High school reform: ELL kids lose ground in small high schools
Students who are English Language Learners are not well-served in the city’s new, small high schools, according to a report released today by Advocates for Children and the As
The report, called Empty Promises, takes a close look at two large Brooklyn high schools with established programs for English Language Learners. After the schools were characterized as failing by the Department of Education, they were dismantled and replaced by numerous small high schools sharing the old high-school campuses. Notably, the small schools were permitted by the DOE to exclude English Language Learners (and high-need special education students) until 2007.
Tomorrow, the Center for New York City Affairs releases Pass or Fail: What’s Next for New York City’s High Schools?, a comprehensive report on small-school reforms and school choice. The morning event will feature Chancellor Klein and a panel of education thinkers, including NYU’s Pedro Noguera and the DOE’s Eric Nadelstern, moderated by the report’s senior editor (and Insideschools founding editor) Clara Hemphill. We’ll post a link to the report tomorrow.
(Editor’s Note: In the interest of disclosure, I’m among a team of reporters who also contributed to the project.)
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Does the chancellor even find out from teachers and principals what ELL students need? During my time working in middle and high schools in Harlem and Washington Heights, it quickly became apparent that most ELL students need much more support than just ESL classes. Many of the students come in with a history of interrupted schooling (so they may be grades behind and/or over-age). Some still travel back and forth to their home countries so frequently that they miss many days of school. ELL students are more likely to be sent back “home” to live with relatives when they begin having problems in school (rather than getting additional support here). The parents often need a good deal of support and education re: navigating the school system and advocating for their family.
I could go on, but the bottom line is that ELL students have much greater needs than most NYC public schools can provide given the repeated and extensive budget cuts that have been happening.
Comment by Bronx mom — June 17, 2009 @ 10:06 am
I have been an advocate for small schools since I worked for the old Alternative Superintendency. Yet one population that is better served by large schools is ELL students. I’ve watched new small schools struggle to meet their needs but unless it’s an International School with an ELL focus or a few other schools that are dedicated to serving this group, it is very difficult. One point- the on-time graduation rate is not the most important statistic. Of course high school students with little or no English take longer. How many stick it out supported by their schools and graduate in 5 or 6 years? It has been high for many large schools in the past.
Comment by Barbara Martz — June 26, 2009 @ 5:04 pm