Utah Dual Language Immersion Research Advisory Board

Advisory Board Purpose and Governance

The purpose of the Board is to support Utah school districts in managing the demand for access to Dual Language Immersion (DLI) data, schools, and students. Parties interested in conducting research on or about DLI in Utah should first contact the Utah Dual Language Immersion Research Advisory Board and submit a research proposal. The Board reviews proposals to ensure that studies meet rigorous research standards and provides information and recommendations to districts, schools, and other stakeholders as to the relative merits of the proposed study’s theoretical foundations and methodology. The Board encourages proposals that have the potential to inform the future of language immersion education both in Utah and beyond.

 

The Board is comprised of an informed body of curriculum designers, language specialists, state DLI coordinators, and experienced researchers from many of the state’s universities, the Utah Education Policy Center, and the Utah State Office of Education. It is important to note that the recommendation of a proposed research project from the Board does not replace approval from university IRB/Human Subjects offices or from school districts and schools. Rather, recommendation from the Board is an initial step researchers will go through to ensure that their proposed project represents quality, feasible research. In essence, the Advisory Board is dedicated to managing the quality and quantity of requests that schools and school districts receive.

 

Proposal Guidelines

 

  • The Board will review proposals from (a) post-secondary faculty members, (b) students who are closely monitored by faculty advisors (e.g., thesis or dissertation projects), and (c) researchers from state agencies.
  • The submission form will require a narrative from the researcher(s) that includes:
    1. A statement of the research problem
    2. A brief literature review that supports the statement of the research problem;
    3. A statement of the specific questions to be addressed;
    4. A description of the research design, sample, data collection procedures, participants, and methods of analyses used;
    5. If applicable, identification of preliminary contacts made with school administrators, teachers, etc.
    6. Researcher’s affiliation and plans for seeking institutional IRB approval
    7. Students must obtain contact information and a signature of supervision and approval by faculty advisors

 

If you would like more information about conducting research in the Utah DLI schools or have questions about your proposal before submission contact the DLI Research Advisory Board at:

dliadvisoryboard@utahlangandlit.org

 

Board Members

 

Comprised of: Linguists / Language professionals/ Education professionals / DLI directors / Research methodologists

 

Chair: Blair Bateman, Brigham Young University
Dana Bourgerie, Brigham Young University

David Byrd, Weber State University

Raquel Cook, Utah Valley University

Tom Cunningham, Southern Utah University

Karin DeJonge, Utah State University

Rob Erickson, Brigham Young University

Erika Feinauer, Brigham Young University

Debora Ferreira, Utah Valley University

Lucia Garmendia, Dixie State University

Jane Hacking, University of Utah

Cheryl Hansen, Weber State University

Rachel Hayes-Harb, University of Utah

Vessela Ilieva, Utah Valley University

Rachel Kirk, Southern Utah University

Michiko Kobayashi, Southern Utah University

Anne Lair, University of Utah

Elise Leahy, Southern Utah University

Jamie Leite, Utah State Office of Education (Portuguese Director)

Chris Lewis, University of Utah

Stacy Lyon, Utah State Office of Education (Chinese Director)

Tom Mathews, Weber State University

Mimi Met, Utah State Office of Education (Consultant)

Kaye Murdock, Utah State Office of Education (French Director)

Gregg Roberts, Utah State Office of Education (ex officio member)

Andrea Rorrer, University of Utah

Fernando Rubio, University of Utah

Mary Sowder, Utah Valley University

Maria Spicer-Escalante, Utah State University

Ko-Yin Sung, Utah State University

Kristin Swenson, University of Utah

Joshua Thoms, Utah State University

Ofelia Wade, Utah State Office of Education (Spanish Director)

Johanna Watzinger-Tharp, University of Utah