Escuela Rayo de Luna:
Moonlight School
Dr. Kim Nettleton, Dr. Itzá Zavala-Garrett, Dr. Brian Boisvert & Stephanie Gebka
Morehead State University, Morehead, Kentucky
Presentation Format
Purpose
Statement
History of the
Moonlight
Schools
Discussion
Conclusion
Methodology
Future
Implications
Data Analysis
and Results
What we
learned
Purpose Statement
 The purpose of this project is the integration of English as a
Second Language (ESL) families into a community in which
both communicative and cultural barriers exist through the
combined efforts of community, university and tradition.
 We achieved this through:
 The replication the Moonlight School tradition of Eastern
Kentucky.
 Work within the community to demarginalize people with
linguistic and cultural differences.
 The integration of students’ studies with regional engagement
service opportunities.
History of Moonlight Schools
Cora Scott Wilson
Volunteer teachers at night
(by the light of the moon)
1900s
Over 1,300 adult students
taught to read (current
population of Rowan
county: some 23,000.
Slogan: “Each one, teach
one”
Focus on literacy
Creation of texts
Methodology
Key Terminology
Structure: the proposed means of achieving our purpose.
Participants: all stakeholders involved in the project.
Data Collection: how we know what we claim to know.
Methodology - Structure
Lack of
Information
Linguistic
Barriers
Cultural
Barriers
Problem
ESL
Families
Neutral
Meeting
Space
Funding
Monthly
Meetings
Time
Solution
Funding
Methodology - Participants
University
Faculty
School
Personnel
Education
Students
ESL Families
Foreign
Language
Students
Community
Experts
Library
Personnel
Participants
Center for
Regional
Engagement
Personnel
Questionnaires
Methodology - Data Collection
Electronic Student
Questionnaires
Focused on experiences
and suggestions
ESL Family
Questionnaires
Focused on possible
topics
Data Analysis and Results
Student
Questionnaires
• Results
• Spanish for real high stakes communication was a new
experience
• Participation hinged on ability to practice L2
• Simultaneous interpretation was very difficult
• Topic familiarity was a barrier for interpretation
ESL Family
Questionnaires
• Results
• School concerns for children
• Health care
• Housing
• American culture
• Laws
What We Learned
Context
Terminology
Cultural Sensitivity
Time
Future Implications
Questions for future research
How do Spanish language
students directly benefit
linguistically?
How can agency be placed in
the hands of ESL parents?
How can Education students
integrate more culturally and
linguistically appropriate
lesson plans and activities
into the sessions?
Conclusion
Special thanks to:
The Center for Regional Engagement at Morehead State
University.
The College of Education at Morehead State University.
Dr. Kim Nettleton, Dr. Itzá Zavala-Garrett, Dr. Brian Boisvert and
Ms. Stephanie Gebka.
The Morehead Public Library.
Feedback
Thank you for your attendance.
knettleton@moreheadstate.edu, i.zavala-g@moreheadstate.edu,
bb.boisvert@moreheadstate.edu, s.gebka@moreheadstate.edu