The event covered the basis on achievement gaps for English learners from the K-12 level, and the Assembly assessed how resources and demands from the State prepare these students for college. In order to do so, the Assembly had statewide presenters from various school districts and universities share their findings on English learning.
The Assembly covered ground on research insights, successful practices and policy issues for closing the English-learner achievement gap.
“We need to find a way to educate and then activate in order to set these students for the future,” O’Donnell said. “What is California’s strategy? I’m afraid that as a state we have the policy, but not necessarily the strategy.”
Patricia Gandara, a UCLA research professor, gave an overview of her findings and said that English learners perform better at early grade levels when the demands are lower, but as they stay steadfast toward higher grade levels, there is not a general growth in their development, unlike the average student.
She attributes this problem to state-standardized testing not being designed for English learners, and that California itself employs few test accommodations for its English-learning students.
Gandara said that the English-learner program is problematic, and that it is not on the right track.
“All of our English learners should have full access to the English curriculum,” Gandara said. “Looking at what the research says could actually make a difference in terms of closing that gap.”
Her statistics showed that, compared to other students, English learners in California have less of a percentage rate of fulfilling A-G completion requirements and getting into college.
The numbers showed that the 2011-12 school year had 22.7 percent of English learners meet the A-G requirements, while other students were up at 38.3 percent. It got worse the following year: the number for English learners went down to 8.9 percent, while other students went up to 39.4 percent.
Those numbers have remained consistent since, and Gandara said that she doesn’t know the root of this problem.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Hearing-2.jpg” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”Patricia Gandara, a UCLA research professor, shared her findings on the English-learner achievement gap in California on Dec. 14 in an informational hearing event in Cal State Long Beach. She attributes the problem with the achievement gap to state-standardized testing not accommodating English learners. ” captionposition=”right”] Touching back on the college-going rate, 52.2 percent of English learners make it into college. They yield the smallest percentage compared to any other student.
“This gives us a big picture on a challenge we face in California,” O’Donnell said.
The major policy issues that were revealed with presentations during the event were: California needs better test development for English learners; improved production of bilingual teachers; and improved adequacy of LCFF, California’s school-funding system that is implemented at a state and local level.
In regard to bilingual teachers, many presenters placed an emphasis on their importance, as bilingual instructors have had the most successful education programs in the past few years.
O’Donnell mentioned that the issue of hiring teachers and getting instructors to join English-learning programs is complicated, as it is difficult to get qualified and appropriate instructors for specific programs.
It’s another “pipeline” to fix, O’Donnell said.
Recommendations for LCFF expenditures included increasing the production of teachers, increasing learning time for English learners and helping organize parents for a role in the decision making.
Successful practices in closing the achievement gap are apparent, however, and some include educational models such as SIOP, said Jana Echevarria, a professor at CSULB.
SIOP is a framework for planning, delivering, assessing and evaluating instructional practices that can help English learners attain language proficiency and achieve academic success in content areas.
Echevarria said that SIOP is an empirically-tested, research-based model of sheltered instruction. Students digest the knowledge and are then required to prepare their own understanding of the content and share it with classmates and have a dialogue.
It provides a comprehensible way of learning, she said.
“In order to help students reach high standards… research shows that there needs to be a well-defined, well-articulated plan for how teachers implement all of these requirements to benefit the students,” Echevarria said.
The research garnered at the event will serve as the start for closing that achievement gap, O’Donnell said.
“This is the future of which California’s public education rests,” O’Donnell said. “The English-learner achievement gap is not a side issue and can never again be an afterthought. It is a core and pressing challenge in our system.”
