Many of us remember well our first day of high school. I know I do.
As the school bus pulled into the campus, I peered across the baseball field at the middle school, where I used to stand and wait for class to start. I snickered at the kids still trapped there, with their colorful backpacks and talk of the latest trading card game. I was about to cross the void and step out onto the curb in front of the high school—and, in so doing, begin anew the four-year process.
More nervous than confident, I scanned the crowd for my friends, whom I magnetized to almost instantly. We talked about our classes, the events of the summer, and which “clicks” we could identify and rank in terms of importance in our social agenda.
The bell rang and classes began, and it wasn't all too long before I realized that high school was almost identical to middle school. Eight hours, boring teachers, sprawling lectures, chained-to-your-chair—it was all the same.
Unfortunately, for many, however, the first day of school is nothing like anything else before. For a native English speaker, not having the greatest English skills may mean a C on a paper. But, many students who speak a language other than English in the home (Language Minority Students, or, LMS), are Limited English Proficient (LEP), which could mean confusion, stress, and failing grades. Those students who are LEP are at an obvious disadvantage.
How large this disadvantage is—and the number of students limited by it—varies from state to state. In Arkansas, the answers to those questions may be surprising: there are more than 29,000 LEP students, almost 1000 of which are not enrolled in any sort of program “specifically designed to meet their educational needs.” For the 28,000 who are, the state allots $293.00 per LEP student per year, and, in many school districts, that may fall drastically short of the funds actually needed in order to provide meaningful assistance to LEP students. In the annually reported results of the Home Language Survey—a survey sent home with every student at the beginning of each year—nine school districts with over 90% of their LMS students being LEP are displayed on the first page alone, six of which had 100%. There are five pages.
What does all of these figures mean? The answer is twofold.
First, it shows that future educators will be dealing with an increasingly different classroom landscape than in years past. Students who are not participating in class, or who do not turn in homework, may not be “lazy” or “underachievers,” or—Heaven forbid a teacher saying it—“stupid.” Instead, they may not be proficient in English. Imagine being in a classroom in Spain and your Maestra telling you to write an “oración compuesta,” whatever the heck that is.
Second, it reveals that not enough is being done to assist LEP students. In the past seven years, LMS students have increased by 85%, while LEP students have increased by 115%. Is $293.00 per student really enough? It is obvious that it is not.
While a teacher may have a hard time convincing the principal, superintendent, or school board to change policies to better accommodate LEP students, it is definitely possible for a teacher to make a difference in the life of an LEP student. By understanding that there are students who may not speak English on the level of their peers—or, who may speak it perfectly but lack the ability to write it—teachers can personally accommodate. For example, a teacher could set up extra instructional time.
The statistics in some states are better than in Arkansas, while in other states they are even worse. What is important is that all students receive a quality education, free of bias and disadvantage. The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (1975) and its amendment in 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, promised free, equal, accommodating education. It is quite safe to say that being Limited English Proficient is disabling. However, is it safe for us to say that we've been doing our part?
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All statistics come from the Arkansas Department of Education Programs for Language Minority Students 2009-2010.
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NIce discussion of the relevance of the HLS information with what happens in education.
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