Please use this space to record the questions you have, and/or the questions you hear at tables and during sessions. And, please be brave and offer experience and expertise for some answers.
Responses
Posted by Ann David
July 15, 2011 at 7:37am
This morning, during Mary's session on "What is an EL?" we heard several questions:
- Why aren't schools tapping into community language resources to provide students dual language and bilingual experiences in schools?
- Why is the testing and labeling of EL students so convuluted and unhelpful? Students who clearly need academic English support aren't labeled EL and don't get support. Students who are labeled EL, get support, but the support doesn't necessarily help them. What's the deal?
- Our teachers are well versed in demographics and statistics. But what can our site do to give teachers the tools to feel as though they can support EL students?
Please add other questions that bubbled up at your tables!
My burning question is somewhat related to question #1 above... Tennessee is an English only state. At one of the tables where I sat, teachers mentioned that even though California passed an English only law at the state level, if enough parents advocate they can operate bilingual schools on a waiver because of federal law. Does anyone know of any community organizations/parent advocacy groups that support parents who want to challenge English only law at the school level? I'm particularly curious about opportunities in areas like Tennessee where historically there have not been bilingual or dual language programs (and honestly I'm not sure how much capacity there would be to sustain a program). On a personal note, I would love for my native English speaking child to have the opportunity to go to a dual language school.
Our table wondered when are you no longer an EL. Are you always one? Do you pass a test? What should the criteria be? What about social/emotional needs? Should they be a factor?
In Tennessee, students are EL's until they pass an English Language Development Assessment (ELDA), and then they are monitored for two years. In theory, if they struggle during those two years they are placed back into an english language development program. In practice, districts are very reluctant to redesignate/reclassify students as ELs.
Interestingly enough, they are simultaneously expected to pass the Language Arts portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). Our district is in year 2 of NCLB watchlist because of the EL subgroup. I don't understand how a child is supposed to pass a grade level reading test in English before they pass a language development test. In my experience, once a student is proficient enough to pass the Reading/LA TCAP test, they have already tested out of EL subgroup by passing the ELDA. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is there a missing link that I don't understand here? I understand that kids should be getting grade level content while they are learning English, but it would make more since to me to include all linguistically diverse students, including those who have tested out of ELD programs, in a "culturally and linguistically diverse" subgroup. That would certainly make the percentages look more realistic. Do other states do it differently?
After Mary's rousing talk, I found myself thinking about those two prongs of support for EL students: language acquisition and race/ethnicity/culture. I thought about NWP as a network of students. I wrote a bit wondering how we can use that diversity to help teachers engage their EL students in both of these "prongs" of classroom support. We spoke briefly about possible venues for writing and for talk across gradients of geography, culture, etc. I'd love to hear from colleagues here who have successfully connected classrooms across these gradients, especially if you've found these arrangements engaging and productive for your EL students.
Responses
This morning, during Mary's session on "What is an EL?" we heard several questions:
- Why aren't schools tapping into community language resources to provide students dual language and bilingual experiences in schools?
- Why is the testing and labeling of EL students so convuluted and unhelpful? Students who clearly need academic English support aren't labeled EL and don't get support. Students who are labeled EL, get support, but the support doesn't necessarily help them. What's the deal?
- Our teachers are well versed in demographics and statistics. But what can our site do to give teachers the tools to feel as though they can support EL students?
Please add other questions that bubbled up at your tables!
My burning question is somewhat related to question #1 above... Tennessee is an English only state. At one of the tables where I sat, teachers mentioned that even though California passed an English only law at the state level, if enough parents advocate they can operate bilingual schools on a waiver because of federal law. Does anyone know of any community organizations/parent advocacy groups that support parents who want to challenge English only law at the school level? I'm particularly curious about opportunities in areas like Tennessee where historically there have not been bilingual or dual language programs (and honestly I'm not sure how much capacity there would be to sustain a program). On a personal note, I would love for my native English speaking child to have the opportunity to go to a dual language school.
Our table wondered when are you no longer an EL. Are you always one? Do you pass a test?
What should the criteria be? What about social/emotional needs? Should they be a factor?
In Tennessee, students are EL's until they pass an English Language Development Assessment (ELDA), and then they are monitored for two years. In theory, if they struggle during those two years they are placed back into an english language development program. In practice, districts are very reluctant to redesignate/reclassify students as ELs.
Interestingly enough, they are simultaneously expected to pass the Language Arts portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). Our district is in year 2 of NCLB watchlist because of the EL subgroup. I don't understand how a child is supposed to pass a grade level reading test in English before they pass a language development test. In my experience, once a student is proficient enough to pass the Reading/LA TCAP test, they have already tested out of EL subgroup by passing the ELDA. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is there a missing link that I don't understand here? I understand that kids should be getting grade level content while they are learning English, but it would make more since to me to include all linguistically diverse students, including those who have tested out of ELD programs, in a "culturally and linguistically diverse" subgroup. That would certainly make the percentages look more realistic. Do other states do it differently?
After Mary's rousing talk, I found myself thinking about those two prongs of support for EL students: language acquisition and race/ethnicity/culture. I thought about NWP as a network of students. I wrote a bit wondering how we can use that diversity to help teachers engage their EL students in both of these "prongs" of classroom support. We spoke briefly about possible venues for writing and for talk across gradients of geography, culture, etc. I'd love to hear from colleagues here who have successfully connected classrooms across these gradients, especially if you've found these arrangements engaging and productive for your EL students.