Educational Achievement Gap Between Esl Students And Native English Speakers Essay

In the case of ELLs their culture and identity are considered constraining factors with respect to academic challenges, but scholars feel that these are due to non-recognition of native cultural dynamics (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995). However, if these aspects are utilized it can contribute to a better learning experience in terms of language and other academic areas. The native cultural background and its linkage has the capacity to motivate and ignite interest in ELLs and it can provide the platform which would facilitate learning new skills and academic content. Research has also shown that measures to improve language skills of ELLs often neglect the interconnected dimensions of the culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student biography. In particular, understanding the sociocultural, linguistic, academic, and cognitive dimensions of ELLs is helpful for educators in order to attain higher standards of language proficiency and academic success (Perez and Holmes 2010). For instance, a teacher reflects on her personal experience in these words:

Howard, T.G. (2010). Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap in

In order to help those non-native people to be successful in the United Sates, there should have some kind of programs to help them to learn English effectively, but also to maintain their native language. Bilingual Education and ESL programs are systems that developed since the mid 1900s in the United States to reach the goal of helping non-native people with the language. There has been the argument of whether these programs are effective and necessary to maintain to help the non-native speakers. Therefore, it is important to find a way to secure the Bilingual Education and ESL programs are helpful to non-native people to learn English and maintain their native language. According to the overall practice of these programs in the

As our nation shifts towards a more culturally diverse population both educators and families have to find a common ground to ensure that English Language Learners are academically successful. All stakeholders must carefully consider the social cultural impact on an ELL education. The process of raising bilingual learners take more than a language a school and a language learned at home. The transition must have a purpose and a goal.

This paper includes a reference list of literature relating to the impact socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity has on academic achievement and what can be done to combat the achievement gap. In general, the literature seems to indicate that socioeconomic status has a greater impact then race or ethnicity on achievement. However, these constructs are often intertwined. The greatest source for combatting the achievement gap are teachers high in self-efficacy, strong and well directed principal leadership, having a positive and accepting racial climate, smaller class sizes, less harsh discipline with more support

     Why do some groups not succeed in academic settings? One theory brought up in “Understanding inequality” suggests that the gap in the socioeconomic status drives the inequalities in the school system. The low and working class have less time and income to intervene with schooling. This means they have less time to meet with teachers, hire tutors, and provide continuous transportation. Therefore the lower class can’t possibly compete with the middle and upper classes. Angela Valenzuela gives the accounts of some Hispanic students’ experiences in school. These students feel that it is the inferior nature of the schools in the US that contribute to the low success

Ever since the establishment of equal education in the United States, there has been a disparity in academic success between children of different races. The education of African American children has become a prime example of this. As discussed in the historical text, A Letter to My Nephew, which was written during the time of the civil rights movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s, African Americans were not given equal opportunities to succeed educationally and could do little to change their futures for the better. They had to work much harder than whites to receive even a portion of the recognition and success that whites achieved (Baldwin 1). Although many today believe America has overcome this problem, it still remains a pressing issue in many aspects of society, arguably the most important being education. The racial achievement gap, an important term to familiarize with when discussing this topic, refers to the disparity in educational performance between students of different races (National Education Association 1). As of now, although the education achievement gap has been narrowing, there still remains a large disparity between African Americans and their racial counterparts. According to a study by Roland G. Freyer and Steven D. Levitt, professors at Harvard University and W.E.B Du Bois Institute, respectively, African American students enter kindergarten already significantly behind children of other races, and their test scores continue to drop

The school system do not take in consideration that ELL students not only have a language barrier that prevent them from performing on the standardized tests, but that they are transitioning from a completely different learning environment. ELL students are also classified as poor academic performers because of their language barrier. This language barrier explain the academic achievement gaps between ELL students and native english-speaking students. The test scores are not sufficient proof to argue that ELL students have a gap in academic achievement. This is questionable to the validity of the standardized tests on ELL students.(Youth)

Many cultural groups are entitled to maintain their traditional attitudes, values, and especially languages; the lack of educational achievement and improvement is sometimes caused by the problem of a different

All minority groups seem to face similar barriers that make it difficult to adjust to schooling in the United States; barriers such as, language, cultural aspects, social economic status, etc. However, Ogbu advices to his readers, that a deeper cause is also at fault for poor academic achievement. In this article, the idea of voluntary and involuntary groups is introduced. Voluntary being those immigrants willing to move to the United

“The socioeconomic achievement gap in education refers to the inequality in academic achievement between groups of students. The achievement gap shows up in grades, standardized test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates, among other success measures” (Ansell, 2017). Typically, when discussing the achievement gap, educators are comparing the academic progress of African-American students or Hispanic students to the progress of white students. More-often-than-not the white students will have more educational achievements than their non-white colleagues (Ansell, 2017). The most widely accepted theory as to why students with higher socioeconomic status (SES) do better academically is high parental involvement, access to economic resources and access to highly qualified teachers (Huang, 2015. Pg.6). Students of low socioeconomic status often live in poverty. This means that the student may not have sufficient school supplies or even someone at home to help him with his homework. There are numerous children in the United States’ school systems that are failing due to the achievement gap. These students are at a disadvantage because the school systems and teachers do not notice or even care about their home life and how it comes into play in their education. It is important for our nation to not only understand the achievement gap but take steps toward correcting it.

C.  Thesis Statement – The Us education system is alarmingly promoting the Hispanic achievement gap with segregation, discouragement and discrimination.

Diverse cultures within the United States are rapidly developing and growing and the educational sector is the number one target to ensure that English –learners are receiving adequate education. Within the educational sector there are administrators and teachers who are involved in students lives on a daily basis to ensure that education is equal. In order to achieve the vital objective of equality, socio-cultural influences on ELL students, bilingualism and home language use, parental and community resources, and partnerships between families and schools all have to be considered to provide an opportunity for equal education.

There is one personal story that I have never told anyone, because I feel kind of ashamed if I talk about it. I actually have no knowledge of American History; even I went to the full four years public high school in America. That is why I am questioning the education system in the United States. Instead of spending countless periods in regular History and Biology classes without understand any materials, why schools do not offer History and Biology classes but just for ESL student, using simple and easier form of English to understand, so immigrant students can actually learn more about the subjects. In the addition, schools should also give an instructional program that give English language learners access to academic concepts and skills. Therefore, I certainly believe if there were program and curricular alternatives for students with limited English proficiency, students would not experience a difficult time with their school. Moreover, research has showed that due to these difficulties that immigrant students have to face, there is a high dropout rates among language-minority secondary school students. For example, Hispanic students are more likely than White students to leave school during their high school years (10% versus 4%; National Center for Education Statistics, 1996). In 1994, the number of Hispanic students aged 16-24 who had not completed high school and were not enrolled was 30%, as compared to 8% for White

Acquiring and learning a second language do not refer only to handling oral communication skills. It is more than that; it takes the students´ abilities in enhancing their lexicon, their management in syntax, and their perspective about words´ influences in people. Thus, summing this up, it is indispensable that ESL students have a grand deal about linguistic knowledge. In other words, ESL learners not only require speaking, but also reading, writing and thinking in English when they complete whatever English career.