The Aromas-San Juan Unified School District will look to revamp
its bilingual program in an attempt to close the learning gap
between its non-English speaking students and their
counterparts.
The Aromas-San Juan Unified School District will look to revamp its bilingual program in an attempt to close the learning gap between its non-English speaking students and their counterparts.
Administrators and educators Wednesday reviewed the effectiveness of the district’s English Language Learner Program using test scores and the percentage of ELL students redesignated by the time they reach high school during the ASJUSD Board meeting.
Trustees directed Superintendent Jackie Munoz to establish a committee made up of parents, board members and district staff to look into improvements for the program and the best ways to reach ELL students.
“I’m a proponent of bilingual education, but I want to see it improved,” said James Dent, Title VII coordinator and bilingual teacher, who presented the district’s bilingual education success and provided solutions to help non-English speaking students success in the classroom.
Dent suggested desegregating classes by putting more English-speaking students in bilingual classes; increasing English literacy in bilingual classrooms so more English-speaking students are attracted to the classes and including more teachers in the bilingual program.
At San Juan School, 25 percent of the students are designated as ELL and 15 percent of the students at Aromas School have the classification, according to Katy Stonebloom, district coordinator of bilingual education.
Most of these students speak Spanish as their primary language, and in kindergartner through third grade, the ELL curriculum focuses on language development in speaking and listening. Beginning in fourth grade, students begin learning how to read and write in English.
Dent said based on the Latino student placement in the state’s Academic Performance Index and scores on the California English Language Development Test, the numbers reflect an achievement gap between Latino and white students. Especially evident are the API numbers from 1999 to 2002 for high school Latinos, which lead to lower math, reading and language skills, he said.
“They’re getting farther and farther behind,” Dent said.
While Proposition 227 calls for English immersion, some educators support dual immersion, where students learn and improve upon both English and their primary language.
Trustee Andy Hsia-Coron said he supported dual immersion, basing it partially on personal experience. His mother’s primary language was Yiddish and his wife’s was Chinese. Hsia-Coron said his wife wished she had kept studying Chinese as well as English.
At the Board’s May 7 meeting, Trustee Jeff Hancock requested staff to bring the Board information on the effectiveness of the bilingual education program. At Wednesday’s meeting, Hancock said the achievement gap was apparent and the district needed to act now to stop the gap from increasing.
In other business:
– Student Trustee Rose Lee was honored at her last Board meeting. She reported on Anzar High School’s Senior Awards Night. More than $31,000 was given away in scholarship money with 33 percent of the senior class receiving some form of college scholarship money. Ninety-six percent of Anzar’s seniors will attend college, 2 percent will enter the military and 2 percent will enter the workforce.
– The Board approved, by a 4-1 vote, a preliminary 2003-04 budget. The budget is based on conservative projections pending adoption of the state budget. Budget committee recommendations included freezing spending in 2002-03, changing the funding model at the schools and eliminating one custodian position if needed.
– In closed session, Munoz updated the Board on the principal search for Aromas School. There were about 10 applicants interviewed at San Juan School, Munoz said. The field was narrowed, but the district has decided to re-open the position again.
– District job descriptions were reorganized and changed. The Board approved 5-0 with amendments the descriptions for business manager, food services manager, maintenance and operations manager and transportation manager.
The next Board meeting will be July 2 at 7 p.m. at Anzar High School.
