PRESCOTT - To succeed in school or work, you have to speak the language. In Arizona, that means learning English.
For decades, school districts have wrestled with the best way to teach English Language Learner (ELL) classes. Up until a year ago, most schools used a combination of immersion and pull-out programs. Children remained in their classrooms for part of the day, learning English as part of their other studies. ELL teachers taught students English.
Now, state law requires school districts to provide ELL students with four hours of English language development for the first year the district identifies a student as an English Language Learner.
Humboldt School District ELL Director Mariela Bean serves on the state ELL task force.
In addition to the time block, Bean said, "The main change is that now everything is in English, including instructional materials. That is the big rule. Teachers can use a student's native language for clarification, but that is all. The ELL students are also grouped together by proficiency."
The Prescott Unified School District is waiting to receive a $168,000 state grant before it hires the two additional ELL teachers it needs.
PUSD Grants Writer Maryann Brook said the legislature allocated $40 million for ELL teachers and training.
Brook said the state looked at class size to determine how many ELL teachers districts needed. State officials then decided on how many ELL teachers it would pay for.
For PUSD, Brook said, the state is paying for two ELL teachers.
However, because the district is budget conscious, and does not spend money until it has it, Brook said the district has not yet hired the teachers.
At Chino Valley School District, Coordinator of Student Achievement Cindy Daniels said teachers test students for proficiency in reading, speaking and writing English. If a student is not proficient in any of these areas, he or she should receive ELL instruction four hours a day.
However, depending on their age and the number of students, districts do not have to provide a full four-hour block of ELL instruction.
School districts have a stake in teaching English in the shortest amount of time.
Bean said the state only pays for ELL students for two years.
"How do we get students proficient in the shortest period of time? The only way is to focus on language development in the most pragmatic way," Bean said.
In the past, ELL students learned English through content in math and science classes.
Bean said that now, "English is taught as a foreign language. Students are learning the basic rules of English.
"We expect classroom teachers to do everything. We expect them to teach ELL students math, science and English so they are proficient and pass the AIMS tests, all in two years. That is not feasible," Bean said.
HUSD implemented the four-hour requirement during the 2007-08 school year because of Bean's involvement with the task force.
"This year, it was not a problem since we already had our staff in place," she said.
Bean said HUSD has 20 ELL self-contained classrooms and 20 teachers.
HUSD did not hire additional teachers; it reassigned mainstream teachers and pulled them out of the typical classroom.
ELL teachers must have, at a minimum, a Sheltered English Immersion endorsement.
Trying to interpret the ELL program can be challenging. It is important to know the terminology.
CVUSD has seven full-time ELL teachers.
At the elementary level, schools with a sufficient number of ELL students provide a four-hour learning block concentrating on reading, writing and speaking. As the students become proficient, their ELL class time changes to two hours, with the classroom teacher providing additional instruction.
Daniels said that by the time students reach fourth or fifth grade, there are not enough ELL students left that "can't be mainstreamed. If all the teachers are trained, we don't have to pull out students."
Like neighboring districts, CVUSD has the most challenges when ELL students enroll in middle or high school.
Things are difference for ELL high school students.
Daniels said the handful of ELL students at the high school go to Territorial Elementary School for language instruction.
In a win-win situation, the high school students learn to read English by reading the easy-learner books to the younger ELL students. They practice conversational skills with puppets.
The high school student's classroom is in the administrative offices so they do not mix with the younger students, Daniels said.
In PUSD, Brook said that depending on the number of students, ELL students received one to two hours of language acquisition and then return to their classroom. In the classroom, each ELL students has an Individual Language Education Plan.
The classroom teacher is responsible for a portion of the student's ELL instruction.
In the end, the success of ELL instruction comes down to qualified teachers.
"ELL has become a political issue, but it shouldn't be. Immigration is not an issue in schools. Our issue is how students become proficient in English," Bean said.
Contact the reporter at prhoden@prescottaz.com
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Article comment by:
Anonymous
Even if people rent, the property they rent is still subject to property taxes. Most often the tax is figured into rent by the property owner.
Posted: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Article comment by:
Sylvia Goldsmith
my considerable experience is that a student must speak English before being taught to read or write.This is bst done by volunteers. Teachers should not be burdened by non Eng. speakers. It slows the enire class. Besides, volunteers properly trained and motivated are WONDERFUL>
Posted: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Article comment by:
Grundlecat
Many people in the US don't pay property taxes. They're called "renters." That doesn't make their CITIZEN children any less entitled to a good education.
Posted: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Article comment by:
K. Womack
Hey Bean, because more of our tax dollars are spent on making immigrants multi-lingual (which gives them an advantage over English only natives), that makes it a political issue. In some cases, immigrant parents who don't pay property taxes are getting a free ride. I love how some people want to ignore the fact that it IS political.
Posted: Monday, September 22, 2008
Article comment by:
Brittanicus
THE ECONOMY IS THE MAJOR INGREDIENT THAT WILL GIVE CREDENCE TO EITHER OBAMA OR MCCAIN'S PATH TO THE PRESIDENCY. THAT"S WHY TAXPAYERS CAN NO LONGER SUPPORT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, PARIAH BUSINESSES EXTRACT FROM US WHEN THEY HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. IS GOVERNOR GIBBONS one of the open-border, free traders?
HOW MANY ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE LIVING IN YOUR STATE?HOW MANY JOB'S HAVE PARASITE EMPLOYERS GIVEN TO ILLEGAL ALIENS. NOT JUST THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, BUT CONSTRUCTION WORK AND OTHERS SERVICE INDUSTRIES. COULD IT BE BECAUSE THEY CAN BE PAID UNDER THE TABLE. IN MOST CASES NO IRS, STATE, WORKERS COMPENSATION. NO HEALTHCARE IS PROVIDED, BECAUSE THAT IS EXTRACTED FROM OUR TAXES.
Only elect hard-line anti-illegal immigrant politicians. Gov Richardson gave drivers licenses to illegals in N.Mexico. Illegal Immigration is lowering wages and stealing jobs from legal Americans. This major issue is costing taxpayers too much. Higher property taxes, free health care, education and a multitude of government welfare programs Just take a look at 'Sanctuary City' California's financial demise. $ 11. billion dollars is attributed to the illegal immigrant welfare, who have drained the states funds.
If we enact the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) enforcement only law. Millions of illegal aliens will leave by self-deportation. ATTRITION! No job, they will leave of their own accord. Only anti-American groups and Liberal-Democrat-Socialists are stopping this law. ASK THEM WHY?
www.numbersusa.com have the uncensored truth? IT'S YOUR FAMILIES FUTURE. DEPORTATION OR OVERPOPULATION.
IF WE DON'T STOP IT NOW, THEY WILL KEEP COMING..
JOIN 756.000 other American patriots at www.numbersusa.com , to stop the travesty of our immigration laws. Learn about Immigration governmental corruption at www.judicialwatch.org
