Print
E-mail
English language learners changing education
By Harold Reutter
harold.reutter@theindependent.com
The current issue of Education Week magazine focuses on how immigrant students who are classified as English language learners are changing the landscape of American education.
Nebraska and Grand Island are certainly not immune from the trends the magazine cites in its current issue, with Grand Island already doing many of the things the magazine says result in effective education of ELL students.
Nebraska is one of just 13 states where ELL enrollment has increased more than 200 percent between 1995 and 2005.
Kris Burling, ELL director for the Grand Island Public Schools, said the district has 2,300 students who are classified as English language learners out of a total enrollment of 8,558.
“About a quarter of our students are ELL students,” Burling said. The actual number is just over 26 percent.
Those 2,300 students range from “newcomers,” who speak and understand very little English; to ELL students who are in regular classrooms but on monitor status to ensure they are succeeding academically, Burling said.
“Students have to be on monitor status for two years,” she said.
As part of the federal No Child Left Behind law, all 2,300 ELL students in the school system must take the English language development assessment, Burling said.
In a series of nine articles, Education Week raises a number of issues that states and districts must consider when teaching ELL students.
One article examines the importance of screening for ELL students. One summary line says, “Determining where an English language learner should be placed at the time of enrollment — and when the student should be moved — is a key part of assuring student success.”
Burling said timely screening is one area where the district has improved because of creation of the Welcome Center.
The Welcome Center is at the Central District Health Department. Before the center was established, ELL teachers at individual schools were responsible for the initial screening of students. Because of those teachers’ workloads, screenings were not always done immediately.
“It takes an hour per student to do an assessment,” Burling said.
Welcome Center assessments help place students in the proper academic setting.
Since April 2008, the Welcome Center has done language assessments for 500 students. Burling said that number included incoming kindergarten students as well as students enrolling in Grand Island schools from other districts.
Following the Welcome Center assessment, Burling said, ELL students can be placed in one of several categories:
— Newcomers, which is either a full-day or half-day program for ELL students.
— Transitions, which is either a 90-minute or 100-minute program.
— Pullout, which gives students ELL instruction for 45 to 60 minutes per day.
— Monitor, in which students are in regular education classrooms but are tracked to ensure they are having academic success.
“We’ve had other school districts ask about our Welcome Center,” Burling said.
In another article, Education Week focuses on the so-called achievement gap between ELL and non-ELL students. It says, “Students who struggled the most with learning English lagged well behind their English-speaking peers at all levels of schooling (K-12), never really catching up at any point along the spectrum.”
The magazine also says that, even among ELL students with stronger English-speaking skills, a gap begins to appear at the fourth grade and gets larger through middle school and high school.
But Burling said Steve Burkholder, assistant superintendent for student learning, has given presentations to the school board that show the so-called achievement gap between ELL and English-speaking students has narrowed over the years at almost all grade levels.
That has been true even though academic achievement for English-speaking students has continued to rise, Burling said.
The one area where it has proved more difficult to close the gap has been for ELL high school students in math, she said.
Education Week also focuses on the need for properly trained teachers for ELL students.
Burling said 45 of Grand Island’s 50 ELL teachers have an ELL endorsement, with the remaining five working toward their ELL endorsement. Many Grand Island teachers in regular classrooms have ELL endorsements.
Burling said Grand Island teachers also take classes on “sheltered instruction” for ELL students.
“Teachers learn about using cooperative learning, how to use high-level, hands-on manipulatives to demonstrate math and science concepts and how to use visual aids such as pictures to improve reading and vocabulary,” Burling said.
“Those are good teaching techniques for any student,” she said. “They are essential for ELL students.”
Education Week spotlights state aid formulas, noting that 10 states provide no additional funding for ELL students. It also notes that some states provide additional funding for ELL students but no accountability on “where, how or on whom it’s spent.”
Burling said Nebraska provides additional funding for ELL students, as well as students who live in poverty.
Jim Werth, assistant superintendent for student services, said state law requires districts such as Grand Island to create poverty and ELL plans to show how that money is being spent.
Finally, Education Week focuses on barriers for ELL students to high school graduation.
Burling said ELL students can face barriers to high school graduation. She cited the example of a 19-year-old ELL student who enrolled at Senior High after never having previously attended an American school. Her language assessment placed her at the newcomers level.
By federal law, that student is entitled to a free public education until age 21, Burling said. But because of her late start, “it may be expecting a lot to see her graduate in three years.”
Burling noted that a January school board retreat will focus on high school graduation issues for all students, not just ELL students.
Nebraska and Grand Island are certainly not immune from the trends the magazine cites in its current issue, with Grand Island already doing many of the things the magazine says result in effective education of ELL students.
Nebraska is one of just 13 states where ELL enrollment has increased more than 200 percent between 1995 and 2005.
Kris Burling, ELL director for the Grand Island Public Schools, said the district has 2,300 students who are classified as English language learners out of a total enrollment of 8,558.
More Local
The Independent has a new look. Click here to tell us what you think!
Kitchen fire damages Grand Island home
Lee Elliott named Independent's Man of the Year
Those 2,300 students range from “newcomers,” who speak and understand very little English; to ELL students who are in regular classrooms but on monitor status to ensure they are succeeding academically, Burling said.
“Students have to be on monitor status for two years,” she said.
As part of the federal No Child Left Behind law, all 2,300 ELL students in the school system must take the English language development assessment, Burling said.
In a series of nine articles, Education Week raises a number of issues that states and districts must consider when teaching ELL students.
One article examines the importance of screening for ELL students. One summary line says, “Determining where an English language learner should be placed at the time of enrollment — and when the student should be moved — is a key part of assuring student success.”
Burling said timely screening is one area where the district has improved because of creation of the Welcome Center.
The Welcome Center is at the Central District Health Department. Before the center was established, ELL teachers at individual schools were responsible for the initial screening of students. Because of those teachers’ workloads, screenings were not always done immediately.
“It takes an hour per student to do an assessment,” Burling said.
Welcome Center assessments help place students in the proper academic setting.
Since April 2008, the Welcome Center has done language assessments for 500 students. Burling said that number included incoming kindergarten students as well as students enrolling in Grand Island schools from other districts.
Following the Welcome Center assessment, Burling said, ELL students can be placed in one of several categories:
— Newcomers, which is either a full-day or half-day program for ELL students.
— Transitions, which is either a 90-minute or 100-minute program.
— Pullout, which gives students ELL instruction for 45 to 60 minutes per day.
— Monitor, in which students are in regular education classrooms but are tracked to ensure they are having academic success.
“We’ve had other school districts ask about our Welcome Center,” Burling said.
In another article, Education Week focuses on the so-called achievement gap between ELL and non-ELL students. It says, “Students who struggled the most with learning English lagged well behind their English-speaking peers at all levels of schooling (K-12), never really catching up at any point along the spectrum.”
The magazine also says that, even among ELL students with stronger English-speaking skills, a gap begins to appear at the fourth grade and gets larger through middle school and high school.
But Burling said Steve Burkholder, assistant superintendent for student learning, has given presentations to the school board that show the so-called achievement gap between ELL and English-speaking students has narrowed over the years at almost all grade levels.
That has been true even though academic achievement for English-speaking students has continued to rise, Burling said.
The one area where it has proved more difficult to close the gap has been for ELL high school students in math, she said.
Education Week also focuses on the need for properly trained teachers for ELL students.
Burling said 45 of Grand Island’s 50 ELL teachers have an ELL endorsement, with the remaining five working toward their ELL endorsement. Many Grand Island teachers in regular classrooms have ELL endorsements.
Burling said Grand Island teachers also take classes on “sheltered instruction” for ELL students.
“Teachers learn about using cooperative learning, how to use high-level, hands-on manipulatives to demonstrate math and science concepts and how to use visual aids such as pictures to improve reading and vocabulary,” Burling said.
“Those are good teaching techniques for any student,” she said. “They are essential for ELL students.”
Education Week spotlights state aid formulas, noting that 10 states provide no additional funding for ELL students. It also notes that some states provide additional funding for ELL students but no accountability on “where, how or on whom it’s spent.”
Burling said Nebraska provides additional funding for ELL students, as well as students who live in poverty.
Jim Werth, assistant superintendent for student services, said state law requires districts such as Grand Island to create poverty and ELL plans to show how that money is being spent.
Finally, Education Week focuses on barriers for ELL students to high school graduation.
Burling said ELL students can face barriers to high school graduation. She cited the example of a 19-year-old ELL student who enrolled at Senior High after never having previously attended an American school. Her language assessment placed her at the newcomers level.
By federal law, that student is entitled to a free public education until age 21, Burling said. But because of her late start, “it may be expecting a lot to see her graduate in three years.”
Burling noted that a January school board retreat will focus on high school graduation issues for all students, not just ELL students.
 |
 |
|
| Expo makes planning for wedding a piece of cake | More work needed on RV law |
Commenting is currently disabled on all stories. The Grand Island Independent is currently reviewing its guidelines for commenting on news stories. The new policy will be published soon.
Join us on am:gi weekdays from 9:30am to 11am
Start a topic in our forums
Submit a Letter to the Editor
Join us on am:gi weekdays from 9:30am to 11am
Start a topic in our forums
Submit a Letter to the Editor
