A Collective Case Study of the Implementation Process of the Nebraska Foreign Language Frameworks by Six Teachers

Abstract

This case study explores the process of implementing the Nebraska Foreign Language Frameworks in an urban, Midwestern school district. The participants were two elementary, two middle school, and two high school teachers; the languages taught were French and Spanish. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observations, and lesson plans. The findings show that the 6 teachers implemented the Frameworks and that the implementation process differed, depending mainly on teaching experience and involvement in the writing of the Frameworks document. Among the 5 Cs, communication was the easiest to implement, whereas communities was the most challenging. Connections was implemented in depth by the elementary teachers due to their interdisciplinary teaching. By implementing the standards, the teachers learned to set clear objectives focusing on the learner, to plan with the outcomes in mind, to create thematic units addressing the 5 Cs, and to use various assessments, including portfolio and rubrics.