A Return to the Past: Hiding ELL Accountability (or: NCLB in Florida)

Ester J. de JongUniversity of Florida

Florida Demographics Census 2000

23% of those 5 years and over speaks a language other than English at home

17% of Florida total population was foreign born Total 2005-2006 K-12 school population: 2,680,610

Total ELL population 230,038 (8.5% of total) Spanish-speaking ELLs: 175,804 (76% of ELLs)

Variation within the state Miami Dade: 16%; Orange County [Orlando]: 18%;

Pasco County [Tampa/St. Petersburg ]: 24%; Alachua County [Gainesville]: 2%

No L1 testing alternative has been developed

Florida and NCLB: Basic Outcomes 7% of districts made AYP in 2006 28% of schools made AYP in 2006 It depends on the grade level: While 66% of students score

Proficient in 4th grade READING, only 46% of 8th graders and 32% of 10th graders did so.Hiding Accountability: only half of elementary students scored at levels 4+5; less than 20% of secondary students scored at levels 4+5.

Other indicators: Graduation rates decreased in 65% of the counties Drop-out rates increased or stayed the same in 64% of

the counties

Florida, NCLB, and ELLs Making AYP:

2005-2006: AYP in reading (Goal: 44%) 67% of Whites 51% of Hispanics 39% of Black 36% of ELLs

25% of ELLs Grades 3-10 scored at Proficient Level in Reading in 2006 (up from 12% in 2002) Hiding Accountability: elementary >>

secondary

A return to the past When ELLs were ignored in the 1920s

Placement in the mainstream Teachers were unprepared Placement in special education or lower grades

Current state: Mainstreaming of ELLs (nation-wide: in 2003, almost

50% were minimum or no specialized services (32% in 1993); anti-bilingual propositions

Deskilling of teachers of ELLs, both specialists and mainstream teacher preparation

Increase of special education referrals as result of anti-bilingual education propositions

Retention: not meeting certain ‘readiness criteria’ (e.g., Level 2 on FCAT in third grade)

Teachers and NCLB, Florida NCLB: Highly Qualified Teachers

Bachelor’s degree & certification exam Focuses on CONTENT knowledge as critical element for

effective teachers NCLB: Scientifically-based instruction Florida: Consent Decree (1990) and state-mandated

requirement for teacher preparation (2000): specified # of hours for “language arts” teachers, other content are teachers (ESOL endorsement) Teacher Preparation: ESOL-infused programs

Hiding Accountability through NCLB HQT - ESL/bilingual teaching not included as the

‘core’ Content area course work rarely includes

issues related to ELLs (or linguistically and culturally diverse students in general)

SBI - The majority of intervention studies have not included linguistically and culturally diverse students, specifically including ELLs at varying proficiency levels and background experiences

The deskilling Teachers/Teaching of ELLs Teaching ELLs is a matter of “just good teaching”

– some additional strategies added to existing repertoires L2 instruction is similar to L1 instruction Mainstream is ‘optimal’ placement for ELLs Accepted generalizing of L1 studies to ELLs

rather than insisting on L2-generated and bilingual research

Experience with Florida ESOL endorsement: Endorsed teacher “sufficient” replacement of

certified teachers Content: What is most easily ‘translated’ and

accepted by mainstream teachers

The Deskilling Teachers/Teaching of ELLs, continued Current Issue: Reading

Changing roles: ESOL teachers are teaching remedial reading courses as part of their assignment; they have become ‘consultants’ rather than direct services

ELLs=struggling readers Reading Endorsement and ESOL

SB 2512: complete reading courses PLUS 1 ESOL course = ESOL endorsement (5 ESOL-specific courses)

One other factor … Decentralized accountability that focuses on schools.

NCLB: minimum number of students in subgroup Florida: Est. 20% of ELLs not included in AYP

reporting (Aspen Institute, 2006) Danger: district policies to keep number of ELLs below

the required numbers by dispersal of ELLs throughout the district

Undermines integrity of any specialized services for ELLs at the school level

Note: FL just changed rule: less than 30 AND 15% of population OR 100 students.

Things to consider (among many others!) Teaching ELLs must be formally acknowledged as more

than pedagogy with its own content knowledge Requirements for teachers need to be explicit about this

content base, in addition to pedagogy; distinction between specialist and non-specialist remains important

Subgroup exemption (and safe harbor) cannot become a loophole to avoid accountability for ELLs

Accountability needs to consider various school levels (elementary, secondary) and district level accountability that could be program-based and not just school-based (program integrity).