Three are over 7,000 English Language Learners enrolled in the Madison Metropolitan School District, or almost 28 percent of the student population. Most of these students are Spanish speaking, with also a growing population of Hmong students. Federal law requires that students identified as English Language Learners (ELL) are provided with certain academic supports and services in order for them to be able to succeed. These required services extend to their families. A recent release from the U.S. Department of Education reminds school districts of their obligations to ELLs and their families. The guidance explains schools’ obligations to:
• identify English learner students in a timely, valid and reliable manner;
• offer all English learner students an educationally sound language assistance program;
• provide qualified staff and sufficient resources for instructing English learner students;
• ensure English learner students have equitable access to school programs and activities;
• avoid unnecessary segregation of English learner students from other students;
• monitor students’ progress in learning English and doing grade-level classwork;
• remedy any academic deficits English learner students incurred while in a language assistance program;
• move students out of language assistance programs when they are proficient in English and monitor those students to ensure they were not prematurely removed;
• evaluate the effectiveness of English learner programs; and
• provide limited English proficient parents with information about school programs, services, and activities in a language they understand.
In addition to these federal laws, Wisconsin also has a bilingual statue that requires school districts to offer access to bilingual programs when a school reaches a threshold of, usually, 20 students with the same non-English language in that school. This requirement is frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted in school districts. The Madison Metropolitan School District, for many years, has not been in compliance at many of their schools with the bilingual state statute, and on many occasions, not been in compliance with federal law, either. For example, depending on where ELLs live, if their attendance area school offers the services, then they can choose to receive them. However, if they unfortunately live in an attendance area whose school doesn’t offer the bilingual programs or services, even if they request them, then the schools are out of compliance.
In essence, these services are not “extra” nice things the schools need to do for ELLs. They are requirements under state and federal law and the School District’s responsibility to meet ELLs needs and rights.
The ELL Plan seeks to address this concern and not only to become compliant with the law, but also to provide the 7,000 ELL students in the school district the best programs possible for every student in the district regardless of racial/ethnicity, or language background. That is if it wants to be true to its stated values of equity and excellence.
The ELL Plan is NOT about identifying deficits, but recognizing that multilingual learners carry MORE skills and require additional support to succeed, It is NOT about making students feel “different” or that they don’t belong, but about ensuring that their home language is a valuable asset and that they don’t need to lose their language skills to succeed academically. It is NOT about only reaching English proficiency quickly or speaking English fluently, but about academic preparation in reading, writing, math, and content.
The two bilingual models being proposed in the plan, are by far, the strongest research-based models available. They are Dual Language Immersion (DLI) and Developmental Bilingual Education programs. Currently, several of our schools have Dual Language Immersion programs that both provide the best possible program, not only for ELLs, but for majority English Speaking children that chose to enroll in the program. With quality implementation over time, we know that students in DLI programs reach higher levels of proficiency — often outperforming their peers — and will graduate being fully bilingual and multicultural. This will opens doors for them to increased opportunities and global awareness. Two nationally respected and recognized experts on ELL education reviewed and vetted the plan, and expressed their excitement at what they believed to be an outstanding plan that could become a model beyond Madison. And even beyond Wisconsin!
Unfortunately, there is resistance on the MMSD School Board to approve the program. One of the arguments against the ELL Plan is that currently available DLI programs have an under-representation of African American students in them, and consequently an over-representation of African American students in English-only classrooms. Board members are concerned that these classrooms are “segregating” African American students. And thus are unwilling to approve the plan for this reason. This is an unfortunate and to many of us an offensive way of describing the imbalance in the enrollment of African American children in those classrooms. Futhermore, it is also pitting the needs of African American students and families against the needs of mostly Latino and Hmong kids. To me, that that is immoral.
The only way to address the issue of imbalance in the diversity of those classrooms is to expand the number of school offering DLI programs and engage in a strong outreach effort focused on African American and other families that are currently choosing not to enroll their children in these programs. Instead board members seem inclined to modify the plan to eliminate the expansion of DLI programs, and instead, offer only transition programs to ELL students as an option, in spite of the fact that transition programs have been used by the School District in the past with little success. In addition, it will reduce options and choice from ELL families and English-speaking families alike, instead of expanding opportunity for high impact programs, like DLI, which should be our goal.
There are a few other legitimate concerns than can be addressed without having to reject what is an excellent plan.
As a community that believes in fairness, equity, and excellence in our schools, it is the responsibility of all of us, regardless of race/ ethnicity or background to support our English Language Learners and contact the MMSD Board of Education members to voice your support for approving the plan at [email protected] or by attending the board meeting on October 26th at 5 p.m. to express your support.
