After years of forcing students who arenβt proficient in English into four-hour blocks of intensive English immersion that research shows is ineffective, Arizona lawmakers are considering alternatives.
Legislation to allow English-language learners to enroll in dual language courses unanimously cleared an Arizona Senate Education Committee Thursday, moving the state one step closer toward ending what some educators call more than a decade of educational βmalpractice.β
The measure, HB2281, sponsored by Republican Rep. Jill Norgaard of Phoenix, would allow students who are not yet orally proficient in English to enroll in dual language programs, instead of staying in the mandated four-hour per-day block of English development instruction. The bill still needs final approval from the full Senate before moving to Gov. Doug Duceyβs desk.
Arizona is not the only state to require English-only instruction, but the four-hour block requirement is unique, making Arizonaβs structured English immersion the strictest in the nation.
Despite the stateβs intensive English immersion requirements, Arizona has the worst graduation rates in the nation for English-language learners.
U.S. Department of Education data shows that in the 2013-2014 school year, only 18 percent of Arizonaβs English-language learners graduated high school, compared to 75 percent of native English speakers.
Nationally, 62 percent of ELLs graduated, compared to 82 percent of native English speakers.
Cristina Ladas, a world language coordinator at Cave Creek Unified School District who has more than 25 years working in dual language immersion programs, told the Senate Education Committee Thursday that contrary to popular opinion, pure immersion is not the best way to force students to learn English, and the stateβs reliance on that as the only model for teaching has put English-language learners at a disadvantage.
βThe research behind (English-language learners) participating in dual language immersion programs actually shows itβs the most effective model for them to acquire English. There are lots of research articles that back that up,β she said.
The bill has support from several local school districts that hope to expand their dual language programs, but have been hindered by state mandates requiring English-language learners to become orally proficient in English before enrolling in a dual language program, making it hard for schools to find young Spanish speakers to enroll in the programs and act as language models for the English-only students.
And experts say that for dual language programs to have the greatest impact, both for English and Spanish speaking students need to start young, preferably in kindergarten or first grade. But because many young Spanish-speakers arenβt yet fluent in English, they are barred from dual language programs.
The measure comes after the Tucson Unified School District in September requested a waiver from the State Board of Education to allow students who arenβt proficient in English to enroll in dual language programs instead of the mandated four-hour block of English immersion. While board members said they were supportive of TUSDβs request, their hands were tied by state law, and the waiver was shot down unanimously.
That put the district in a bind since the federal-court appointed monitor in its longstanding desegregation order has called on the district to expand its dual language programs. TUSD currently has 11 schools with dual language programs. Sunnyside Unified School Districtβs Governing Board last month discussed expanding their dual language programs if the bill is signed into law.
Educators and researchers have long contended that the four-hour block creates a myriad of issues for English-language learners, from cutting down on time spent in core classrooms and therefore making it harder to graduate high school in four years, to limiting their access to more rigorous courses, to isolating Spanish-speaking students from their English- speaking peers.
Kristel Foster, a member of the TUSD Governing Board and a language acquisition program specialist at Sunnyside Unified School District, argued the four-hour block has been a βdisasterβ and and educational βmalpractice.β
βFor four hours of their day, theyβre really segregated away from the general English population. And when youβre talking about middle and high schoolers, youβre creating these subcultures of new arrivals who never get to assimilate into the school. Itβs been a disaster. Itβs been malpractice forever,β she said.
Dual language programs, on the other hand, generally contain one-third English speakers, one-third bilingual students, and one third spanish-speakers, and teach regular coursework, such as math, science and history, in both English and Spanish simultaneously.
Stacey Morley, a lobbyist with Stand For Children, said when voters approved a structured English immersion program, they expected students to become proficient within one year. In reality, thatβs hasnβt happened.
βWe have basically sentenced these kids to this model until they test out. Thereβs no opportunity for a different type of learning environment,β she said.
And she noted thatβs incongruous with lawmakersβ stated goal of creating school choice and allowing local control of schools.
βIf we came in and said, βYou have to teach history this way, and until students pass this test, they canβt come out of history,β I think schools would stand up and revolt,β she said.
