX High School. All levels of employees
participated in the survey, including teachers, administrators, support staff, and
maintenance/facilities crew, although participants were advised to complete only the
sections for which they had direct involvement and knowledge. Interviews included
three formal teacher interviews and three administrative interviews. The three teacher
interviews were conducted individually with teachers of varying seniority and different
subject areas. The three administrative interviews included the Executive Director, the
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Principal, and the Student Success Coordinator (charged with student discipline, family
outreach, and college counseling). A focus group interview was conducted with six
teachers from various departments. Observations included four days of the New Teacher
Orientation with the eleven new teachers, one day of the All Teacher Professional
Development, one day of a grade level interdisciplinary teacher planning session, and two
days of classroom observations. The researched took care to arrange the interviews and
observations in order to gather data from a wide variety of sources. Through the survey,
interviews, and observations, every teacher and staff member had an opportunity to
contribute to the data collection process, maximizing the opportunity for triangulation
and adding value to the outcome of the study (Bolman & Deal, 2003; Creswell, 2003).
Response to Research Questions
Data for Question 1
The first research question posed in this study was:
What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
To understand the school‟s curricular programs and strategies to support its
mission of “preparing students to lead in a global world” (Board of Directors, 2008), the
data collection process sought information about course offerings, instructional strategies,
and opportunities for student learning and engagement. The document review process
showed the school‟s formal programs and policies supported a global curriculum.
According to the school‟s mission statement, the school “provides a rigorous, student-
centered college preparatory curriculum that extends learning into the environment so
that all students graduate with…the skills to become stewards of their communities”
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(Board of Directors, 2008). The Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, elaborated upon
in the Instructional Framework that guides all curricular development, specific four
objectives:
1. Students will excel and reach their academic potential.
2. Students will demonstrate community responsibility and environmental
stewardship.
3. Students will embrace a spirit of discovery and possess critical thinking skills.
4. Students will demonstrate healthy relationships with others, regardless of
cultural, economic, or political diversity (XX High School Instructional
Framework).
These values drive the school‟s graduation requirements, as outlined in the Parent
Student Handbook (Board of Directors, 2008) and the School‟s Charter (XX High
School, 1999). In addition to the University of California A-G requirements, all students
are required to complete three years of a world language, Advanced Placement
Environmental Science, a semester social-science course called California in the 21
st

Century, and a year-long environmental action class called Green Ambassadors (XX
High School, 2010c). Additionally, all students must pass a four year, college-
preparatory Advisory program that includes academic and emotional counseling and
culminates in a requirement to apply to and earn acceptance to at least one four-year
college or university (Board of Directors, 2008; XX High School, 1999). Students much
complete 80 hours of community service throughout their four years at the school and
successfully complete the Senior Thesis and Portfolio, an action-research requirement for
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students to pursue their own real-world interdisciplinary project (Board of Directors,
2008; XX High School, 1999).
The documentary analysis revealed that the Green Ambassadors course serves as
a fundamental component of the curricular emphasis on global learning. The school‟s
charter explains that Green Ambassadors is an environmental education program that
“empowers youth to become agents of change in their communities and the world” (XX
High School, 1999). It is an interdisciplinary, project-based program that incorporates
science and technology, language arts, social science, and entrepreneurship in order to
engage students in service learning (Green Ambassadors, 2010). The program utilizes
community partnerships and cross-cultural exchanges to connect classroom-based
learning to real-world application. Green Ambassadors is both a required, year-long class
for all 10
th
graders, and an extra-curricular club available to all students (XX High School
Website, 2010).
Through the required course, Green Ambassadors engages students in an
environmentally-based, service learning curriculum in which students learn about the
issues and solutions related to elements of the living world. The curriculum incorporates
two objectives: to educate students about global environmental issues, and to activate or
to engage students in relevant problem-solving (XX High School, 2010b). The education
component emphasizes a systems-thinking approach to understanding complex issues,
highlighting the interconnection between living things, actions, and places (XX High
School, 2010b). Students explore the implications of environmental sustainability on the
developed and developing worlds, with attention to cultural differences. During Green
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Ambassadors, students spend approximately the first quarter of the academic year
learning about the relationship between the developed and developing worlds, with an
emphasis on environmental issues as they impact economy, government, culture, and
society. During the remaining three quarters of the year, the Green Ambassadors course
focuses on activating students to engage in identifying a problem and then applying their
knowledge in order to address it (XX High School, 2010b). Students create and host an
Earth Positive Event, a school-wide conference devoted to developing the capacity of
neighbors, parents, local businesses, and other community members to tackle
environmental issues in a meaningful way (XX High School, 2010b). According to the
school‟s Charter (XX High School, 1999), the Earth Positive Event provides a real-world
opportunity for students to become leaders in their community and stewards of the global
environment. It is a “practical application” of their classroom learning that is “both an
authentic learning experience and an empowering opportunity for all” (XX High School,
1999, p. 31).
Beyond the required 10
th
grade course, Green Ambassadors is also a club for any
interested XX High School student to continue service to global environmental
sustainability (XX High School Website, 2010). The club meets weekly with a teacher to
foster community partnerships and student-entrepreneurship. The club organizes events
such as the XX High School Student Speaker Series, the Green Ambassador Film
Festival, Earth Day Celebration, Green Interns, and Green Adventures (XX High School
Website, 2010). Though not a required part of the curriculum, the Green Ambassadors
club supplements the school‟s program with an ongoing opportunity for students at all
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grade levels to learn about and to address a global issue, the environment (XX High
School, 2010b).
Intersession forms an important part of the curricular design of the school, as
evidenced by its importance in the school‟s Charter, the school calendar, and the pacing
guides (XX High School, 1999; XX High School, 2010c; XX High School, 2009a).
Although XX High School‟s schedule generally utilizes a seven class period rotation of
90 minute blocks of time for content/subject-specific instruction, January is different (XX
High School, 2009a, 2009b). After the end of fall semester in December, but before
second semester commences in February, the entire school goes on Intersession (XX
High School, 2010c; XX High School, 2009a). During Intersession, students work in
grade level groups of approximately 30 students with four to six teachers to engage in
interdisciplinary, standards-based project learning. Instruction occurs during two daily
sessions (morning and afternoon) through experiential learning, as students work to apply
their classroom-based knowledge from the first semester to real-world problems. The
team‟s work is presented by the entire student and teacher team to the rest of the grade
level during a culminating assembly at the end of the January term. Through
Intersession, students apply what they learned first semester in an authentic, real-world
experience (High School Principal, personal communication, August 16, 2010).
The staff survey further illuminated practices, attitudes, and strategies supporting
a global curriculum. With over 98% of the school‟s staff responding to the anonymous
survey (only one person was absent and therefore did not participate in the survey), it
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provided invaluable data about staff perceptions and school culture. Table 1 identifies
the survey questions related to Question 1 and the relevant responses.
Table 1: Survey Questions #1-5
Survey Question
No
Answers/
Unsure
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
Strongly
1. Your instruction includes
global issues.
4 1 2 13 11
2. You consistently teach critical
thinking or problem-solving
skills.
5 0 0 11 15
3. Students are exposed to
international and cultural
issues and challenges.
1 0 5 12 13
4. Textbooks and supplementary
materials consider global
issues, global connections and
global cultures.
5 2 6 13 5
5. Technology is used regularly
as an instructional learning
tool for global purposes.
3 2 4 9 13

Through the survey data collected, a consistent theme emerged that the teachers,
administrators and staff of XX High School believe that the curriculum supports global
instruction, both in content and the globally-relevant skills of critical thinking and
problem solving. The majority of faculty and staff stated that classroom instruction
includes global issues and that students are exposed to global challenges (7%, or 24 out
of 31 and 80%, or 25 out of 31, respectively). Almost 84% of respondents reported that
developing critical thinking or problem-solving skills forms a consistent part of their
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curricula (26 out of 31). Employees‟ reported perceptions on the global-relevance of
technology, textbooks, and supplementary materials were also overwhelmingly positive,
with 71% agreeing that technology is regularly used for global purposes and 58%
asserting that textbooks/supplementary materials promote global connections (22 out of
31 and 18 out of 31, respectively). In every category, a majority of the faculty and staff‟s
selections indicated they believed that the curriculum supported global education.
Revealing the underlying assumptions and beliefs of the faculty and staff provided insight
into the symbolic frame of the school relating to the first research question (Bolman &
Deal, 2003). These survey results indicated a need for further identification and analysis
of the particular curricular strategies, methods, and structures in place that underscored
the employees‟ perceptions of a global curriculum.
Teacher and administrator interviews provided opportunities for triangulation of
the data and more in-depth explanations to issues presented in the survey. Several
teacher interviews provided abundant details of the school‟s interdisciplinary and global
curriculum. Comments abounded about the school‟s concerted efforts to promote student
learning of global issues. One teacher stated that “the school puts a lot of effort into
making sure students are aware of global issues” (Teacher A, personal communication,
August 16, 2010). An English teacher described a project in which his students partnered
with students from schools in other countries in order to research together, via
technology, sustainable food practices (Teacher B, personal communication, August 16,
2010). Another teacher described a project in which students explored the role of culture
in human rights issues. The project culminated with a class-wide internship experience
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with a local human rights advocacy group (Teacher F, personal communication,
September 19, 2010). One teacher lamented that her textbook was “limited” in coverage
of global issues, but explained that she “made up for this with instruction and activities
that will ostensibly connect to the world” (Teacher B, personal communication, August
16, 2010). An administrator remarked that she “feel[s] the school implements the
mission of global education well” and that “the central focus of sustainability has an
effect on all subject areas, fostering [students‟] ideas of equity, environmentalism, and
economic understandings of people throughout the world” (Student Success Coordinator,
personal communication, October 9, 2010). The school principal noted that the school
calendar intentionally supported global education – reserving Intersession as a “sacred
time for the global experience”, celebrating Earth Day and cultural holidays, and using
block scheduling of classes to provide time for extended discussion and projects that
might involve global issues (High School Principal, personal communication, August 16,
2010).
Nevertheless, the attitudes and tones of teachers during the interviews diverged
from those of the administrators at times. While the administrators expressed almost
unanimous confidence in the infusion of a global curriculum in the classroom, the
teachers‟ were more reserved in their praise. Notably, some teachers shared the
administrators‟ confidence in a globally-infused curriculum. An American history
teacher stated that “it is imperative that we incorporate our history in context to the global
world” (Teacher E, personal communication, September 19, 2010). A math teacher
praised how the school‟s global and environmental foci “teach students how they can be
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involved and be part of the solution to the world‟s problems” (Teacher C, personal
communication, September 17, 2010). However, others expressed a perceived gap
between what the school purports to do, and what actually happens. “We „try‟ to
incorporate our curriculum with environmental and global learning. However we can‟t
usually set aside time in our day for this. It really only happens at Intersession and on
random days like Earth Day” (Teacher D, personal communication, August 17, 2010).
The math teacher noted that while he teaches critical thinking and problem-solving skills,
he was “not sure” if students “got it” (Teacher C, personal communication, September
17, 2010). He also stated that his textbooks fail to consider global issues, connections, or
cultures. “Anything about these issues has to come from me. And I‟m usually too busy
to go out and find that kind of stuff” (Teacher C, personal communication, September 17,
2010).
The teacher and administrator interviews also revealed that the daily Advisory
program supports global education. The school‟s website, its Charter, and other
organizational documents describe the Advisory program as a method of student
academic support in which a group of approximately 20 students are paired with a teacher
for their entire four year experience at the school (XX High School, 1999; XX High
School Website, 2010; XX High School, 2010c). The Advisory teacher connects with the
students‟ parents and other teachers, monitors the students‟ academic progress, and
ensures that every student at XX High School has at least one personal connection with a
teacher (XX High School, 1999; XX High School Website, 2010). However, during the
interviews, teachers and administrators explained that the Advisory program also
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provides a forum for small group, non-academic discussion of global and environmental
issues (High School Principal, personal communication, August 16, 2010; Student
Success Coordinator, personal communication, October 9, 2010; Teacher C, personal
communication, September 17, 2010; Teacher F, personal communication, September 19,
2010). Through their Advisory, students and their teacher choose a service project to
pursue for the year. According to the principal, not only does this “foster a bond”
between the students and their Advisory teacher, but it “gets the kids involved in a
community issue in a very real way” (High School Principal, personal communication,
August 16, 2010). The Advisory program, therefore, goes beyond its primary goal as a
system of academic support by furthering the school‟s mission of global citizenship.
During the 2010-11 academic year, XX High School introduced DataDirector, a
computer-based data analysis program designed to measure student performance on all
types of assessments. DataDirector is described as an “assessment management system”
that links student performance on a variety of assessment types to standards and learning
objectives ((Riverside Publishing, 2009). According to the school‟s principal, the school
chose to implement DataDirector because, unlike other data analysis tools, it provides a
way for the school to measure student performance on the school‟s non-standardized,
project-based and non-traditional assessments (High School Principal, personal
communication, August 16, 2010). All teachers were trained before school began in
using the program and will be expected to use it for analysis and evaluation of student
work and progress during the year (High School Principal, personal communication,
August 16, 2010; XX High School, 2010c). As the principal explained, DataDirector is
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an important component of the school‟s curriculum because it allows project-based
learning to be assessed and evaluated, thereby enabling teachers to use such instructional
methodologies effectively (High School Principal, personal communication, August 16,
2010). Although DataDirector was just being implemented as this case study was
conducted, making observational results about the usefulness and effectiveness of the tool
difficult, the decision to use it as a mode of analysis for non-traditional assessments
suggests a school-wide culture that values and promotes project-based learning, a crucial
component of global education (Asia Society, 2008a; Darling-Hammond, 2007).
The school also uses power standards to drive curriculum development,
interdisciplinary assessments, and instruction. Power standards are the school‟s own set
of standards that department heads, with teacher input, decided have the most relevance
to real-world issues and to other disciplines (XX High School, 2010c). As explained by
the school‟s Student Success Coordinator, power standards are adapted from the
California Content Standards (Student Success Coordinator, personal communication,
October 9, 2010). They define learning objectives that are either (1) fundamental
knowledge necessary for general understanding across disciplines, or (2) connect directly
to current issues in the world (High School Principal, personal communication, August
16, 2010). Department heads are responsible for defining the power standards for their
content area and must revisit and revise, if necessary, the power standards on a yearly
basis (High School Principal, personal communication, August 16, 2010; XX High
School, 2010c). These power standards, then, drive curricular development and
instruction.
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In fact, as the teacher and administrator interviews revealed, the power standards
“drive the course much more than the state‟s content standards” (School Principal, 2010).
One department head explained the rationale behind this practice.
The school really believes that we‟re preparing kids to make a difference in the
world. So, to do that, we create our own learning objectives based on what we
think is the most important knowledge… The power standards are related to the
California Content Standards, but they don‟t mirror them (Department Head,
personal communication, September 17, 2010).

Power standards have become the mode through which the school‟s program integrates
real-world and fundamental, interdisciplinary knowledge throughout the curriculum.
Finally, on-site observations revealed curricular elements in practice that
promoted instruction that incorporated interdisciplinary thinking and global issues.
During the teacher professional development days before the school year began, teachers
worked in grade-level teams to design curricular elements that were both interdisciplinary
and global. The tenth grade team, for example, included two science teachers, two math
teachers, an English teacher, the Social Studies teacher, the Green Ambassadors teacher,
and the P.E. teacher. The teachers began the session with individual presentations and
handouts by each of the teachers on what they considered the most relevant and important
standards for their course. The following several hours were spent in debate and dialogue
trying to find overlap between the different content standards and areas on which to
develop interdisciplinary curricula and assessments. The team decided upon a common
theme, genocide, that would guide all the 10
th
grade courses and that would be the lens
through which many of the instructors would shape their standards-based instruction
(Teacher D, personal communication, August 17, 2010). Although the teachers would
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teach their individual courses individually, they planned units to overlap in content and
skills.
Teachers also collaborated in grade-level teams to design an Intersession
curriculum that was project-based, real-world relevant, and interdisciplinary. The 10
th

grade team continued its work by beginning a thematic unit for the Intersession program
in January based on genocide. All of the teachers were actively engaged in the planning
process and collaborated about broad objectives for the thematic unit that stretched across
disciplines. Even more important, the teachers seemed genuinely committed to ensuring
that Intersession was truly interdisciplinary. The Social Studies teacher expressed
concern that math and science skills be integrated into the project to avoid what he
perceived a key problem of last year‟s Intersession, when math and science took a
“backseat to English and history.” The P.E. teacher noted that issues of nutrition and
health could tie his content area with Science and also serve as causes of international
conflict, thereby bringing in Social Studies. Although the teachers formulated only
general thematic and topical goals for the Intersession during the pre-school year
planning time, their mutual respect for the process revealed an authentic planning
practice that, when complete, would provide students with a truly interdisciplinary
approach for problem-solving and understanding.
During the observed teacher professional development days in August, the ninth
grade team also worked on their Intersession curriculum. The team embraced the theme
of environmental sustainability to challenge the students to design their own sustainable
building (Student Success Coordinator, personal communication, October 9, 2010).
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Recognizing the ninth grade science curriculum introduces students to issues of
environmental science, the teachers sought a learning experience that would help students
connect their science coursework with the real world and with their other academic
subject areas. The teachers were working to coordinate a partnership with a local
architectural design firm to prepare a project in which students would design and propose
an environmentally sustainable building for the school. The project would have
particular meaning for the students because the teachers hoped that the building would
eventually be built at the new middle school campus (High School Principal, personal
communication, September 20, 2010).
In September 2010, several days of classroom and onsite observations were
conducted to understand the type of instruction taking place, the level and type of student
engagement, and the general application of the school-wide curriculum in individual
classrooms. The first class that was observed was a ninth grade English class, consisting
of 31 students seated in desks turned toward each other to form tables of between four
and six students. They were working on an essay based on the class‟ reading of the book
Things I Have to Tell You, by Betsy Franco and Nina Nickels (2001). Through poetry
and prose, the book addresses feelings and issues common amongst teenagers. The
lesson centered on a peer editing process, whereby students read and critiqued partners‟
essays. The teacher introduced the assignment at the beginning of the class and provided
the students with handouts with directions and guiding questions to complete. After
approximately 10 minutes of introduction, however, the teacher sat down at his desk and
the students busied themselves in reading and reviewing their peers‟ essays. The students
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were engaged and attentive to the process. They moved around the room at will to
sharpen pencils, get supplies, and work with each other. However, the students wasted
little time and remained on task. During the last half of the class, most students had
finished the peer edit assignment and sat down with their own, now edited, essays and
began revisions. The teacher answered students‟ questions periodically, but remained
peripheral for most of the period.
A math class was observed later on that day. The Algebra B class had 29 students
seated in desks facing each other to form table formations. The teacher began the period
with a general lesson that was very teacher-directed – students observed, took notes, and
three students asked/answered questions. After about 15 minutes, the teacher finished his
lesson and the students began independent work. Students became involved in a variety
of different tasks, including working through problems in the textbook, correcting other
students‟ homework, and taking or retaking quizzes or tests. The teacher explained
afterwards that he wants the students to be independent in how they learn, so he
structured his class period to give guidance at the beginning, but then opportunity for the
students to decide how to use their time (Teacher C, personal communication, September
17, 2010). A class assignment sheet identified work that must be completed, including
homework, quizzes, and tests. However, students worked at their own pace. For
example, during the observation, several students took a chapter test, while others worked
on homework from that same chapter. Overall, the attitude in the classroom was positive,
yet serious. The students tended to be quiet and focused on their work. Group work and
student collaboration seemed non-existent, except for the occasional question that one
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student would ask another. Everyone was on task for the entire period and students
seemed to know what to do. Though some students asked the teacher questions
periodically, the questions tended to be about the content/material, rather than about
assignment requirements or due dates.
In an interview with the teacher after the class ended, the teacher explained that
his educational philosophy focuses on strong discipline and high expectations. He
derided the school‟s administration for “pampering the kids,” explaining students are
“rarely suspended” and “discipline has to take place in your classroom because the school
doesn‟t do it” (Teacher C, personal communication, September 17, 2010). He stated
proudly that his tall stature “intimidates the kids,” an affect in which he apparently valued
as it “keeps them busy” (Teacher C, personal communication, September 17, 2010).
When asked questions about the role that global issues play in his teaching, he responded
“None. I teach math.” He elaborated that the administration wants global issues to be
integrated, but “that‟s unrealistic until the kids know the basics” (Teacher C, personal
communication, September 17, 2010). He noted that during Intersession, all of the
students work on an interdisciplinary, global or environmental project that integrates the
concepts from his math class. Nevertheless, he expressed that “learning about other
cultures, other parts of the world, that‟s for social studies class. Or maybe English. In
here, I want my kids to know how to do algebra. That‟s what they‟re tested on in May”
(Teacher C, personal communication, September 17, 2010).
Several other classes were also observed, include a ninth grade study skills/AVID
class, an 11
th
grade Spanish class, and a 12
th
grade physics class. Though addressing
105
different information and using different activities, the classes shared several
characteristics. First, all classrooms incorporated elements of teacher-directed
instruction. The students took notes and listened to the teacher speak. During this time
in every class, some students demonstrated engagement by asking questions and sharing
ideas, but most sat passively without any noticeable indication of interest or
understanding. Next, each class incorporated some element of reflection in the process of
student learning. The AVID class had a folder stapled to the wall with self-reflection
forms students filled out on a weekly basis. During the physics class, students worked on
a lab project that, upon completion, required them to assess their strengths and
weaknesses. Students ended the Spanish class with a technology-based assignment –
using the classroom‟s laptop computer cart to work in pairs to write a Twitter update
using the day‟s vocabulary and grammatical conjugations. Finally, in all of the classes,
students seemed to work on real-world application of the material at least minimally.
The AVID class learned about college requirements and read a newspaper article about
the relationships between high school and college graduation in lifetime earnings. The
Spanish class‟ Twitter activity was preceded by a discussion about online etiquette and
safety. The physics class completed a lab that engaged students in observation, data
collection, and analysis. Notably, neither global nor environmental sustainability issues
shaped the lesson of any of these classes. During brief, after-class discussions with the
teachers, all of the teachers endorsed the school‟s commitment to global and
environmental education and affirmed that their own instructional topics integrate these
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issues, though admittedly not on the observed days (Teacher H, personal communication,
September 19, 2010; Teacher I, personal communication, September 19, 2010).
These classroom observations suggest a varied level of success in implementing a
globally-relevant curriculum. The skills and types of thinking that the academic literature
noted were particularly relevant for a 21
st
century, interconnected society featured
prominently in the classroom curricula (Darling-Hammond, 2007; Jackson, 2004, 2008;
Sanders & Stewart, 2007; Wagner, 2008). Students in the observed classes collaborated
with each other, worked independently of the teacher to accomplish tasks, and the focus
on self-reflection emphasized the learning process rather than the retention of discrete
knowledge. Nevertheless, the content of the observed classes lacked the global
component inherently characteristic of a truly global curriculum. Students worked on
projects without relevance to global issues or topics. Admittedly, the class observations
were mere snapshots, representing particular moments in time, a limitation inherent in a
case study (Creswell, 2003). The teachers, through after-class interviews and with
reference to their class syllabi, affirmed a commitment to global and environmental
content. Since such content was not observed in any of these classes, however, it is
difficult to affirm the extent to which typical classes at XX High School integrated global
topics on a daily basis.
Data for Question 2
The second research question posed in this study was:
What organizational structures support globalization?
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A review of the school‟s organizing documents, the Parent and Student
Handbook, the school website, and the school schedule revealed an institution designed
to foster global competency in students. First, the school‟s leadership and administrative
structure supported global and environmental initiatives. Governing the entire school, a
five member Board of Directors oversaw school operations and provided leadership and
guidance for the fulfillment of the school‟s Charter and mission (XX High School, 1999;
Board of Directors, 2008). Each board member brought a professional background in
issues of environmental sustainability or global development, including work in
sustainable urban planning, green-design architecture in developing countries, human
rights advocacy groups, and management of international corporations.
The school‟s on-site leadership team also revealed a school-level commitment to
global education. According to the executive director‟s welcome statement on the school
website, she created XX High School in order to promote student engagement in the
global world (XX High School Website, 2010). Each of the school‟s administrators have
experience in international issues, from formal academic study of world cultures and
multiculturalism, to world travel, to experience implementing service and international
learning opportunities for students. A special Director position was created as a member
of the school‟s administrative team. While the Director also coordinates the Green
Ambassadors environmental program, this administrator spends 40% of his time forming
outside partnerships, coordinating resources, and overseeing the relevance of global
issues in the school‟s programming. According to the school‟s Charter, the Director
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position plays a crucial role in the realization of the school‟s commitment to global
education (XX High School, 1999).
The school‟s schedule supports instructional strategies that enhance critical
thinking and problem-solving. While students enroll in up to six courses at a time, during
any particular day only three classes meet (XX High School, 2009b). The school adopted
a block schedule in which each class period lasts for 90 minutes and meets on alternating
days. The school‟s Charter references educational research that supports block
scheduling as an important tool for project-based learning and instruction that develops
students‟ ability to thinking at higher levels of Bloom‟s Taxonomy (XX High School,
1999). During interviews, teachers and administrators almost unanimously praised the
school‟s schedule. One teacher noted that having 90 minutes at a time “really changes
what and how kids learn” (Teacher H, personal communication, September 19, 2010).
He explained that 90 minutes provides time for applying, evaluating, and “working
through” complex concepts in order to “make connections between different ideas and
even different subjects” (Teacher H, personal communication, September 19, 2010) He
also remarked that with 90 minutes, he had time to design hands-on projects for his that
“make learning more meaningful to [the students]” (Teacher H).
The faculty and staff survey documented perceptions of the organizational
structure as it furthered the school‟s ability to prepare students for a global, 21
st
century
world. The questions that applied to organizational structure, and the faculty and staff
responses, are represented in Table 2.
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Table 2: Survey Questions #6-10
Survey Question
No
Answers/
Unsure
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
Strongly
6. A global/international focus is
evident in the school‟s
extracurricular activities.
0 0 1 14 16
7. The school has or seeks
partnership(s) with schools
outside of the United States,
another school, business, or
university.
9 3 3 8 8
8. Teachers are provided
professional development
opportunities for purposes of
global education.
3 1 4 15 8
9. Staff have time to develop
curriculum that includes a
global perspective.
3 0 5 12 11
10. The interest and involvement
of parents in the school
enhances global learning.
2 4 10 13 2

From these survey responses, an institutional culture emerged reflecting a
perception that the structure of the school supports global learning. Over 96% of
respondents (30 out of 31) reported that the school‟s extracurricular activities support
global or international issues. Interviews further illuminated a shared confidence among
teachers and administrators in the value of the school‟s clubs and afterschool activities in
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global education. Teachers repeatedly referred to the Global Ambassador club as “the
most active” group on campus for global service. One administrator explained that the
school encourages teachers to develop their own clubs to further the education of global
issues. As a result, the school now has multiple clubs dedicated to engaging students in
extra-curricular service and engagement with global issues. The Rotary Interact Club
arose from a partnership created by a XX High School teacher and the local Rotary Club
(Executive Director, personal communication, August 18, 2010). The club seeks to
advance students‟ understanding of international issues and goodwill (XX High School
Website, 2010). Through the club, XX High School students have run local fundraisers
to support partner schools in Mexico and Zimbabwe and have travelled to Mexico to help
a village renovate a school (Executive Director, personal communication, August 18,
2010). An interview with an administrator revealed that another extra-curricular
program, Summer Travel, helps students identify and fundraise for opportunities for
summer travel and service abroad. Through Summer Travel, students have visited
Mexico and Peru, learning about local culture and contributing to local communities
through hands-on service projects (Student Success Coordinator, personal
communication, October 9, 2010).
While the survey responses illustrated a shared-belief in the school‟s commitment
to global education through its extra-curricular activities, there was less certainty about
the school‟s level of partnership with other schools and organizations As the survey
results in Table 2 indicated, almost one-third (9 out of 31) of the respondents selected
„Unsure/No Answer‟ for whether the school had or sought such partnerships.
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Approximately 20% (6 out of 31) indicated that the school did not have or seek such
partnerships. Meanwhile, just over 50% of teachers and administrators taking the survey
agreed, either moderately or strongly, that the school indeed had or sought outside
partnerships. The survey included lines for respondents to elaborate or explain their
answers, and the written explanations further suggested a culture of confusion on this
issue. One teacher noted that “we are beginning to reach out to other schools across the
nation and world,” while another wrote “lots of local and world partners,” and several
others responded with “unsure” or “don‟t know.” The divergence in responses to this
survey question cast doubt as to the strength of such partnerships in truly impacting the
school‟s global program.
Interviews with teachers and administrators provided opportunity for clarification
about the existence and role of local and global partnerships. Administrators described
multiple partnerships that “enhance the school‟s ability to teach environmental and global
issues to our kids” (High School Principal, personal communication, August 16, 2010;
Student Success Coordinator, personal communication, October 9, 2010). The school‟s
executive director explained that the school worked hard to foster positive, educational
partnerships. She lamented, however, that over the past ten years, challenges have arisen
in ensuring that the partnerships always connected to educational goals and student
achievement. She reported that several of the most successful partnerships between the
school and outside organizations include a local marine research foundation, a local
university, and an international non-governmental organization that develops un- or
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underused city land into community centers, parks, health clinics, etc. (Executive
Director, personal communication, August 18, 2010).
Interviews with administrators and science faculty confirmed the prevalence of
such partnerships. The partnership with the local marine research foundation has become
a regular component of the science curriculum for all grade levels. Ninth grade students
collected and sampled beach debris to assess the biodegradability of the trash (Executive
Director, personal communication, April 20, 2010). Tenth graders dissected albatross
bullets to examine evidence of pollution and plastics in the marine environment.
Eleventh and twelfth graders collected and built a boat out of recycled materials, which
they sailed along the pacific coastline to raise awareness of plastic pollution (Teacher F,
personal communication, September 19, 2010). The school principal praised this
partnership as an “important part of the school‟s focus on real-world learning” (High
School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010).
Administrators also noted that the school partnered with local organizations and
universities in order to assist with environmental sustainability projects that underscore
the school‟s curriculum (Executive Director, personal communication, April 20, 2010;
Student Success Coordinator, personal communication, October 9, 2010). The school has
an organic garden that supports the cafeteria. This garden was created by XX High
School students and local university graduate students, who provided guidance in the
planning and building stages. The school‟s rainwater harvest center was designed by the
12
th
grade physics and AP Environmental Science classes in collaboration with urban
design students at a local university. Funding from a local design firm facilitated the
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construction of both the garden and the rainwater harvest center and their ongoing
maintenance (High School Principal, personal communication, August 16, 2010).
Other partnerships that administrators highlighted as evidence of the school‟s
global purpose included collaborative relationships with elementary schools in Mexico
and Zimbabwe, facilitated through the relationship with a local Rotary Club (Executive
Director, personal communication, August 18, 2010). Through these partnerships,
students at XX High School have formed pen-pal relationships in their English classes,
have created cultural and environmental reports for their history classes, and 15 of the
students visited the Mexican school during in early 2009 school year to engage in cultural
and service activities (Executive Director, personal communication, August 18, 2010;
High School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010; Teacher E,
personal communication, September 19, 2010; Teacher G, personal communication,
September 19, 2010). According to XX High School‟s principal, the trip was fully
funded through student- and school-fundraising, and the 15 students were selected
through a school-wide essay contest in which all students participated through an English
unit on narrative writing (High School Principal, personal communication, September 20,
2010). Though financial constraints prevented the trip from occurring during the last
school year, the principal hopes to secure grant funding to organize trips in the future
(High School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010).
The teacher interviews revealed a greater disparity in awareness and
understanding of outside partnerships than the administrator interviews, suggesting a less
than full integration of the school‟s mission into the day-to-day school operations
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(Kodama, 2007; Sanders & Stewart, 2007). Some teachers had detailed information
about the marine research partnership and the student involvement with the partner
schools in Mexico and Zimbabwe, however others seemed completely unaware. When
asked if he was aware of any partnerships with schools outside of the U.S., a math
teacher who was hired at the school the previous year said “not that I‟ve heard of”
(Teacher C, personal communication, September 17, 2010). A teacher new to the school
for the current academic year reported that she did not know of any partnerships with
schools abroad and the topic did not come up during the hiring process (Teacher A,
personal communication, August 16, 2010). Teachers who have been at the school for at
least three years seemed to demonstrate a greater awareness of the school‟s partnerships
than newer teachers, as well as those teachers whose classes were directly involved in the
partnership activity, such as those in the Science and English Departments (Teacher B,
personal communication, August 16, 2010; Teacher C, personal communication,
September 17, 2010; Teacher G, personal communication, September 19, 2010; Teacher
H, personal communication, September 19, 2010).
During the onsite observations, evidence of these partnerships was scattered and
infrequent. Hallway bulletin boards and signage gave no indication that the school was
involved with outside organizations or international schools. There were no pictures
from the student trip to Mexico in 2009 or evidence of the pen pal correspondence. The
only visible evidence of this partnership was in the school‟s community service office,
where a sign listing past student community service projects. The marine research
foundation partnership is more evident throughout the school. Several science
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classrooms had snapshots of students engaged in the work posted on the walls and posters
with the marine foundation‟s logo and mission statement were also displayed. The
school‟s garden and rainwater recycling center included mounted signs, thanking a local
university for its assistance in developing the space. However, aside from these
examples of the school partnerships, the onsite visit revealed no other physical
manifestations of XX High School‟s connection to other organizations.
Interestingly, developing partnerships with organizations outside of the school is
one of the criteria on which teachers are evaluated, according to the XX High School
Teacher Evaluation Tool (XX High School, 2008). Yet, given the lack of consensus
amongst the teachers regarding the existence of such partnerships, the effectiveness of the
evaluation system in promoting such partnerships is questionable (Devlin-Foltz, 2009;
Lucke, 1998). When teachers were asked, during the interview component of the data
collection process, whether they formed partnerships with the broader community for
their classes, teachers responded inconsistently. Several teachers noted lack of time,
logistical challenges, and the pressures of the California Standards Test as rationales for
not successfully integrating community partnerships (Teacher C, personal
communication, September 17, 2010; Teacher F, personal communication, September 19,
2010; Teacher H, personal communication, September 19, 2010). However, others cited
examples of partnerships, particularly teachers of English, science or history subject areas
(Teacher E, personal communication, September 19, 2010; Teacher G, personal
communication, September 19, 2010; Teacher I, personal communication, September 19,
2010). Many of the partnerships are informal and infrequent, such as a visit from a local
116
museum or non-profit agency to speak to a class. Other partnerships are more extensive,
such as an ongoing relationships with an disposable waste company to facilitate field trip
and internship opportunities for students (High School Principal, personal
communication, August 16, 2010).
While the data collection process revealed mixed indications of strong and well-
integrated partnerships between XX High School and other organizations, a clear sense
emerged of the school‟s commitment to professional development to support global
education. The school‟s charter asserted its commitment to professional development as
an essential part of the fulfillment of its mission of promoting global citizenship (XX
High School, 1999). The school‟s planning binder, distributed to every teacher, stated
that professional development was “essential to learning” (XX High School, 2010c).
According to the binder, all teachers participated in grade level professional learning
communities (PLCs) where they collaboratively analyzed student data and build
curricula. The PLCs also work together to plan “field investigations” – project-based
fieldtrips that require students to participate in the local environment (XX High School,
2008).
The school‟s schedule supports this commitment to professional development.
With the block scheduling, teachers had common planning time that, according to
interviews with administrators and teachers, the school considered “sacred” (High School
Principal, personal communication, August 16, 2010; Student Success Coordinator,
personal communication, October 9, 2010; Teacher C, personal communication,
September 17, 2010; Teacher D, personal communication, August 17, 2010). Teacher
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interviews confirmed that other meetings were never scheduled during teachers‟ planning
time and administrators noted that teachers were expected to use this time to work
collaboratively with others across disciplines. The school also allocated every third
Monday morning as a “late start day,” in which teachers had student-free mornings in
order to work in PLCs and grade level teams on curricular design and student data-
analysis (High School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010; XX High
School, 2009b). Before the school year begins, the teacher contract requires 10 days of
professional development, of which four are used for organizational meetings and the
remaining six are reserved for teacher collaboration and planning (Executive Director,
personal communication, April 20, 2010). Finally, throughout the year, a professional
development fund supports teacher attendance at conferences, workshops, trainings, with
first priority given to those that support English Learners, but second priority given to
programs that address environmental or global issues (XX High School, 2010c).
According to the school‟s principal, last year, XX High School spent over $20,000 to
fund professional development related to the environmental and international education
(High School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010). This time and
support for professional development has created a culture whereby teachers understand,
and can articulate and, generally, support, the school‟s global mission (Devlin-Foltz,
2009).
The school‟s teacher evaluation system supported its broader commitment to
promoting globally-relevant skills. As a charter school, the school hired teachers on a
yearly basis, without any guarantee of future employment and no tenure protection. Each
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year, teachers are reviewed through a self-reflection process, a peer evaluation, and a
principle assessment. The results become part of the teacher‟s permanent file at the
school and inform rehiring and salary decisions. The evaluation model prompts teachers
to embrace interdisciplinary, project-based instructional models that incorporate global
issues. The principal‟s teacher evaluation tool included specific globally-relevant
criteria, excerpted and noted below.
Teacher allows students to transfer skills and understanding to new situations,
settings, or subjects.
Teacher engages students in experiential learning activities and/or community-
based service learning opportunities.
Teacher makes interdisciplinary connections throughout the curriculum and
implements interdisciplinary projects whenever possible.
Teacher effectively uses strategies to deepen understanding, including higher-
order questioning.
Teacher maintains a student-centered classroom, acting as a facilitator and
resource-provider for inquiry-based learning.
Teacher actively engages all students in problem solving and critical thinking.
Teacher makes learning meaningful by encouraging students to apply concepts
and skills to real-life context.
Teacher creates and facilitates field trips or service learning projects connected
with curriculum and in line with the school‟s best practices (XX High School,
2008).

Each of these criteria hold teachers accountable for ensuring that their instruction
promotes critical thinking and real-world application, modes of thinking that are integral
in a global curriculum. They go beyond the traditional California Standards for the
Teaching Profession by setting clear expectations for teachers to engage students in
community-based learning, service projects, and experiential activities (California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 1997). Notably, nothing in XX High School‟s
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teacher evaluation tool specifically mentions global instruction or environmental
sustainability.
The onsite observations conducted in October 2010 included observation of
another institutional practice to support globally relevant education. All teachers conduct
peer evaluations called classroom walk-throughs (CWTs). Through CWTs, teachers
provide informal evaluation and feedback to each other using a rubric based on the
standards of the formal teacher evaluation tool. Using the CWT form, peer evaluators
focus on the lesson, not the teacher, and the students. Through this process, teachers note
the learning objectives, student behaviors, and indicators of student learning as they
pertain to standards-based learning objectives, global content, and environmental
awareness (XX High School, 2007). The form asks guiding questions in each of these
areas in order to ensure that the CWT will provide information relevant to the school‟s
mission and vision (XX High School, 2007). The CWT forms become a part of each
reviewed-teacher‟s file and inform the official yearly evaluation (High School Principal,
personal communication, September 20, 2010).
Data for Question 3
The final research question posed in this study was:
What perceived student outcomes are seen in these schools?
While the first two research questions sought to identify elements of the school‟s
curriculum and organizational structure, the third research question sought to identify
patterns of student behaviors, levels of achievement, and attitudinal characteristics. Since
the methodology of this case study did not include direct contact with students for
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interviews or surveys, the data gathered to support this research question relied on
reported perceptions from teachers and administrators, documented indicators of student
achievement from state test scores and college acceptances, and the researcher‟s own
observations.
The initial phase of data collection utilized a thorough document review. The
document review uncovered several important elements of student outcomes. First, the
school clearly identified several Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, defining the
institution‟s expectations for student outcomes. The ESLRs were:
1. Students will excel and reach their academic potential.
2. Students demonstrate community responsibility and environmental stewardship.
3. Students embrace a spirit of discovering and possess critical thinking skills.
4. Students demonstrate social, emotional, and physical wellness and healthy
relationships with others. (XX High School Instructional Framework) (XX High
School, 2010c)

While none of the ESLRs specifically incorporated a „global‟ theme either by
name or description, they address the skills and competencies that were identified in the
literature as crucial educational elements for students in an interconnected world (Asia
Society, 2008a, 2008b; Darling-Hammond, 2007; Friedman, 2008; Wagner, 2008). The
ESLRs called for all students to realize their academic potential, suggesting that student
be college-ready. The literature revealed the importance of a university or college degree
in the international marketplace, for a nation‟s overall economic growth and an
individual‟s potential for economic prosperity (Achieve, Inc., 2005a; Committee for
Economic Development, 2006; Darling-Hammond, 2007). The second ESLR called
upon students to understand their role in the world outside of the school walls and take
121
responsibility for environmental challenges, directly incorporating important global
challenges that are transnational in cause and scope. The call for students to possess
critical thinking skills, the third ESLR, emphasized the flexible, higher level of thinking
that researchers and policymakers identify as core competencies for the global world
(Committee for Economic Development, 2006; Friedman, 2008; Wagner, 2008). The
final ESLR was the most general, calling for overall health and wellness in all aspects of
students‟ lives. While not directly related to the global skills and content that researchers
have prioritized, this focus on wellness reflected the school‟s concern that students will
be prepared for all aspects of life in an unpredictable world (Friedman, 2008; Wagner,
2008).
The school‟s website also boasted important elements of student academic
outcomes. The school‟s Academic Performance Index was 765, an increase of over 300
points over the last five years (XX High School Website, 2010). The school met all of its
subgroups growth targets. Though the school met 13 of its 14 growth targets, it did not
meet the state mandated Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) because it failed to meet its
target for student graduation rates. College-readiness is important to the culture of XX
High School, reflect by the school‟s graduation requirements that mirror the University of
California A-G admission standards. According to the 2008-09 School Accountability
Report Card, 98% of the school‟s graduates met the UC or CSU course requirements.
This is significantly higher than the country average, 34%, and the State of California
average, 36%, for high school graduates. The remaining two percent of graduates that
did not meet these requirements had individualized education plans calling for a revised
122
set of graduation standards (XX High School Website, 2010; School Wise Press, 2010).
In 2008, almost 45% of the school‟s graduating seniors enrolled in UC or CSU schools,
more than twice the country and state averages of 22 and 21%, respectively (XX High
School Website, 2010).
Despite the positive academic achievements reflected in the School
Accountability Report Card, other indicators suggest that XX High School‟s students are
not prepared for academic and economic success after graduation (XX High School
Website, 2010). The results of XX High School‟s performance on the 2007 SAT, relative
to county and state averages, are displayed in Table 3. Nearly two times the percentage
of seniors (83%) at XX High School take the SAT than the country average (45%) or the
state average (40%). However, the average score of XX High School‟s juniors and
seniors who took the SAT verbal test was 411, 61 points lower than the county average
and 83 points lower than the state average. On the math section of the SAT, the average
score of XX High school juniors and seniors was 385, 105 points below the county
average (490) and almost 130 points lower than the state average (513). Finally, the
average SAT writing score for XX High School juniors and seniors was 415, below the
475 county and 493 state averages (XX High School Website, 2010). Based on these
results on a widely-used college admissions exam, XX High School students may not
have been as competitive for admission to four year colleges and universities compared
to their county and state peers (XX High School Website, 2010).
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Table 3: SAT College Entrance Exam Comparative Results (XX High School
Website, 2010)
Key Factor XX High School County Average California Average
SAT participation
rate
83% 45% 40%
SAT verbal score 411 472 494
SAT math score 385 490 513
SAT writing score 415 475 493

Other indicators from the document review phase of investigation suggest positive
student behaviors. According to the school‟s Admissions Application (XX High School,
2010a), the school had an average daily attendance for the 2009-10 academic year at over
95%. The school scored in the ninth decile, or 90
th
percentile, on the Similar Schools
Ranking, a system that ranks the school‟s API among other schools with similar
demographic characteristics (School Wise Press, 2010). Further, over 95% of graduating
seniors were accepted to a four year college or university from the graduating class of
2009 (XX High School Website, 2010). However, investigations with the school‟s
college counselor revealed that only approximately 60% of the graduating students
actually enrolled in college. The school does not currently keep data on how many of its
graduates that enroll in college actually graduate after four, five, or six years. This
information about college enrollment and the lack of data on college enrollment was
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troubling for a school that sought to prepare students for a global world. As discussed
Chapter Two, college graduation is directly related to an individual‟s access to higher
paying jobs and a nation‟s ability to compete economically with other industrialized
countries (Carnevale & Desrochers, 2003; Committee for Economic Development, 2006;
Darling-Hammond, 2007).
The next point of data collection on perceived student outcomes among XX High
School faculty and staff came from the survey administered in August 2010. The survey
items that address this research question made up the final section of the survey and are
reported in Table 4.

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Table 4: Survey Questions # 11-15
Survey Question
No
Answers/
Unsure
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree
Strongly
Agree
Strongly
11. Students develop some sense
of civic responsibility by
identifying specific ways that
they can make some
contribution to the resolution
of a global issue..
2 0 1 16 12
12. Students understand different
cultural points of view.
3 0 6 16 5
13. Students have appreciation for
diversity and culture.
3 0 4 16 10
14. Students explore
environmental issues.
2 0 0 9 22
15. Students realize/understand
the interconnected of issues.
0 0 7 16 8

As Table 4 illustrates, a majority of the faculty and staff at the school expressed
confidence that students were developing the characteristics needed for a global
marketplace and society. The five survey questions reflected the findings from the
literature review about some of the most important qualities of individuals capable of
competing and interacting in a globally-connected world (Carnevale & Desroches, 2003;
Levine, 2005; Reimers, 2009; Rothenberg, 2003). With no survey respondent indicating
strong disagreement to any of the five statements, at least 67% of faculty and staff either
126
strongly agreed or agreed with each of the statements claiming student competency with
globally-relevant thinking and skills. Over two-thirds (22 out of 31) of the survey
respondents strongly agreed that students explored environmental issues throughout the
school‟s curriculum. Over 77% (24 out of 31) of respondents agreed that students
realized the interconnectedness of issues, a crucial understanding for engagement with
the complex issues of a global society connected by technology like never before. More
than 90% of respondents (28 out of 31) agreed that students developed a sense of civic
responsibility and identified specific ways that they could affect global challenges.
Finally participating teachers, staff, and administrators consistently reported that students
understood cultural points of view and appreciated diversity and culture (67%, 21 out of
31, and 84%, 26 out of 31, respectively). This survey data suggested a shared perception
among faculty and staff that students developed respect for a global society and were
confident about their ability to affect that society.
The interviews with teachers and administrators confirmed a general cultural
assumption that as XX High School students progressed through their high school years,
they become more engaged with global issues and more analytical thinkers, important
elements of global education (Executive Director, personal communication, April 20,
2010; High School Principal, personal communication, August 16, 2010; Teacher A,
personal communication, August 16, 2010; Teacher I, personal communication,
September 19, 2010; Student Success Coordinator, personal communication, October 9,
2010). The school‟s executive director explained that the school‟s greatest strength lies
in its proven ability to create “globally-minded kids” who were also “college ready”
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(Executive Director, personal communication, April 20, 2010). She noted that through
their classes and clubs, the students had a multitude of opportunities to tackle real-world
issues in a complex, interdisciplinary way. From these opportunities, she explained, she
was “always impressed with how sophisticated the kids deal with these really serious
problems. They get it. They understand that the world is connected and what we do here
makes a difference on the other side of the world” (Executive Director, personal
communication, August 18, 2010). She gave several anecdotal stories of students coming
to her just before or after graduation voicing an interest in pursuing a career in
environmental science. She also described her observations of students work and
presentations during the yearly Intersession.
This is the best example of kids working across subject areas, stretching
everything they know and coming up with new ideas with practical
application…The teachers work really hard to make sure that the Intersession
projects and subjects connect to the world. By the end of Intersession, you hear
the kids speaking in complicated ways. They make connections from one subject
area to another, and relate it all back to the overall topic, even if that‟s hunger in
Africa or solar power in the third world (Executive Director, personal
communication, August 18, 2010).

Teacher interviews echoed the intent behind the executive director‟s emphasis on
critical thinking and real-world application. Teachers praised the students‟ abilities to
perform research, compile and sort through information, and analyze complex problems.
One group of teachers described the complexity of tasks that students worked through for
last year‟s Intercession project. The project required students to explore the relationship
between environment and human shelters across historical periods and regions. One
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teacher described the complexity of skills students demonstrated through the month-long
project:
Throughout the entire project, the kids worked in teams and collaborated with
each other. This wasn‟t „my project,‟ it was „my team‟s project‟. The kids
researched a specific biome, found the natural materials from that biome and
researched scientific principles to write reports explaining how the biome‟s
shelters would control heat transfer. Kids also had to explore cultural strategies
used by different societies in their shelters, and how the culture adapted to the
natural environment… The students used basic algebra to design a scaled city,
including buildings that would maximize heat from the sun through angular walls
and roofs. There was also a writing component… The teams wrote short
narratives set in the time and place of their shelter project, read novels set in pre-
urban cultures and explored survival strategies used by these cultures. The kids
did presentations to the entire school, putting it all together. It was really
impressive how much these kids were able to use information from a lot of
different places to put it all together for their shelter project (Teacher E, personal
communication, September 19, 2010).

Other teachers noted the senior thesis as a particular example of the students‟
ability to use complex, problem-solving skills. One advisor for the 12
th
grade thesis
project exclaimed “all the kids have to use critical thinking and problem-solving to do the
thesis. It‟s not just a recall-type assignment. They have to choose a real-life problem and
then go research it and proposing a solution” (Teacher F, personal communication,
September 19, 2010). While many of the recent topics have included environmental
issues, a strong focus of the school, others have included less-environmentally-related
global issues (High School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010).
Examples of senior thesis topics from last year included human trafficking between
Central America and the United States, micro-lending economic development in
Southern Asia, and the issue of potable water in the developing world. The senior thesis
project is largely student-directed. Students choose their own topics, develop their own
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research project, and propose and write their own reports and action plans (XX High
School, 2010c). Comments from teachers and administrators about the senior thesis
included “you see critical thinking at its best!,” referring to Bloom‟s Taxonomy of
hierarchical levels of thinking - “Bloom would be proud,” “these kids get it,” and “they
realize that they can solve the problems in the world today. Solutions aren‟t out of reach”
(Teacher B, personal communication, August 16, 2010; Teacher D, personal
communication, August 17, 2010; Teacher H, personal communication, September 19,
2010).
During the onsite visits during the fall of 2010, observational data was collected
pertaining to perceived student attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes. During the New
Teacher Orientation in August, several students from the Green Ambassadors Club and
the faculty advisor, the Director, presented details about the program to the new faculty
and staff. The Director introduced the program and students, explaining that “it‟s the
most important thing we do here – teaching them about the world they‟ll be stepping into
and what to do with that world” (Green Ambassadors, 2010). The Director gave a brief
background about the curricular and extra-curricular aspects of Green Ambassadors,
explaining that while all 10th graders completed the course, any grade level could
participate in the club (Green Ambassadors, 2010).
Following the Director‟s introduction of Green Ambassadors, the students spoke
for approximately 20 minutes, using a power point, but no other notes. Each of the
students spoke clearly and articulately. One explained that the school‟s environmental
program “changed his life” by helping him realize that his actions can make a difference
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(Green Ambassadors, 2010). This student volunteered at local youth centers in the
community to help other students learn about practical ways that they can support the
environment. Another student described the change that the school‟s Green
Ambassador‟s program made in his life.
Before 10
th
grade, I thought „green‟ just was a way for people to whine about
stuff. I shut my ears whenever I heard the word „green‟ or about the idea of
making a difference in the world. But now, I hear „green‟ and think of all of the
things that I can get involved in (Green Ambassadors, 2010).

This rising 12
th
grader had a long list of environmental accomplishments. He spoke
before 6,000 people at the November 4, 2009 Environmental Youth Conference,
highlighting the „Brag about Your Bag‟ reusable bag program that Green Ambassadors
worked to implement at the school (Green Ambassadors, 2010).
The other student speakers were equally impressive, both in their
accomplishments and their demeanors. In 2009, another student led a break-out session
at the 2009 Bioneers Conference, a gathering of environmental experts for workshops
and presentations on environmental sustainability. One student noted that from his work
in these issues at school, he convinced his family to create their own organic garden in
their backyard and to compost (Green Ambassadors, 2010). All of the presenting students
spoke passionately about their environmental contributions through Green Ambassadors,
using the term “change agents” and “environmental stewards” repeatedly (Green
Ambassadors, 2010). They demonstrated a sense of purpose in the school community and
a shared commitment to improving the environment.
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This sense of confidence and commitment amongst the student Global
Ambassadors representatives was echoed throughout the onsite observations, albeit in
less overt ways. Students at XX High School exhibited a sense of empowerment as they
moved about the campus, spoke to visitors, and interacted with each other. Throughout
the days spent at the school, students were observed in informal and formal settings.
During lunch, students gathered in the central patio area. As they mingled and ate,
students picked up their own and others‟ trash, separated their lunch leftovers into the
trash, recycle, and compost bins, and used reusable containers and bottles. Throughout
the lunch period, students visited the school‟s water dispenser, installed to encourage
students to bring reusable water bottles in place of disposable plastic bottles. Students
also bought lunches from the school cafeteria, where a sign proudly noted that the
school‟s garden helped supply the cafeteria‟s fruit and vegetable selection. On each of
observation days, as the end of lunch bell rang and the students scattered across the
campus towards classrooms, the lunch patio was left abandoned, but not neglected.
Before the students filtered out, they made sure to throw away most of their trash and left
the area almost as clean as it was before lunch. Soda cans, water bottles, food wrappers,
and other scraps were largely confined to the waste bins, not the ground. Notably, though
staff supervised the patio/lunch area throughout, though they never told or instructed
students to dispose of their trash or take care of the area. Even though this was just the
second week of the fall semester, the students displayed a sense of understanding about
community ownership and pride.
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The onsite observation also provided evidence of students going beyond the
requirements of the school‟s programmatic offerings in order to promote global change.
One student started her own online blog in order “to empower solutions in all by using
media film as the outlet” (XX High School Student, 2009). Focused primarily on
environmental sustainability, the blog sought to inform individuals about environmental
issues and to promote projects and solutions that addressed these challenges. Through
this blog and an interview with the school principal, the researcher learned about several
student-created and student-led initiatives that illustrated an authentic and meaningful
engagement of the school‟s students with the global issue of environmental destruction
(High School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010; XX High School,
2009). Several XX High School students created a student-speaker series that partners
with a local organization dedicated to the protection of the world's beaches. Through this
program, 15 XX High School students have spoken to over 8,000 individuals throughout
Southern California. This speaker-series is entirely student-created and run. Though the
school encourages the students‟ work, it provides no curricular support, no formal faculty
advisor, and no financial or other resource allocation. Through the students‟ own
concern for the environment, they created and maintained this program (High School
Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010; XX High School, 2009).
The Student Council also decided in the Fall of 2009 that all school dances should
support the values of environmental awareness (High School Principal, personal
communication, September 20, 2010). The Green Prom in the spring of 2010 became the
first example of this (XX High School, 2009). Through a student-led publicity campaign
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that included partnerships with local businesses, students were encouraged to rent,
instead of buy, their prom dresses and to use eco-friendly nail polish and makeup. The
event was held in an environmentally-friendly LEED certified building and all food
served was provided by local organic farmers and growers. Finally, several months
before the prom, the Student Council planted flower seeds in the school garden that by
May grew into the girls‟ corsages and the boys‟ boutonnieres. Throughout the event,
elegantly designed posters noted the sustainable features of the event and furthered the
school‟s mission of educating and empowering students to contribute to the solution of
global problems (High School Principal, personal communication, September 20, 2010;
XX High School, 2009).
Emergent Themes
From the data collected to support the three research questions, four themes
emerged as characteristic of this school‟s approach to addressing global education.
First, critical thinking and real-world application of knowledge characterized the
school‟s curriculum and students embraced these skills.
The school‟s culture supported global education, with a schedule that allowed for
project-based learning, professional development for globally-relevant instruction,
and a teacher-evaluation process that promoted global education.
Diverging from most academic literature on global education, the school
curriculum emphasized depth over breadth, focusing on the particular issue of
environmental sustainability, rather than a broad range of global issues.
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Despite the research imperative that world language instruction facilitate global
communication, XX High School‟s foreign language program rests upon its
already largely Spanish-speaking student population and does not actively
integrate world language proficiency.
These themes underscored the school‟s global program, demonstrating ways that XX
High School reflected the research-based best practices, its own methods, and areas of
weakness.
Emphasis on Critical Thinking and Real-World Application
The school‟s curriculum, based on real-world issues, fosters critical thinking in
students (Asia Society, 2008a, 2008b; Jackson, 2004, 2008; Wagner, 2008). Organized
under grade-level, unifying themes, individual courses connect subject-specific
information to broader issues and other subjects. A commitment to metacognition
underscores learning activities, with teachers regularly requiring students to self-assess
and reflect on the learning process and outcomes. Students are also encouraged to work
independently in the classroom, directly their own learning through self-paced activities
and student-centered projects. Classes at XX High School were not generally teacher
directed throughout the entire period. While teachers typically began each class in a
traditional, teacher-centered lecture or opening, most class periods included a substantial
amount of time for student-guided practice. Further, student collaboration was
encouraged, both from seating arrangements that promoted group work and assignments
that guided students to use each other as resources for learning.
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The Green Ambassadors course exemplified real-world, analytical learning and
demonstrated a fundamental curricular component of XX High School‟s global program.
Through this required course, all students learned about the causes and impacts of
environmental degradation on their local community and the world. Beyond acquiring
new knowledge, however, students in Green Ambassadors designed and ran a local event
to engage the community in a solution. This exemplified the project-based learning
around a complex issue that the literature extols as integral in a 21
st
century curriculum
(Wagner, 2008). Students have held workshops and conferences to inform the public
about environmental issues, taught composting and sustainable gardening to local
residents, and offered nighttime events to build civic engagement around this issue.
The most recent Green Ambassador event brought more than 1,000 community
residents together to interact with XX High School students on the issue of waste
treatment in an urban setting (Green Ambassadors, 2010). Through all aspects of the
project, students made decisions about event logistics, publicity, theme and content,
video production, audience-appropriate activities, and timing. Students also connected
with local businesses to turn the event from a school-based production to a city-wide
endeavor. The scope and scale of the Green Ambassadors course and culminating event
required application of complex thinking and planning, with a very real result. Green
Ambassadors illustrated the research-based best practices of global education (Asia
Society, 2008a, 2008b; Sanders & Stewart, 2007).
The school‟s emphasis on interdisciplinary instruction using power standards to
guide instruction prepared students to engage with global problems. As the administrator
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and teacher interviews indicated, the school expects teachers to collaborate on activities
and projects in which students have to apply information from multiple subject areas to
understand a topic. The use of power standards supports this, in which topics that are
complex, inter-related with other issues, and crucial for understanding in a variety of
disciplines receive priority in instructional time. Instead of using the state content
standards as the sole determinant of instructional topics and pacing, the power standards
focus lesson on what the department heads and teachers believe is the most relevant and
important information.

Strong School Culture Supporting Global Education
The school‟s organizational structure and culture supported global education
through purposeful means. The schedule allocated time for teacher collaboration, both
through pre-service, paid professional development days in August and monthly, student-
free mornings. The administration expected that teachers work in grade level teams on
interdisciplinary, real-world projects, expectations that were institutionalized through the
teacher evaluation process.
Intersession also promoted global education, as a one-month program in which
teachers and students had no demands other than to engage in global learning.
Intersession provided the forum needed for teachers to design globally-relevant learning
opportunities. With periods of instruction lasting six hours, the entire instructional day,
and without the traditional model of multiple subject-specific periods, teachers could
truly implement interdisciplinary, project-based learning. Teachers also received student-
137
free days during the fall in order to prepare for Intersession. These days included
structured, grade-level team-based activities in order to design learning activities, project
details, and rubrics. The school‟s provision of planning time and instructional time for
global learning was crucial for a curriculum that embraced complex, real-world issues
(Achieve, Inc., 2005b; Asia Society, 2008a; Devlin-Foltz, 2009).
The school‟s teacher evaluation system also promoted global education. The
factors on which teachers were evaluated included the instructional emphasis on
developing critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills. Teachers were also
expected to work collaboratively with other departments to implement interdisciplinary
projects. The evaluation form noted teachers‟ outreach efforts to form community
partnerships to give students opportunities for learning outside of the classroom. The
evaluation criteria went beyond the elements defined by the California Commission on
Teacher Credentialing and set forth clear expectations that teachers embraced the values
that research indicates are crucial for globally-competent students – higher levels of
thinking and engagement with world issues (Achieve, Inc., 2005b; Asia Society, 2008a;
Devlin-Foltz, 2009).
Curricular Focus on Depth over Breadth: Environmental Sustainability as the Lens
for Global Engagement
The curriculum and organizational structure of XX High School emphasized
global education, however in practice this became a focus on the environment, with less
attention devoted to other aspects of globalization. As the executive director noted
during her interview, she sought to build a school that would prepare students for college
138
while enabling them to tackle environmental issues (Executive Director, personal
communication, August 18, 2010). Even though the school‟s mission sought to enable
students to become “stewards of their community” and administrators spoke of the
preeminence of global issues in the school‟s programming, the environment became the
dominant issue shaping curriculum and instruction (Board of Directors, 2008; Executive
Director, personal communication, April 20, 2010, 2010b; High School Principal,
personal communication, August 16, 2010). Though teachers selected global issues that
included and went beyond environmental issues for curricular development, the
preeminence of the Green Ambassadors course and club surpassed any other global
initiatives. All 10
th
graders take Green Ambassadors, a year-long course designed around
topics of environmental sustainability (XX High School, 2010c; XX High School
Website, 2010). No course included similar attention and focus to other, non-
environmental global issues (XX High School Website, 2010). Multiple teachers also
noted that global education did not take part in their classrooms and was not covered in
their textbooks (Teacher C, personal communication, September 17, 2010; Teacher G,
personal communication, September 19, 2010; Teacher I, personal communication,
September 19, 2010). The Green Ambassadors club also offered a strong extra-curricular
opportunity for environmental community actions, with no parallel opportunity for non-
environmental global issues (High School Principal, personal communication, September
20, 2010; XX School Website, 2010).
The school‟s external partnerships strengthened this emphasis on environmental
issues over other global issues (Executive Director, personal communication, August 18,
139
2010). The most integrated community partnerships were those between the school and a
local marine research organization, local universities, and sustainable architecture firms.
Through these partnerships, students explored environmental issues that are indeed
global. These partnerships facilitated the school‟s own sustainable garden and its
rainwater collection facility.
Admittedly, other partnerships promoted non-environmental global issue
awareness. XX High School‟s relationships with schools in Mexico and Zimbabwe
included written exchanges and even a visit in 2009. However, only 15 students from
XX High School participated in this trip and had the opportunity to travel abroad, and
plans to continue or expand this program were tentative and unfunded as of fall 2010.
Several school clubs and extra-curricular activities addressed non-environmental
global issues, yet they were not as well-integrated into the school community as the
environmentally-focused Global Ambassadors program. XX High School sponsored
chapters of Amnesty International and Model United Nations. Both of these groups
focused specifically on non-environmental global challenges. Nevertheless, these are
extra-curricular activities that seemed to be more tangential to the school‟s overall
program than Green Ambassadors. While Green Ambassadors was a required course for
all 10
th
graders and a large club with a specially-assigned Director, Amnesty International
met during lunch for interested students, and Model United Nations met after school with
a teacher volunteer. Less than 10% of the student body participated in either group
during their four years at the school, whereas 100% of the student body participates in
Green Ambassadors.
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Despite this current emphasis on the environment, the school‟s leadership
maintained that the school promoted global education. According to the executive
director, the environment is the “lens through which students learn about global issues”
(Executive Director, personal communication, April 20, 2010). The school‟s principal
asserted that the focus on the environment, rather than other global issues, was intentional
and purposeful. According to the principal,
We want students to leave with deep, useable knowledge. Rather than spreading
ourselves thin and covering all the global issues out there in a shallow way, we
have decided that it‟s best for student learning to really delve into one of them.
We chose the environment because it is something that has real impact wherever
you are – in the U.S., in North America, in Africa, in Antarctica. We do teach
about other issues – human rights, poverty, war. And, if kids want to do these
topics for their 12
th
grade thesis, they most certainly can. But, we have found that
focusing on one issue is more realistic for our teachers when building curriculum
and leads to more meaningful student learning (High School Principal, personal
communication, August 16, 2010).

Based on the faculty and staff survey, onsite observations, and interviews, student
outcomes included environmentally-minded, globally aware students. However, the
curriculum seemed focused on one particular issue, with little extensive opportunity for
meaningful student engagement with other, non-environmental global issues.

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Limited Attention to Student Competency in World Languages
The review of literature, explained in Chapter Two, documented the importance
of world languages both for economic competitiveness and social and political
engagement in a global society (Carnevale & Desroches, 2003; Committee for Economic
Development, 2006; Met, 2008). However, this was an area of global education that XX
High School had not fully embraced. All XX High School students were required to
demonstrate competency in a second language in order to graduate, yet the only world
language in which the school offered instruction was Spanish. Notably, 68% of the
student body is Latino/Hispanic and 13% are English Learners, with Spanish as their first
language and the primary language spoken at home for 91% of these students (School
Wise Press, 2010). According to administrator interviews, over 50% of the student body
tested out of the language requirement. For these students who entered the school
already competent in a second language, the school offered no other opportunity for
acquisition of a world language. Instead of embracing the global need for individuals
competent in languages like Mandarin, Farsi, and Hindi, XX High School seemed to use
its already largely Spanish-speaking student demographic to claim attention to world
language competency, even though it did not create a curriculum that actively promoted
this (XX High School, 2010c).
Summary
This chapter described the data collected in this case study of a California school
addressing issues of global education. Using the research findings presented in Chapter
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Two to guide the study, three broad research questions were developed to focus the data.
These three research questions were:
1. What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
2. What organization structures support globalization?
3. What perceived student outcomes are seen in these schools?
The data collected provided examples and instances of programs, practices, and strategies
of one school addressing global education.
XX High School became the subject of this case study because it met the criteria
established by the thematic dissertation group as characteristic of schools preparing
students to be economically competitive and capable of succeeding in a global society.
Through a triangulated data collection process that included surveys, a review of the
school‟s organizational and operational documents, interviews with teachers and
administrators, and observations, clear trends emerged that characterized the school‟s
efforts to address a global program (Creswell, 2003).
XX High School‟s curriculum and organizational structure included specific
programs, practices, and strategies that addressed globalization. An emphasis on critical
thinking, instructional activities that promoted interdisciplinary thinking and real-world
application, and an integrated, school-wide focus on environmental sustainability
supported the school‟s global initiatives (Achieve, Inc., 2005b; Asia Society, 2008a;
Devlin-Foltz, 2009). The Green Ambassadors course served to promote student
awareness of a global issue and to empower students to make a difference in the world.
Intersession and the school‟s grade-level team organizational structure provided
143
opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and project-based activities that went beyond
the classroom in relevance and application. Finally, the school built partnerships within
the community and world to foster student learning through meaningful application of
knowledge. The local marine research organization led student work at all grade levels
on environmental initiatives. Relationships with other schools in Mexico and Zimbabwe
also provided opportunities for cultural exchange.
Despite these successes, particular areas of importance for global education
remain underdeveloped at XX High School. While the research indicates the need for
schools to build foreign language competencies in students, XX High School offered
limited opportunities in this area and many students satisfied the foreign language
graduation requirement with Spanish, a language native for the predominantly
Latino/Hispanic student body (XX High School Website, 2010).
Equally important, XX High School characterizes its focus on global education
through an issue-specific approach. Though the academic research illustrated a variety of
schools that embraced globalization through incorporation of a diverse array of global
issues into the curriculum, XX High School has developed its program around the single
topic of environmental sustainability. This depth over breadth approach enabled the
school to offer programs and community partnerships that provide students with
meaningful opportunities to develop and utilize their skills.
Students leave XX High School confident and capable in their abilities to
contribute in a meaningful way to a global issue. The faculty and staff reported students
to possess high engagement with global issues, particularly the school‟s focus of the
144
environment, and to be adept at critical thinking. Since the school‟s graduation
requirements mirrored the University of California admissions requirements and all
students received college counseling through the Advisory program, XX High School
graduates were college-ready. Despite this, as many as 40% of students fail to enroll in
college and the school is uncertain how many actually graduate. These figures suggest a
gap between the school‟s goal of ensuring students are globally competitive and the
reality of student preparation (Carnevale & Descroches, 2003). The school‟s curriculum
also requires students to think beyond discrete disciplines, to apply information to new
problems, and to develop solutions for real-world issues. All of these skills are crucial
for globally-competent individuals and, according to the research, define 21
st
century
education (Achieve, Inc., 2005b; Asia Society, 2008a; Friedman, 2008; Wagner, 2008).
145
Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations
Introduction
Globalization underscores elements of the 21
st
century world in innumerable
ways. The most pressing challenges, including climate change, terrorism, and economic
sustainability, require actions that transcend national and continental boundaries
(Friedman, 2004, 2008). Developments in technology, communication, and travel have
facilitated and hastened the exchange of ideas, goods, and peoples (Community for
Economic Development, 2006; Friedman, 2004, 2008). The global marketplace
empowers businesses to market to a worldwide population and to hire a multinational
workforce. Not only are workers competing with their neighbors and fellow Americans
for a job with a local employer, but they are contending against the most capable and
efficient individuals across the globe.
Globalization not only shapes political, economic, and social interactions, but it
drives California‟s K-12 schools to expand and redesign traditional notions of education
(Christensen, 2008; Darling-Hammond, 2007; O‟Connell, 2007). Students must graduate
from high school prepared to compete and succeed in an interconnected, dynamic world.
Therefore, not only must high school graduates be proficient in reading and mathematics,
skills deemed crucial since the 18
th
century, but they must demonstrate the intellectual
flexibility demanded by globally-complex issues. An ability to collaborate, to think
analytically, and to apply information across disciplines characterize the relevant 21
st

century skill-set (Carnevale & Descroches, 2003). Further, an awareness of and respect
for cultural differences and foreign language competency empower individuals for tackle
146
complex, international challenges. As the fundamental organization charged with
preparing students for their futures, the K-12 education system has the opportunity and
the challenge of preparing students for this global world (Wagner, 2008).
While charged with preparing students in ever more complex ways, recent
indicators suggest that America‟s K-12 schools are failing to prepare students to compete
in a global society (Gonzales et al., 2008; OECD Publishing, 2007). American students
earned mediocre results on the most recent administrations of international benchmarking
assessments, the TIMSS and PISA. Compared to other developed countries, the U.S. has
proportionally fewer college enrollees and graduates, putting Americans and the entire
country at a competitive disadvantage in an international marketplace (Committee for
Economic Development, 2006). Finally, the documented American achievement gap not
only perpetuates elements of socio-economic inequity in U.S society, but threatens the
country‟s ability to lead the world in economic productivity, political influence, and
social harmony (Darling-Hammond, 2007). The stakes are real. American schools must
respond, and some already have (Asia Society, 2008a).
Purpose, Significance, and Methodology of the Study
The purpose of the study was to identify curricular elements and their associated
student outcomes among California schools that address globalization. As one of eight
studies in a thematic dissertation group at the University of Southern California, this
dissertation studied a unique California school currently embracing globalization in its
programs. This case study approach facilitated exploration of this issue, allowing deep
investigation of a school that was challenging traditional education by addressing
147
globalization through its organization and curriculum (Jackson, 2004, 2008; Sanders &
Stewart, 2007; Stewart, 2007, 2008).
Three research questions guided this study, directing the study of the programs,
practices, and strategies the school utilized to prepare students for a global world and on
the perceived outcomes of the students. The specific questions were:
1. What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
2. What organization structures support globalization?
3. What perceived student outcomes are seen in these schools?
These research questions support the study‟s overall objective of identifying curricular
elements and their associated student outcomes among California schools that address
globalization.
XX High School was selected as the subject of study because it met the criteria
defined by the thematic group as a qualified school addressing globalization. Located
near Los Angeles in a working class community, the school sought the dual goals of
preparing students for college and for the world. Not only did XX High School‟s mission
and vision statements reference the topic of globalization and global citizenship, but the
school incorporated technology, required foreign language competency for graduation,
supported a curriculum rich in opportunities for problem-solving and interdisciplinary
learning, and used external partnerships to further global education. Given its focus, XX
High School was an ideal subject for this case study and provided abundant opportunities
to understand one school‟s approach at global education.
148
The thematic dissertation group developed multiple instruments to triangulate the
data collection process, maximizing the validity and reliability of the study (Creswell,
2003; Gall et al., 2003). The qualitative case study used a faculty survey, interviews of
selected school administrators and teachers, extensive observations of school
classes/events, and a detailed document review to answer the research questions
(Creswell, 2003). Through the study, the researcher took care to use Bolman and Deal‟s
(2003) four frames of analysis and to gather relevant data using multiple methods and
sources.
This study serves an important role in the scholarly community. While there has
been extensive academic discussion on the scope of a globally-relevant curriculum, little
evidence in the literature documented the student outcomes associated with such
academic programs (Asia Society, 2008a; Friedman, 2008; Stewart, 2007, 2008; Wagner,
2008). Further, the observations made in this study revealed a school dedicated to the
goals of global citizenships through a unique approach. Instead of incorporating a broad
array of global issues throughout the curriculum, XX High School focused on in-depth
coverage of one particular global issue. This case study represents an excellent example
of what a school can implement through commitment, focus, and innovation.
Themes
From the data collected to support the three research questions of this case study,
four themes emerged as characteristic of XX High School‟s approach to addressing
global education. The first two themes coincided with the best practices identified in the
literature (Asia Society, 2008a; Jackson, 2004, 2007; Sanders & Steward, 2007; Wagner,
149
2008). First, XX High School‟s curriculum promoted critical thinking and real-world
application of knowledge throughout a variety of interdisciplinary instructional
approaches. Students demonstrated these skills through their work in classes, during
Intersession, and on the Senior Thesis project. Second, the school‟s leadership and
culture supported global education in multiple ways. The school‟s schedule protected
professional development and curriculum planning time, the administration fostered
collaboration among grade level teacher-teams, and a strong, globally-driven mission was
well-integrated throughout all school programs (Devlin-Foltz, 2009).
Two additional emergent themes diverged from the literature on the best practices
of global education, highlighting XX High School as a unique subject of study. The Asia
Society (2008b), the Committee for Economic Development (2006), and Met (2009)
found foreign language instruction as an imperative of global education. Yet, XX High
School took a different approach. Though XX High School required students to
demonstrate proficiency in a second language for graduation, it offered only one foreign
language (Spanish), of which more than half of the students already speak at home.
Thus, for a majority of the school‟s graduates, the foreign language requirement is
fulfilled through cultural and family background, not the school‟s programming.
Next, while the research from the Asia Society (2008a) and Suárez-Orozco (2004)
suggested that a global education include a broad program of cultural and international
study, XX High School‟s program focused on the environment. The Green Ambassadors
program, a required course for all 10
th
graders and a well-integrated club for all students,
teaches environmental sustainability and engages students in project-based learning on
150
this topic. Further, strong external partnerships with a local marine research foundation
and local universities have enhanced the school‟s programming with opportunities for
students to engage in environmental research, build and maintain a school garden, and
harvest and reuse rainwater. While extra-curricular clubs, without funded faculty
supervision, such as Model United Nations and Amnesty International, and the Senior
Thesis project provide means for students to tackle non-environmental global issues, they
rely largely upon student-initiative and are not as integrated as the Green Ambassadors
program.
Conclusions
Global education is an imperative in today‟s world of interconnections,
technologically-based communication and exchange, and unpredictable complexity of
cultures, peoples, and perspectives. To best prepare students for the effects of
globalization, schools must recognize and implement programs, strategies, and structures
that promote global competencies. As the research demonstrated, political, economics,
and social success at both the individual and the national level depends, in part, upon the
ability of schools to teach students to be flexible, independent, and empathetic learners.
XX High School embraced elements of globalization through its curricular
program that emphasizing problem-solving through environmental stewardship. Through
a well-coordinated and well-planned curriculum, the school facilitated teacher
collaboration in order to provide a truly interdisciplinary and project-based college-
preparatory learning experience for all students. For this school, planning and
collaboration underscored the school‟s program, making it truly global. While the school
151
diverged from the literature by focusing on environmental sustainability instead of a
multitude of global issues, this emphasis provided abundant opportunity for students to
develop the skills and habits of mind deemed crucial for global competitiveness.
Recommendations
This study has explored one school‟s approach to addressing global education.
Through a multidisciplinary curriculum with purposeful attention to issues of
environmental sustainability, XX High School sought “to empower [students] to become
quality stewards of their community and world” (Board of Directors, 2009). Based on
the data collected and analyzed in Chapter Four, the following recommendations for
future research are presented:
Further research, including a replication of this study, with a larger sample of K-
12 California schools focused on the curricula and organizational structures of
such schools.
Further research should focus schools whose curricular models diverge from the
current literature by focusing on one global issue rather than a broad array of
issues.
Additional research should study student outcomes associated with schools
addressing globalization in their curricula and organization structures.
Further research should look at the role of foreign language programs in schools
addressing globalization, with particular attention to schools with a high
proportion of English Learners or students who already speak a second language.
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Further should explore diverse school models of teacher collaboration and
professional development to support global education.
Educational leaders seeking to promote global education should carefully evaluate
the relationship between school organization and curriculum, recognizing that the
two areas support each other.
Educational leaders seeking to promote global education should further
investigate the role of an interdisciplinary program, such as XX High School‟s
Intersession.
Summary
The 21
st
century, global necessitates schools prepare students for an
interconnected, knowledge-based economy and society. Currently, international
benchmarks and studies suggest that American schools are generally failing to prepare
students for global competitiveness. The standards-based movement that has
underscored No Child Left Behind and other school reform legislation has failed to
incorporate the skills and competencies most crucial in a global world. However, some
schools have pioneered models of global education. Through curricular reform and
organizational design some schools have sought to prepare students to analyze, to think in
interdisciplinary ways, and to empathize with different viewpoints and perspectives.
Students in such educational programs demonstrate empowered problem-solving,
awareness of global issues, and the flexibility to confront new and complex tasks. To
further and promote these student outcomes, educational policies and programs must
recognize the global imperative and respond appropriately. While enclaves of schools
153
may demonstrate success, the entire California and U.S. educational systems must
embrace elements of globalization in their curricular and organizational structures in
order to prepare American students to compete with the world.

154
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162
Appendix A: Document Review Instrument

This is a comprehensive list including, but not limited to, the following documents for
review.

Curricular Elements
· School site plan w/emphasis on looking for globalization elements in criteria
· District/school level textbooks
· School handbook
· Mission statements
· School‟s official website
· Test Scores
· Master Schedule
· Classroom Environment
· SARC (test results)

Organizational Structure
· PTA involvement
· Partnership agreements
· Staff Bulletin boards
· Staff/school/district calendar (to see what activities are being implemented)

Perceived Student Outcomes
· Portfolios
· Projects
· Test scores (API)
· College Acceptance Rate and major selection

163
Appendix B: Interview Instrument
The following is list of school personnel researchers can interview.

Principal
Assistant Principal
Counselors
Leadership Team
Teachers/Department Heads
Administrative Assistants
Parents
Program leaders/managers
Director of Technology
Grade Level Chairs
Leadership Teams

Interview Questions:

Curricular Elements

1. How familiar are your students with global issues?
2. In what ways do student learn about global issues?
3. What in your curriculum incorporates international cultures (specific classes, and
what foreign language and percent of students)?
4. What influenced your decision to chose the specific languages?
5. How is technology integrated into the school curriculum?

Organizational Structure

1. What role does a globalized background have in hiring process of new teachers?
What are you doing to implement this?
2. What role does globalization have in your professional development (examples)?
3. What organizational structure promotes and supports globalization (i.e.
leadership)?
4. Is someone in charge of disseminating information about curriculum and
programs related to globalization?
5. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your global programs and curriculum
6. How would you go about making changes if they are needed?

Perceived Student Outcomes/Behaviors

1. What examples do you have of students solving real world problems?
2. What examples do you have of students analyzing and evaluating global issues?
164
3. What examples are evident that your students have general knowledge about
international culture?
4. What are examples in the school of student driven participation in cultural and
global issues?
165
Appendix C: Survey Instrument

Please respond using the scale 1 - 4, 1 being the lowest degree and 4 being the
highest degree

How do feel your school best addresses its mission of global education?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Curricular Elements

1. Your instruction includes global issues.

1 2 3 4

2. You teach critical thinking/problem-solving skills.

1 2 3 4

3. Students are exposed to international and cultural issues and challenges.

1 2 3 4

4. Textbooks and supplementary materials consider global issues, global connections and
global cultures. Please explain.

1 2 3 4
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. Technology is used as an instructional learning tool for global purposes.

1 2 3 4

Organizational Structure

1. A global/international focus is evident in the school‟s extracurricular activities.

166
1 2 3 4

2. The school has or seeks partnership(s) with schools outside the United States, another
school, business, or university. If so, describe the extent/context of the partnership.

1 2 3 4
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. Teachers are provided professional development opportunities for the purposes of
global education. Please describe.

1 2 3 4
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. Staff has time for curriculum planning to include a global perspective. If so, explain.

1 2 3 4
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. The interest and involvement of parents in the school enhances global learning.

1 2 3 4

Perceived Student Outcomes

1. Students develop some sense of civic responsibility by identifying specific ways that
they can make some contribution to the resolution of a global issue.

1 2 3 4

2. Students understand cultural points.

1 2 3 4

3. Students have appreciation for diversity and culture.

1 2 3 4
167

4. Students explore environmental issues.

1 2 3 4
168
Appendix D: Observation Instrument

Research Questions:
· Curricular Elements
· Organizational Structure
· Perceived Student Behavior
Suggestions: While visiting, consider
the following:

Is there a time to visit that is
more useful?
Consider visiting a day that
highlights professional
development.
Consider the following when
observing the classroom:
Promotes collaborative
learning/project-based learning
Look for the integration of 21
st

century skills.
Examine the use of technology
as a tool to promote
globalization.
Remember to examine
textbooks
Examine assessment-consider
performance based
assessments.
A day that highlights activities
that promote globalization.
Key
+ Highly Evident
√ Mildly Evid
nt
— Not Evident
N/A Not applicable

School Community Classrooms Interactions
Environment reflects
school‟s
mission, vision, culture
Environment reflects
school‟s mission, vision,
culture that promotes
globalization.
Environment reflects
school‟s mission,
vision, culture that
promotes globalization.
School‟s mission/vision
is posted throughout the
school.
School‟s mission/vision
is posted in classroom.
School‟s mission/vision
is posted in classroom.
169
Student work that is
displayed reflects
globalization
Course objective/daily
lesson addresses global
curriculum
Course objective/daily
lesson addresses global
curriculum
Partnerships are evident Student work that is
displayed reflects
globalization
Student work that is
displayed reflects
globalization
Front Office-First
impression reflects a
focus on globalization
Teacher positively
interacts with students
Teacher positively
interacts with students
School building and
grounds reflect global
themes and ideas that
connect students with
what they are learning
around the world
Students read
newspapers, magazines,
and books, and listen to
radio and television
programs that relate to
intercultural and
international topics
Students read
newspapers,
magazines, and books,
and listen to radio and
television programs
that relate to
intercultural and
international topics
Diversity of student
body and their
respective cultures
reflected in your
buildings and school
grounds
Technology is being
utilized as a tool to
promote globalization
Technology is being
utilized as a tool to
promote globalization
Is a global/international
focus evident in your
extracurricular activities
evident

Is your school
community ethnically
and racially diverse?

170
Do any individuals or
groups representing
these ethnic and racial
groups make
presentations in, or
assist teachers and
librarians in teaching
and learning about other
cultures, global
connections, or global
issues?

4 Frames:

4 Frames: 4 Frames:

Notes:

Notes:

Notes:

171
Appendix E: Triangulation Matrix
Semi
Structured
Open
Ended
Interview
Guide
Structured
Open
Ended
Interview
Semi-
Structured
Open
Ended
group
interviews
Structured
open ended
group
interviews
(Focus
Groups)
Open
Ended
Written
Responses
Principal X X
Assistant
Principal
X X
Counselor X X
Leadership
Team
X X
Dept.
Chairs
X X
Parents X X
Program
Leads
X X
School
Secretarial
Staff
X
Director
Technology
X X
Grade
Level
Chairs
X X

172
Matrix of Question Types

Question Focus Past Present Future
Behaviors/Experiences X X
Opinion and Values X X
Feelings/Emotions X X
Knowledge X X X
Sensory X
Background X X X

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Today's global society, defined by political interconnectedness, technologically-based communication, and complexity of cultures, peoples, and perspectives, challenges K-12 education to prepare students like never before. International benchmarking assessments and the academic literature indicate the need for American students to graduate from high school with the ability to think creatively and analytically, to communicate and empathize with peoples from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and to apply information across disciplines. Without such skills, Americans will face economic challenges at both an individual and national level in an international marketplace and global society.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Hoffman, Eryn F. (author)

Core Title A case study: one California high school's commitment to preparing students for a global world

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 02/15/2011

Defense Date 02/02/2011

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Education,Globalization,OAI-PMH Harvest

Place Name California (states)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Gothold, Stuart E. (committee chair), Hocevar, Dennis J. (committee member), Stowe, Kathy Huisong (committee member)

Creator Email erynhoff@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3660

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Document Type Dissertation

Rights Hoffman, Eryn F.

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Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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