State of Texas Informational Resources:

• The Texas Education Agency: http://tea.texas.gov/
• Texas English Language Learners Website: http://elltx.org/
• Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) Resource Information: http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/ell/telpas/
• Title III Information: http://www.ncela.us/t3sis/Texas.php

Educational Programs and Learning Resources:

• Texas Association for Bilingual Education – An organization of education professionals advocating for educational policies and bilingual and multicultural programs that encourage equal educational opportunity and academic excellence for Bilingual/ESL students: http://tabe.org/index.cfm
• Mi Escuelita Preschool – This program offers early education courses to children ages 2-5 from low-income households : http://www.itbe.org/
• TexTESOL – A multi-regional organization representing ELL teachers and instructors throughout the state of Texas and setting competency standards for ELLs in grades K-12: http://www.textesol.org/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project – A program that teaches parents how to read with their children, establish a reading routine, and promote learning of the English vocabulary together as a family. https://www.lecturabooks.com/parent-programs/
• The Latino Family Literacy Project 2016 Workshops (Illinois): https://www.latinoliteracy.com/workshops/schedule/
• Family Phonics Workbooks: An English vocabulary program for parents and children learning English that uses a simple method to teach parents strong English vocabulary and proper pronunciation through the use of phonics: https://www.lecturabooks.com/family-phonics-workbooks/
• Lectura Books – Publisher of award-winning English and Spanish language development books for children of all ages ranging from infants to teenagers, including 2014 Moonbeam Award winner for Best Children’s Book (Spanish), Boy Zorro and the Bully.

References

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/top-languages-spoken-english-language-learners-nationally-and-state

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A March 2016 report from the Child Trends Hispanic Institute has found that students of Hispanic descent scored higher on national reading proficiency tests than their non-Hispanic peers in Miami-Dade county in Florida. Across the country, reading scores of fourth and eighth graders were consistently higher by half a grade all the way up to four grade levels over a ten year span from 2005-2015 in children of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Mexican descent. Although the Institute could not provide definitive data pointing to the reasons why these test scores were higher among certain districts in areas as disparate as Montana and Florida, one of the factors considered was the successful acculturation of these students.

In the case of the 2016 report outlining how Hispanic children outperformed their white counterparts in reading proficiency, acculturation may have played a large role because it allowed for them to approach the language in the same manner as those of us who were born here. These children, perhaps through their parents or the influence of their peers, have learned to adapt to our culture and thus found easier entry into their reading, not by looking at the written word through the prism of a foreign born citizen, but as a child born within these borders. Studies have shown a connection between second language proficiency and successful acculturation, fostered by a positive view of the new culture and confident interaction with other individuals within that culture group.

For fourth and eighth grade students, we may be able to conclude that assimilation without some form of acculturation is certainly possible, though it might prove an obstacle to the successful evolution of their reading skills. This is not to suggest that they should lose their own identity, but embracing the one in which they live as readily as their own might have positive effects on their education.

Lectura Books has exceptional bilingual children’s books that will encourage Spanish and English speaking parents to read to their children. The bold illustrations will foster many multicultural experiences that the whole family can enjoy.

Acculturation and Assimilation

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7 Tips from Schools for ELL Success – Stanford Graduate Study

A research team from the Stanford Graduate School of Education released a study last month outlining the common practices and values of the top 6 high schools responsible for having an exemplary record of graduated and career-ready ELLs. The researchers profiled 7 key elements shared by all schools that contributed to their ELL success:

1. Passionate, strategic, mission-driven leadership. Principals, assistant principals, teachers, and other staff exhibited strong ideals and goals for their ELL students. Their effort went beyond normal lengths that included strategic decision-making, community and family outreach, and effective curriculum and teaching methods.
2. Strategic staffing. These schools are strategic in the type of school staff that is hired. Many of the school staff members are former ELL, immigrants, or have extensive travel experiences. Moreover, some are dual-certified in ESL and content areas. In this way, school leaders easily shared perspective with their students, communicated in their home language, and provided effective instruction tailored specifically to their ELL students.
3. Ongoing, intentional assessment with follow-through. Assessment and data drive each school’s progress. From entry to graduation and beyond, the school will assess student capacity and update course offerings and instruction accordingly. Frequent communication between family and administrators is another common element that helps the school evaluate the needs of each student and their family.
4. Intensive social-emotional support. The schools support student success and growth immensely, especially through family and school involvement. School staff is strategic in reaching out and involving their students and their families by understanding and respecting their cultures, communicating in their home language, and providing additional support in terms of health services, food security, and employment.
5. Unified language development framework integrating content, analytical practices, and language learning. Teaching methods and curriculum are effective and tailored to the needs of their ELL students. School leaders formulate lesson plans that will strengthen ELL first language development for a strong foundation so that students can then build and retain second language development.
6. Intentional, carefully orchestrated structures. Student focus is carefully orchestrated to ensure that students can maximize and enrich their potential and, effectively, reduce the need for credit recovery. These schools are also not bound by traditional class periods or schedules, and school staff is always readily available. Schedules can range from block schedules, afterschool and weekend tutoring, and looping.
7. Strategic community partnerships. The schools build partnerships with external organizations, such as STEM or philanthropic programs, and colleges, that will broaden the opportunity for students to network, gain extracurricular experience, and increase their knowledge of the college-going process.

In summary, these schools incorporated passionate and supportive leadership, strategic decision-making, effective teaching methods, meaningful curriculum, and family and community involvement into their ELL framework.

The Latino Family Literacy Project understands that all these are important benchmarks in serving any ELL population. Our organization can train school staff, with these principles in mind, to work with Spanish-speaking families to ensure positive English Language outcomes, strong parent involvement, and academic success.

To learn more about our program and how it works, check out our program overview.

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Over the past few years, Illinois has experienced a surge in the number of English Learners enrolled in public schools. In an analysis of Illinois’ Latino Demographic by Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro, a PhD Research and Policy Analyst for the Latino Policy Forum, the state has experienced a 25% increase of English Language Learners from 2004 to 2011, with a majority of English Learners being Spanish speakers – a trend that has stayed consistent for the past decade. In fact, Hispanic students comprise 80% of all English Learners in Illinois and Illinois’ class of 2020 is projected to become the first “majority-minority” group of graduates. However, there is a wide achievement gap between ELLs and non-ELLs and much has to do with the language barrier presented in school classrooms, especially when classes are primarily taught in English.

With such a disparity in academic success between ELL and non-ELL students, there is a need for equal instruction opportunities for ELLs particularly in the form of bilingual and second language programs. In a report conducted by the Illinois State Board of Education on Bilingual Programs and English Learners in Illinois, statistics showed that ELL students that reached satisfactory English proficiency levels through the enrollment of second language programs actually surpassed the scores of non-ELL students on the Illinois Standard Achievement Test for Reading (ISAT), thereby reducing the achievement gap.

Illinois has identified the need for such programs and as a member of WIDA (World- Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is “dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners”. The Illinois School Code provides guidance and stipulations in assessing English Learners as well as determining bilingual program options and placement. Moreover, state and federal funds are available to districts for funding ELL services through Title III. The English Learning Division, a department within the Illinois State Board of Education, can provide more information and assistance regarding the education of ELLs in Illinois.

As to the nature of the programs, the Illinois State Board of Education does not require a particular educational approach to the instruction of ELL students, stating that “a number of different language acquisition models are considered to be educationally sound and supported by scientifically-based research”, allowing districts to be flexible. A program like The Latino Family Literacy Project can help fulfill district needs for reaching out and educating English Learners. Our bilingual programs aim to increase English Language proficiency through the use of effective curriculum, culturally-relevant bilingual books, and parental involvement.

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California law states, “the government and the public schools of California have a moral obligation and a constitutional duty to provide all of California’s children, regardless of their ethnicity or national origins, with the skills necessary to become productive members of our society, and of these skills, literacy in the English language is among the most important”. By this statement, California dedicates its efforts to making sure that all students become English language proficient; this includes English learners and non-English learners alike. However, with English the chosen language of instruction, limited English proficient students miss out on the same opportunity of academic success as non-English learners.

According to the California Department of Education, monolingual English-speaking students enter school with speaking vocabularies between 2,000 to 8,000 words, vastly different from the vocabularies of entering English learners. Moreover, there are about 1.4 million English learners in California, constituting about 22.7% of total enrollment in California public schools. So how does California help their English learner population?

Many states and districts form committees with experts to help create guidelines to support their states’ teachers and staff who work with English Learners. The California Department of Education, for example, provides assistance to local schools and districts in helping English Learners achieve the following goals:

• Ensure that English learners acquire full proficiency in English as rapidly and effectively as possible and attain parity with native speakers of English.
• Ensure that English learners, within a reasonable period of time, achieve the same rigorous grade-level academic standards that are expected of all students.

In addition, the California State Board of Education has created a California English Language Development Standards Implementation Plan that provides a very thorough plan-of-action for helping English learners achieve school success. The plan “describes the rationale and strategies for the successful integration of the CA ELD Standards, which align to the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy, to address the English language and literacy skills that English learners need in key content areas”. For additional information on CA ELD Standards and resources for teaching California’s English learners, visit the California Department of Education webpage here.

Getting Parents Involved

A portion of a good district plan includes working with English learners by providing English support and resources for parents. In fact, the California Education Code allows funding for schools “to provide adult English language instruction programs to parents who pledge to provide personal English language tutoring to California school children with limited English proficiency”. Essentially, the provision facilitates increasing parent involvement and developing English language vocabulary skills for English learners –both of which are keys to school success and goals of The Latino Family Literacy Project.

As of yet, parent involvement doesn’t have a lot of structure and standards. However, if a district coordinates its efforts to have all schools provide the same program for strong outcomes in parent involvement with English learners, they can reach their goals in graduating students with the language needed for academic success. The Latino Family Literacy Project is an example of an program designed for  English learners whose native language is Spanish. Moreover, our program also provides expert training to educators so they are equipped to help not only their students learn academic language, but also provide parents with effective strategies that will allow them to support their children as they learn academic language. For more information on our programs, visit our web page.

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