Test Scores Dip for English Learners

While overall student test scores have increased slightly for grades 2-8 this year, English Language Learners have fallen farther behind their peers, according to a presentation made to the Burlingame School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday. 

“We do have an achievement gap with our Latino kids and English Language Learners kids,” said Assistant Superintendent of Education Services Jud Kempson.

The Board of Trustees reviewed the trends and patterns of the 2011 California Standards Test, which revealed both positive and negative movements in the standardized test that measures proficiency in English Language Arts and mathematics.

“I would actually expect to see an increase in the number of proficient or advanced students,” Kempson said. “That’s our goal.”

While test scores for Latino students have also increased, 57 percent of Latino students were proficient in English Language Arts as compared to 90 percent of Asian students and 83 percent of white students.

In mathematics, 53 percent of Latino students scored above proficient as compared to 91 percent of Asian students and 81 percent of white students.

The data also showed slight decreases in ELL scores in both subjects in the past three years.

Down from 68 percent proficiency in 2009, 62 percent of ELL students (grades 2-8) scored proficient in 2011.

In 2009, 69 percent of ELL students scored proficient in math but slightly decreased to 65 percent proficiency in 2011, widening the the learning divide for ELL students.

Board Vice President Michael Barber noted that one should not assume that all English Language Learner students are Latino.

“There’s always this implication that Latino equals ELL and ELL equals socioeconomically disadvantaged,” Barber said.

According to Kempson, approximately 24 percent of district children are ELL.

Scores from the Burlingame Intermediate School demonstrated that Latino and ELL students are almost completely absent from the accelerated math sequence.

“That was one thing that really jumped out to the math department,” Kempson said.

A goal for the district, he said, will be to engage ELL and Latino students in a way that will allow them to succeed in the accelerated math program.

With this new data, principals of Burlingame discussed what measures each individual school is taking in their attempt to close the achievement gaps.

Though each school has it’s own unique vision, principals voiced the need to provide ELL students with uninterrupted instruction each day.

“As educators it’s what we’re here for,” said Principal Dennis Hills of Roosevelt Elementary. “We want every student to achieve.”

Hills said that the student demographics at Roosevelt are changing and the school now serves a greater number of Spanish speaking and Latino students.

It is difficult to provide proper instruction to students who have not yet gained clout in their community, he said. “Also, their parents don’t have a voice,” Hills said.

Diane Garber, principal at Lincoln Elementary, said early intervention is a strategic key that helps teachers pinpoint needs of individual students.

“We’re taking smaller chunks and being more strategic about it,” Garber said.

Davina Drabkin, board clerk, said programs as important as ELL curriculum must drive budget decisions.

“I think we need to think about what our practices say about our priorities as a district,” Drabkin said.

If the school spends more time teaching physical education or music education then that becomes a priority, she said.

Barber said that programs assisting ELL and Latino students should remain a priority in the district.

“These are core areas that you and us need to protect,” Barber said.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. in the District Office located at 1825 Trousdale Drive.