JAMAICAN STUDENTS IN

CONNECTICUT SCHOOLS –

SECONDARY SCIENCE

Charles Solarz

History of Jamaica Discovered in 1494, settled by Spanish early in

the 16th century(Jamaica, 2014)

Abolition of slavery in 1834 free 250,000 slavesMany became small farmers

Gained full independence in 1962 from the Federation of the West Indies(Jamaica, 2014)

History of Jamaica (cont.) Economy deterioration

in the 1970s led to violence between gangs leading to organized crime

Today, many areas (such as resorts and rural areas) remain relatively safe and help sustain the economy.(Jamaica, 2014)

Education System – Ministry of Education Government entity responsible for

education in Jamaica. Established in 1953 Comprised of 11 agencies, 5 divisions.

1,000 public education institutions Serving over 100,000 students(MoE, 2014)

Ministry of Education

Common curriculum was introduced in 1993 for grades 7-9.

System requires student to complete through 11 grade.

Honorable Ronald Thwaites, M.P., Minister of Education(USNEI, n.d.)

United States Education

50 Million students in 99,000 public elementary and secondary schools.

United States ranks 35th in world, based on Math and Reading scores.

Spends $115,000 per student

Jamaica/ United States

JAMAICA: Students must

complete through 11 grade

35:1 Teacher to student ratio in preschool

Only group with a lower Teacher student ration is Special Education 8:1 (MofE, 2013)

UNITED STATES: Students must

complete through 12 grade

16:1 Teacher to student ratio in preschool (NEA, 2012)

Early childhood and preschool available is available in almost every community.

Migration 300,000 documented immigrants

between 1966 and 1984. “Brain drain” in Jamaica, which is lacking

a number of professionals, and skilled workers such as doctors, lawyers, and technicians.

Jamaicans migrate to the U.S. because of failing economy, lack of economic diversity, poor land distribution, and increase in crime. (countries and cultures, n.d.)

Jamaicans in Connecticut

7% of Connecticut's Immigrant population is Jamican (Immigrants in Connecticut, n.d.)

½ of Connecticut’s immigrants are naturalized citizens, compared to 1/3 nationally.

Best-educated workers earn the highest wages, regardless of whether they are immigrants

Jamaicans in Connecticut (cont.)

The population of well-educated immigrants is growing faster than less-educated immigrants in Connecticut

Among men age 25 and over, the number of college-educated immigrants increased 53 percent between 1990 and 2000

Jamaicans in Connecticut (cont.)

Connecticut's immigrants are most heavily concentrated in low-skilled industries, but their numbers are growing rapidly in high-skilled industriesIn 2000, accommodation and food employed

the highest share of immigrants (21 percent)  between 1990 and 2000, the number of

immigrants grew rapidly in professional, scientific, and technical (92 percent)

Opportunities in Connecticut for Immigrants Between 1995 and 2025, Connecticut is

expected to gain 337,000 people through international migration, doubling

the foreign-born population (the 12th greatest percentage increase in immigrant population size among the fifty states and Washington DC)

Jamaica ranks 3 in countries of origin for Connecticut’s foreign-born residents.

11% of Connecticut’s population is foreign-Born

Introduction of Material to Jamaican Students ELL students – recent newcomers to

the country.Sit silently in classAdjusting to a new climate and schoolAdjusting to new culture

Difficulties in vocabulary development and syntax, impoverished or immature writing, and difficulty keeping up and participating in class may all be symptoms of an earlier lack of competence in a first language

ELL Students Students can gain a basic understanding of academic

material by accessing three kinds of knowledge: Universal pragmatic knowledge Language proficiency Background knowledge

Simple vocab and handsOn activities to help make

Connections to learning

Materials Lab activities

(Department, n.d.)

ELL Students – Potential Problems Students lack confidence and are not ready

for a new environment. Not enough reinforcement of language at

home because its not the primary language spoken

Student might have a complex linguistic history with no primary languageMakes it difficult to learn a second language

Diagrams, imagines and pictures are helpful in understanding science material.

Keys to Effectiveness

 Effective education includes native-like levels of proficiency in English.Effective education includes the maintenance

and promotion of ELL students native languages in school and community contexts.

All educational personnel assume responsibility for the education of ELL students.

In Science, verbal language before writing and group lab work.

Bibliography Jamaica: Introduction. (2014). Central Intelligence Agency. from https://

www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html Miinstry of Education - About us. (n.d.). Ministry of Education. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from http://www.moe.gov.jm/node/16 USNEI. (n.d.). U.S. Network for Education Information (). Retrieved April 8, 2014, from https://

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/edlite-index.html NEA, R. (2012). Rankings of the States 2012 and Estimates of School Statistics 2013 . Washington, DC: National

Education Association. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SCHOOL PROFILES 2012-2013 . (2013). Kingston, Jamaica: Mininstry of Education. International Organization for Migration. (n.d.). Jamaica -. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from http://

www.iom.int/cms/en/sites/iom/home/where-we-work/americas/central-and-north-america-and-th/jamaica.html Countries and Their Cultures. (n.d.). Jamaican Americans. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from http://

www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Jamaican-Americans.html Immigrants in Connecticut. (n.d.). : Labor Market Experiences and Health Care Access. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from http://

www.urban.org/publications/311256 Meija, R., & Ph.D., P. C. (2007). Immigration in Connecticut: A Growing Opportunity. New Haven: Connecticut Voices for

Children. Fix, M. (2001). THE INTEGRATION OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN THE UNITED STATES. California: The Citizen's

Commission for Civil Rights Biennial Report on Federal Civil Rights and Enforcement. Department. (n.d.). Who Are ELL Students?. Education.com. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from

http://www.education.com/reference/article/who-ell-english-language-learne