The High Schools English Learners Need Norm Gold Oxnard Union HSD Oxnard, California June 7, 2006

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The High Schools English Learners NeedNorm
GoldOxnard Union HSD Oxnard,
CaliforniaJune 7, 2006
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GOAL

• Encourage redesign of high schools to ensure
  success for all English Learners
• 2

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Perspectives

• We know a great deal about how to improve HS for
  ELs.
• High schools do not work well for most ELs.
• The problems in EL education are escalating.
• We must have a firm commitment to educational
  equity.

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Definitions of Success

• Current State and Federal Expectations
• Individual and Societal Needs
• Handout/ OH

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Two Students
Vianeli A Age. 15 Grade 9 Previous CELDT 1 (December 2004) Current CELDT 2 (Fall 2005) Efraín C. 16 10 3   3
Recent arrival, limited oral and literacy in English. Completed 7 years of schooling in Mexico. Efraín Long-term EL, fairly fluent oral English, less than 6th grade reading skills, has a history of poor grades.

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ExerciseThink Write Pair - Share

• Choose one of these students.
• THINK of similar students of these
  characteristics.
• WRITE down the keys to high school success for
  this student.
• PAIR up, and SHARE your keys with each other.
• Be prepared to report back.
• handout

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HS does not work for most ELs Action is needed
now!

• This is urgent!
• I believe that our responses must be
• Definitive
• Comprehensive
• Fundamental
• Long-term

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Diverse Students

• Long-Term EL
• Making some progress. Close to grade level, but
  not optimal achievement.
• Not making progress. Three or more years behind.
• Newcomer
• Strong prior schooling
• Interrupted schooling minimal literacy

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Current H.S. A design for almost certain failure
for most ELs

• Goals appear insurmountable to many students and
  their families.
• Identity of disconnect and failure for long-term
  ELs
• An unfamiliar system for newcomers
• lt 15
• Only four years to master English and earn
  sufficient credits to graduate.
• College preparation is the only high status
  outcome.

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• Remediation is possible, but treated as failure
  of student.
• Some Hurdles HS exit exam, most instruction only
  in English, assessments in English without
  accommodations, limited counseling and
  information
• Schedules are incompatible with need to work.

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English Learners in California

• A total of 1,591,525 K-12 in 2005
• 25.2 of all enrollment California
• Increased 328,543 ( 26 percent) since 1995
• Mostly Spanish-speakers (85)
• Also Vietnamese (2.2) Hmong (1.4)
  Cantonese (1.4) Tagalog (1.3) and Korean
  (1.0) and many other languages.

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• 300,000 English Learners in California high
  schools
• We have more in ELs in 9th grade alone (103,952)
  than the entire K-12 EL enrollments of any state
  except Arizona, Florida, Illinois, New York or
  Texas.
• Only NY and TX have more ELs than our HS EL
  enrollment.

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Current H.S.
9 Freshman 10 Sophomore 11 Junior 12 Senior
Six courses Year-long Six courses Year-long Six courses Year-long Six courses Year-long
Interventions (tutoring, summer school, etc.) for remediation First take CAHSEE CAHSEE must be passed NO LATER THAN summer after 12th grade.
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Previous Recommendations for ELs

• Language, culture and school responsiveness
• Empowering students
• Specific instructional techniques
• Organizational structures
• Teacher training

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Evidence that mostELs are likely to fail HS

• Standardized NRTs and Assessments of Standards
• Current grades
• HS Exit Exam
• Other data
• There are, of course, many individual success
  stories to report But far too few.

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2004 Performance of Grade 10ELs on State Tests
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Grades at one Orange Co. H.S.Percent Ds Fs -
All Academic Courses (2003-04)
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
ELs 47 n 151 49 n 127 41 n 138 41 n 109
EOs I-FEPs 25 n 143 28 n 172 32 n 127 17 n 114
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Grades at one Ventura County H.S.Percent Ds Fs
in English 9, 10, 11, 12 (2004-05)
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
ELs 51.4 67.5 69.4 33
EOs I-FEPs 32.5 37.9 30.1 18.2
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ELs Do Not Complete H.S.

• Only 27 of ELs graduate four years after
  enrolling in 9th grade.
• LA USD, 2004-05

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National data on high school completion by
ethnicity

• CAUTION ethnicity is distinct from language
  status
• All students
• 70 graduate
• 32 leave high school qualified to attend
  four-year colleges.
• Black and Hispanic/Latino students
• 51 of all black students and 52 of all Hispanic
  students graduate
• 20 of all black students and 16 of all Hispanic
  students WHO GRADUATE (!) leave high school
  college-ready.

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Controlling Myths and ResponsesELs and High
School

• The following myths appear to control state and
  local policy and practice in high schools.
• There is enormous urgency to make improvements
• These improvements can only be made if we take
  control of the public debate about high school
  for English learners

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Myth 1ELs bring only NEED

• Inventory all prior education identify strengths
• Assess competence in primary language
• Establish early school-to-home connections
• Conduct ongoing asset inventory
• Provide programs that value competencies
  developed out-of-school resilience, leadership.

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Myth 2 ELD is all they need

• Provide COMPLETE program for ELs, including
  primary language content, and multicultural
  competency.
• Plan full integration of ELs with others.
• IMPROVE ELD instruction.
• Professional development for ALL personnel.
• Hire teachers, counselors with language and
  cultural competencies and specific EL
  preparation.
• Promote school-wide focus on languages.

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2 continued

• Provide instruction in primary language, whenever
  possible and appropriate.
• Challenge students and place in classes where
  they can succeed
• Recognize that gt 70 are long-term ELs
• Create cohorts of students with comprehensive
  support.

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Myth 3Current Calendar and Clock are Sacred

• Expand time to five or more years for those who
  need and want it.
• Expand school day.
• Encourage any student making progress to remain
  in school.
• Adjust calendar to needs of community
• Change state policies on testing. Recognize L1
  competency and ELD as second language (FL).

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Myth 4HS takes place only in a building called
High School

• Consider advantages of some features of secondary
  schooling used elsewhere apprenticeships,
  internships.
• Offer greater access to evening and part-time
  classes, online and distance learning options.
• Explore how to take greater advantage of
  Community Colleges.
• Encourage students to challenge entry into
  courses.

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Myth 5Only one worthwhile goal and a single
best path

• Individualize high school for all students
• but ensure a common core for all
• Ensure opportunity for college for all.
• Place greater attention on supporting transitions
  from HS to community college, to university AND
  to careers.
• Promote courses of study that are routes to high
  paying, high status jobssome of which do not
  require 4-year college.

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California Labor Market in 2010

• College Level (BA) Jobs 23.2
• Non College Level Jobs 76.8
• There will be seven million openings (new jobs
  plus replacements) between 2000 and 2010. 68.5
  require no college, 23 require BA, and 8.5 an
  AA or some college.

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Myth 5.

• Small schools may not be the best option for EL
  students.
• Strive to create the conditions sought in small
  schools and small learning communities common
  focus, high expectations, personalization,
  climate of respect and responsibility, time to
  collaborate, etc.
• Actively market key features of the redesigned
  high school to students, parents, wider
  community.

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The Five Myths to Bust

• 1. ELs bring nothing except need.
• 2. ELD is all they need.
• 3. Current calendar and clock are sacred.
• 4. HS must take place in a building called High
  School.
• 5. Only one goal of secondary education and a
  single best path to its completion.

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Some Likely Barriers

• Frosh to Senior class distinctions
• Clock and calendar, CAHSEE schedule
• NCLB and State Accountability Timelines/ Testing
• Transportation system
• Teacher work rules and contracts
• Cost of teachers, classrooms and instructional
  materials
• Traditions

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What Can We Do?

• School Boards?
• CDE?
• Governor? Legislature?
• What can YOU do?

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Two Students

• Vianeli
• Efraín

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If we fail to take action,

• Vianeli and Efraín, and tens of thousands of
  English Learners will follow pathways to probable
  failure.

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If we act thoughtfully now,

• English Learners will have many pathways to
  probable success.

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Many thanks to

• Julie Maxwell-Jolly and Patricia Gándara
• Also to
• Sheila Budman, Lauri Burnham-Massey, Rebecca
  Callahan, Jesús Contreras, Ted Hamann, Karen
  Kendall, Toni Marsnik, Laurie Olsen, Peter
  Schilla, and Fred Tempes.
• Teachers and administrators in
• Desert Sands USD, Hayward USD,
  Newport-Mesa USD, Parlier USD, Sacramento City
  USD, Santa Ana USD, Ventura USD, West Contra
  Costa USD.
• University of California, Linguistic Minority
  Research Institute http//lmri.ucsb.edu/
• Download complete paper http//www.lmri.ucsb.ed
  u/publications/06_gold.pdf
• __________________________________________________
  _________
• Norm Gold www.normgoldassociates.com
  norm_at_normgoldassociates.com [phone]