| The problem was that Hispanic English Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in the ESL program had consistently failed the California High School Exit Examination (CASHEE) in greater numbers than their cohorts. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore the life stories of Hispanic ESL students in identifying the factors contributing to the high failure rate of CAHSEE. One central research question with three sub-questions was used in this study. The central question was: what are the life stories of Hispanic ESL learners who failed to pass CAHSEE? The sub-questions were: (1) What factors in Hispanic ESL learners' lives prevent them from passing CAHSEE? (2) What kinds of lived experiences, if any, have led Hispanic ESL learners to fail the CAHSEE? (3) What can we learn from children's stories to improve Hispanic ESL learner's scores on CAHSEE? The participants were ten Hispanic ESL students in one California high school. Data for this study were collected through face-to-face interviews. NVivo 11 was used for processing interview data. Five significant themes emerged for this study: (a) students did not know what to expect on CAHSEE; (b) students were not strong in math; (c) students need to know the test components and be well-prepared; (d) administrators of the ESL program should provide practice tests for students; and (e) students need more help from teachers and parents. Recommendations were made for school administrators, teachers, parents, ESL students, and future research. |
