The Importance Of Education In Public School Education

Over the last decade or so, important legislation has been implemented to positively ensure fair and equal access to a quality education for English Language Learners (ELL). Change did not happen without there being obstacles to overcome. There were many overturned cases that initially sought to strip English Language Learners of their basic rights to an education. Yet, there would eventually be legislation instituted to help alter the course.

In many schools throughout the country, there are populations of students that have been pushed to the side, with their education thought of as just their specialized teachers’ responsibility. While this situation is changing for some students, such as those with disabilities and students who are lucky enough to have dual language immersion programs in their school, many students who are learning English are still struggling to access the same curriculum that everyone else in the school has a chance to learn. Guadalupe Valdés (2001) looked at the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a school which she called Garden Middle School. Although Valdés completed this study over fifteen years ago, the experience that her focal students had

According to the No Child Left Behind Act of (NCLB) of 2001, one of the Titles III’s purposes was “to develop high-quality language instruction education programs designed to assist states, district and schools in teaching limited English proficient children and serving immigrant children and youth” ( ESEA Section 3102 (3) as stated in Language Instruction Educational Programs ( LIEPs), 2012 p. viii). As such, Article 14-C of the Illinois School Code recognizes two models to serve ELL students: a transitional bilingual education (TBE) program or transitional program of instruction

3). Some ELL students may start school without any English language skills, while others may have “limited language proficiency or dual language deficiency in both their native language and English” (p. 3). Just as native English speakers, ELL students also have different levels of intellectual abilities; however, their struggle with school in English may be related to background knowledge and not solely on intellectual abilities (Short & Echevarria, 2004). Samson and Collins (2012), purposes if school districts, administrations, and teachers want to see improvements in achievement for ELLs, “greater continuity in how general education teachers are prepared by teacher-education programs, certified by states and evaluated by local education agencies, or LEAs, is essential. By making sure that the special needs of ELLs are addressed at multiple stages of the teacher preparation process, schools may gain higher quality

Under the Civil Rights Act, schools are responsible for ensuring that all students receive equal access to education, including English Language Learners (ELLs). Merely, providing the same educational resources for all students does not constitute educational equality. Students such as ELLs, need an English Language Development (ELD) program that accommodates their specific language needs in order to legitimately offer equal educational opportunities. Based on research findings, districts need to implement and developing ELD programs that have had proven success rates of making adequate yearly progress for ELLs. For years, psychologists and linguistic theorists have speculated on the acquisition of language and educators have studied these research findings to enhance their teaching pedagogy to accommodate their ELLs.

The mere reference to the label given to students acquiring the English language potentially sparks debate amongst educators, policy makers and researchers. The federal government refers to these students as Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. This identification references the deficiencies the student may have rather than to identify the diversity and gifts that the student may possess. Such labels set premature limitations of the student and predisposes the student to limited rigor in instruction. Educators and researchers reference the same subgroup of students as ELLs, establishing the understanding that with sufficient support, increased rigor and cultural understanding, students will succeed.

English language acquisition (Massachusetts Department of Education, 2003). In the program, all books and nearly all teaching would be in English, with the curriculum designed for children learning English. Schools are encouraged to group students by English proficiency. Once a student is able to do regular schoolwork in English, the student would be transferred to an English language mainstream classroom.

English language learners (ELL) are one of the fastest growing classifications of students attending schools in the United States today. They represent a diverse group of students typically coming from homes or backgrounds where English is not the primary language spoken. Additionally, ELL students experience difficulties communicating or learning academic instruction in English.

Due to the economic recession, some public schools have to reduce the cost of the ESL programs. In order to reduce the cost, Chen reports “some schools and states have created mandatory full inclusion programs, where ESL students are immersed in a regular paced English class, with students who are fluent in English” (¶3). This full inclusion program can have disadvantages and advantages to ESL students and fluent students. If ESL students were in the full inclusion program, then they were “in an atmosphere for learning”, but a lot of parents and educators argued that this program is “ineffective” for both ESL and fluent students. If ESL students were in the class with fluent students, then the teacher had to slow down “the pace of instruction”, which would benefit ESL students but not the fluent students. So, it is important that ESL students are in an ESL program to learn the language, even though it might take years to learn the language. Because learning a language takes time, public schools need a good ESL

The challenges an English language learner (ELL/ESL) struggles with, such as “how one flips from one language to another ultimately determines an English language learner’s success,” existed before the Common Core (Vilson). Other educators, like Lori Musso, have been working on implementing the Common Core for ELL students. Musso is with the San Mateo County Office of Education and has explained that the standards for ELL, and the standards for the general curriculum, have been merged into the same standards as their peers (Avendano). The executive director at Stanford University’s Understanding Language initiative, Martha Castellón, works to improve the education of ELL under the new Common Core. “We know what needs to be done in terms of educating ELLs, to give them the language skills they need to be successful under the [Common Core],” says Castellón, but she realizes that there’s a shortage in resources for the ELL instructors

The United States is continuing to grow in the number of families that are immigrating to our country. According to Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2007), “As of 2000, there were approximately 107,000 immigrant elementary students and 100,000 middle and high school students in Washington State, based on U.S. Census data.” Children from these families enter our educational system knowing very little English and they are considered to be an English Language Learner (ELL) defined by “those whose primary language is a language other than English and who have English language skill deficiencies that impair their learning in regular classrooms” (Malagon, McCold, Hernandez, 2011, p. IV). While parents truly believe their children will receive a better education in the United States as oppose to the country they came from, English Language Learner students face a number of everyday challenges while at school. These challenges go beyond learning the English language; they include the struggles that are faced not only academically, but socially as well. English Language Learner students face these day-to-day problems due to their inability to express their ideas and thoughts, along with not being able to communicate substantially and identify with the people in their community.

The United States has always been considered a “melting pot”, but how true is that statement now? While there is growing diversity among the population of the United States, the different people may not be blending together as well as they should. Many people are unaware of how many students are English language learners. According to authors Katharine Davies Samway and Denise McKeon, the largest growing group of students in our country is the language minority students (2007). There are many negative ideas that people have regarding those students. However, those students deserve a quality education as much as native English speaking students. The responsibility to provide this falls on the families, the government, and the teachers of those students.

Sandy Guberti-Ng The Social Problem The U.S Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics defines English Language Learners (ELLs) as students who participate in language assistance programs to help ensure that they attain English proficiency and meet the same academic content and achievement standards that all students are expected to meet. According to a 2009 report by The Office of English Language Learners at the City of New York Department of Education, the graduation rate of ELLs (30.8%) is less than half of English proficient students (63.5%). ELLs also have more than twice the dropout rate (28.9%) compared to English proficient students (13.0%).

English language learners (ELLs) represent a rapidly expanding population in U.S. schools. As the ethnic composition of the United States continues to increase, the prospect that more educators will work with a diverse student population is quickly becoming a reality within American school system. The number of school-age children of immigrants is projected to increase from 12.3 million in 2005 to 17.9 million in 2020, accounting for all the projected growth in the school-age population (White & Gillard, 2011). In particular, the U.S. education system is feeling this impact strongly as intensifying numbers of students are entering schools with limited skills in English (Martinez, D. 2005).Consequently, the growing number of non-English speaking students is

Public education is a staple in our society. The building blocks of the future leaders of the United States lies in the hands of the public education system. The quality of the public education in America is by far more successful than people think of it to be. Public education has qualities that make our community function. Public education helps students become ready for college and the future life experiences they might encounter. In addition to this it allows students to have a greater understanding of democracy and the concept of government. Lastly but equally important public education allows to develop individual opinions which leads to making someone have decision making skills that is very important in higher education and life.