America's Promise Alliance Community Convention 2016
Prioritizing English Learners: The Right Partnerships, Strategies and Resources
Partners of all types and at all levels of the system play a critical role in ensuring English learners receive the support they need to thrive in school and life. As such, federal, state and local partners are working together to effectively implement policies and practices geared toward increasing high school graduation rates and ensuring other successful outcomes for English learners. But what strategies are proving most effective? And what resources are states and communities leveraging and planning to leverage as they continue this work? This diverse panel of experts to discussed these and other critical questions related to better supporting English learners.
Created by
Libia Gil, US Department of Education
Prioritizing English Learners: The Right Partnerships, Strategies and Resources by Libia Gil - Community Convention 2016
1. PRIORITIZING ENGLISH LEARNERS
AMERICA’S PROMISE ALLIANCE
OCTOBER 10, 2016, WASHINGTON DC
LIBIA SOCORRO GIL, PH.D.
ASSISTANT DEPUTY SECRETARY AND DIRECTOR, OELA
2. OVERVIEW
• English Learner Profile
National Growth
Performance Trend
• Moving Forward
ESSA and ELs
Other Resources
2
3. PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN NUMBER OF ELs, BY
STATE:
SYs 2004-05 TO 2013-14
3 0116
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, 2008-10 Biennial Report to Congress and Consolidated State Performance
Reports, SYs 2010-11 and 2013-14.
4. NUMBERS OF K-12 ELs: SYs 2002-03 TO 2013-
14
4
Source: U.S. Department of Education, 2010-12 Biennial Report to Congress, and Consolidated State
Performance Reports, SYs 2012-13 and 2013-14.
0116
4,340,006
4,317,002
4,252,376
4,400,100
4,606,371
4,659,143 4,654,675
4,647,016
4,665,488
4,638,534
4,854,470
4,931,996
3,800,000
4,000,000
4,200,000
4,400,000
4,600,000
4,800,000
5,000,000
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
School year
Number of Identified ELs
5. TOP FIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ELs
NATIONALLY: 2013-14
Oct
2015
Source: EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Report, 2013-14:
http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/consolidated/index.html.
Language Number of ELs
Spanish 3,770,816
Arabic 100,461
Chinese 99,943
Vietnamese 80,283
Haitian/Haitian
Creole
35,467
6. NATIONAL NAEP GRADE 8 READING
SCORES FOR
ELs and NON-ELs: 1998 TO 2015
262 265 263 262 263 265 266 268 267
217
224 222 224 222 219
223 225 223
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
1998 2002 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Scalescore
Non-ELs ELs
6
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1998, 2002, 2003,
2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 Reading Assessments.
1215
7. NATIONAL NAEP GRADE 8 MATHEMATICS
SCORES FOR ELs and NON-ELs: 2000 TO
2015
273
278 280 282 284 285 286 284
234
241 244 245 243 244 245 246
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
300
2000 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Scalescore
Non-ELs ELs
7
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2000, 2003, 2005,
2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 Mathematics Assessments.
1215
8. NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
RATES BY RACIAL/ETHNIC CATEGORY: SY
2013-14
8
82.3%
69.6%
89.4%
72.5%
76.3%
87.2%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
SY 2013-14
Percentage
All students American Indian/Alaska Native Asian/Pacific Islander Black Hispanic White
Source: EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Report, SYs 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-
13, and 2013-14. Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/consolidated/index.html
9. NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
RATES BY STUDENT GROUP: SY 2013-
14
9
82.3%
74.6%
63.1% 62.6%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
SY 2013-14
Percentage
All students Economically disadvantaged students Students with disabilities ELs
Source: EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Report, SYs 2010-11, 2011-12,
2012-13, and 2013-14. Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/consolidated/index.html
0116
10. TRENDS IN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION RATES BY STUDENT GROUP
10
79.0%
80.0%
81.0%
82.3%
70.0%
72.0%
73.0%
74.6%
59.0%
61.0%
62.0%
63.1%
57.0%
59.0%
61.1%
62.6%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
SY 2010-11 SY 2011-12 SY 2012-13 SY 2013-14
Percentage
All Students Economically Disadvantaged Students with Disabilities ELs
Source: EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Report, SYs 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14.
Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/consolidated/index.html
0116
12. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)…”it
creates the opportunity to reclaim the goal of a
well-rounded education for all students: an
education that not only includes strong
numeracy and literacy but access to science,
social studies, the arts, physical education and
health, and the opportunity to learn a second or
third language”.
“The challenge for us, is will we act, will we take
the actions necessary to become who we ought
to be. Let us act with urgency on behalf of the
civil rights of our children, let us ensure that
school is a pathway to opportunity”.John B. King Jr. U.S. Secretary of Education
12
13. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Identifying and Assessing
• Providing Language Assistance
• Staffing and Supporting
• Providing Meaningful Access
• Avoiding Unnecessary Segregation
• Evaluating EL students for Special Services
• Meeting the needs of Students Who Opt Out of
EL Services
• Monitoring and Exiting EL Students from EL
Services
• Evaluating Effectiveness
• Meaningful Communication with Parents and
Guardians
Guidance is available at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ellresources.html
under
“Dear Colleague Letter, English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient
0115
14. 1
STATES OFFERING SEAL OF BILITERACY
Source: http://sealofbiliteracy.org/ as of 9/22/16.
15. TOTAL NUMBER OF STATES THAT APPROVED
THE SEAL OF BILITERACY, BY YEAR
3
Source: http://sealofbiliteracy.org/ as of 06/30/16.
1 1
4
9
16
23
0
5
10
15
20
25
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
6/30/16
Academic Year National Percentage change from previous year
2007-08 4,659,143
2008-09 4,654,675 -0.1%
2009-10 4,647,016 -0.2%
2010-11 4,665,488 0.3%
2011-12 4,638,534 -0.6%
2012-13 4,854,470 4.7%
2013-14 4,931,996 1.6%
Note: these are all identified ELs, regardless of placement in LIEP.
NAEP Grade 8 Reading scores for both ELs and non-ELs increased overall between 1998 and 2015.
***2000 data were not available
Comparing year to year, statistically significant changes in NAEP scores for ELs occurred between 1998 and 2002 (increase), 2007 and 2009 (decrease), and 2009 and 2011 (increase).
For non-ELs, statistically significant changes occurred every year except between 2002 and 2003.
NAEP Grade 8 Mathematics scores for both ELs and non-ELs increased overall between 2000 and 2015.
Comparing year to year, statistically significant changes in NAEP scores for ELs occurred between 2000 and 2003 (increase), 2003 and 2005 (increase), and 2007 and 2009 (decrease; e.g., scores have not changed from 2007, any changes since then are most likely due to chance).
For non-ELs, statistically significant increases occurred every year except between 2007 and 2009.
In SY 2013-14, the national graduation rate reached a record high of 82.3 percent for all public high school students, an increase of one percentage point from the previous school year.
Between SYs 2010-11 and 2013-14, graduation rates increased for all racial/ethnic categories. Asian/Pacific Islander and White students consistently graduated at higher rates than the national average for all students. The gaps between the ‘all student’ rates and ‘Black’ and ‘Hispanic‘ student rates decreased by approximately two percentage points each since SY 2010-11.
Data retrieved Feb 2016.
The graduation rate for ELs reached a record high of 62.6 percent in SY 2013-14, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from SY 2010-11. However, ELs, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students all have graduation rates below the national average for all students.
Data retrieved Jan 2016.
DOJ/OCR issued joint guidance to remind SEAs, LEAs, and public schools of their legal obligation to ensure that EL students participate meaningfully and equally in educational programs.
In the news:
August 22, 2016 – New York State Education Department
NYSED posted detail information on New York State Seal of Biliteracy. The handbook includes Q/A, forms and criteria, http://ow.ly/aZcH303pDF8
August 20, 2016 – Acquiring Language Skill Key to Becoming Global Citizens
Educators say acquiring language skills key to becoming global citizens. As area school officials prepare students to become global citizens, acquiring foreign language skills remains a critical though challenging endeavor in school districts, they say. http://ow.ly/JVQa303mX69
June 11, 2016 – Paso Robles High School graduates class of 2016
At Paso Robles High School in California, Deputy Principal Erin Haley acknowledged 37 seniors who received the Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy award is a California Department of Education program that recognizes high school seniors who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English. The students were awarded a medallion and the official seal is affixed to each diploma. http://pasoroblesdailynews.com/paso-robles-high-school-graduates-class-2016/56684/
June 7, 2016 – PUSD Hosts First Biliteracy Awards
Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) held its first California Seal of Biliteracy Awards reception in Monache High School. 122 PUSD students earned Seal of Biliteracy with 76 of the students receiving medals for earning a 3.5 GPA or better. http://www.recorderonline.com/news/pusd-hosts-first-biliteracy-awards/article_af779fca-2cfa-11e6-bee1-3bbb4be79851.html
May 16, 2016 – The Georgia General Assembly Approves ‘Seal of Biliteracy’ to Encourage Foreign Language Study
The bill characterized by its sponsors as an educational and economic development booster was signed by Gov. Nathan Deal on May 3, 2016. http://www.globalatlanta.com/the-georgia-general-assembly-approves-seal-of-biliteracy-to-encourage-foreign-language-study/
May 12, 2016 – 65 MUSD Graduates Fluent in 2 Languages
Manteca Unified School District has 65 high school students who will graduate with a Seal of Biliteracy. MUSD offers world language courses in the study of Spanish and French that extend to advanced placement levels. http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/1/article/134672/
April 22, 2016 – Woodland School District to Recognize English Language Learners
Woodland School District held it’s annual Reclassification and State Seal of Biliteracy Ceremony on April 25, 2016. The district recognized 87 seniors for their linguistic accomplishments by awarding them the State Seal of Biliteracy. http://www.dailydemocrat.com/social-affairs/20160422/woodland-school-district-to-recognize-english-language-learners
April 20, 2016 – Anchorage School District to Offer Seal of Biliteracy
Anchorage School District has opted to award the Seal of Biliteracy to students beginning with the graduating class of 2016. http://www.youralaskalink.com/news/anchorage-school-district-to-offer-seal-of-biliteracy/article_cf16eb8a-0782-11e6-9f15-efd321a424ec.html
April 18, 2016 – Students Earn Seal of Biliteracy
The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) officially recognized hundreds of local high school seniors at a ceremony today, celebrating their linguistic accomplishments. This year, recipients in Sacramento County are proficient in 15 languages (English, Arabic, Farsi, French, German, Hebrew, Hmong, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese). More than 1,200 students have earned the Seal of Biliteracy since 2011. https://www.scoe.net/News/Pages/2016/april/18biliteracy.aspx
April 11, 2016 – ‘Biliteracy Seal’ For Colorado Diplomas Passes State House
Denver Public Schools and a few other districts already offer the seal or are planning to. But there is no statewide Colorado standard for how to achieve the biliteracy seal. http://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/04/11/biliteracy-seal-colorado-high-school-diplomas/
California was the first state to approve the Seal of Biliteracy on October 8, 2011. In 2012, no state approved the Seal of Biliteracy.
So far in 2016, 7 states approved the Seal of Biliteracy (New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, Maryland, Georgia, Arizona, and Rhode Island).
As of July 27, 2016, a total of 23 states (including D.C.) approved the Seal of Biliteracy.