More Greendale Students Need Help Learning English

Among other budgetary issues, the Greendale School District is facing a growing need for an additional full-time English-as-a-Second Language teacher. That need was outlined to the Greendale school board at their May 16 meeting. 

Current full-time elementary ESL teacher Renee Beaudot told the board that in the past five years, the number of Greendale students for whom English is not their native language has increased by 35 percent. There are currently 151 students in the district who combined speak over 20 different languages. Of those students, 110 receive some type of English language instruction but despite the growing need, there have been no staffing adjustments.

State law mandates that English Language Learner (ELL) students receive services from the school district, which is held accountable for the students’ progress. While the district is currently meeting the required achievement objectives, the standard is continually  increasing and will be increasingly harder to reach without additional staff.

Right now, Beaudot services 105 students at the district’s three elementary schools. Forty-five of those children receive direct instruction while the other 60 receive monitoring. In addition, a part-time teacher splits her time between the middle and high schools where five students at each school receive ESL assistance. The request to the school board would replace the part-time position with a second full-time ESL teacher.

Every student registering for school in the district is asked a series of questions to identify whether they need language services. Those who qualify as Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students are classified into one of six categories, ranging from a ‘one’ meaning they know minimal English, to a ‘six’ meaning they were formerly LEP but are now fully proficient in English.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recommends that students in levels one and two receive two to three hours a day of language support, while students in levels three and four receive one to two hours a day of services. With the current ESL staffing level, some of this instruction has to come from regular classroom teachers, who try to use ESL-friendly instruction techniques while they teach their classes. The limited availability of specialized teachers also means that ELL students are often pulled out of regular classroom instruction and then have to make-up what they have missed.

On average, research shows that ELL students acquire social language skills quickly, but that it takes five-to-seven years, or longer, for them to catch up to their mono-lingual English speaking classmates in academic English. Because the limited support available focuses on reading and writing, students showed a lower achievement level in math skills.

ELL students also fared better on listening and speaking skills than on reading and writing, which sometimes causes teachers to overestimate the students’ English abilities.

Kim Amidzich, Director of Pupil Assessment for the district, said additional staff would allow for more push-in services, where the ESL teachers could work with small groups of students in the regular classroom to provide a differentiated lesson specialized to their needs, while they learn collaboratively with their peers.

The report also indicated support for the W.I.N. (What I Need) model used in San Diego schools, where specific time is set aside in the school day at each grade level for students to receive various services including ESL, gifted and talented or extra reading or math support without missing regular instructional time.

School board member Anne Sczgiel expressed enthusiasm with the increasing diversity in the village, saying, “I am a fan of differentiation. I am very intrigued by the W.I.N. program, because it offers something for everyone.”

Superintendent Dr. William Hughes recommended that the board receive a summary of what the proposed program will look like and what the additional support would cost at their upcoming budget meeting in June.

 The full report presented to the school board is available on the school district’s website at www.greendale.k12.wi.us/district/schoolboardmain/agendas_minutes/agenda_minutes.html.