Tonight, the Denver Board of Education held a Focus on Achievement session with a rich discussion of English Language Acquisition (ELA) programs.
Nadia Madan Morrow, Executive Director of the ELA department, presented an overview of the ELA program, outlining some of the areas of opportunity and challenges facing the program going forward. Chief among the areas of opportunity is the district's prioritization of Culturally Responsive Education, which could dramatically improve educational experiences for students who enter DPS speaking languages other than English (English Learners, or "ELs").
Madan Morrow shared successes with the ELA program, including several outcomes that indicate that when EL students successfully exit program services, their state assessment scores, academic growth and graduation rates outperform those of their native English speaking peers. She also described the different kinds of program services for elementary ELs, ranging from English as a Second Language (ESL) to Dual Language Programs.
Over the past two years, ELs have declined as a percentage of overall DPS enrollment, following the citywide trend of lower birth rates, demographic changes and increased housing prices. Declining enrollment
has had an increased
impact
on
the services DPS provides for English Learners
in elementary schools in particular
. Under the terms of the Consent Decree, schools that meet a threshold of Spanish-speaking ELs must provide Transitional Native Language Instruction (TNLI) programs.
Madan Morrow reported that, as EL enrollment has declined, some
elementary
schools have had difficulty maintaining TNLI services for the reduced number of students who require services. DPS' ELA department has been working with schools on a case-by-case basis to ensure all ELs receive appropriate services
while supporting bilingualism and biliteracy
. Noting that it will be challenging to continue this approach as more schools experience enrollment declines, Madan Morrow asked the board to consider
supporting
a districtwide strategy to address the issue
.
"We are deeply committed to native language instruction," Madan Morrow said. "Our students bring a wealth of diversity to our district and we must make sure we are serving them in a culturally-responsive manner."
The board also engaged in a panel discussion with people representing different perspectives on the ELA program:
- Jessica Buckley - Principal of Valdez Elementary School
- Dr. Patricia Hurrieta - Principal of Grant Ranch K-8
- Veronica Maes - Director of Program Implementation and Effectiveness, ELA Department
- Dr. Vanessa Santiago Schwarz - University of Colorado, Boulder and Congress of Hispanic Educators (CHE) member
- Lucia Ramirez - University of Denver Student, Class of 2017 Seal of Biliteracy Graduate and volunteer Seal of Biliteracy Alumni Network Coordinator
The discussion centered on the panelists' experiences with programs that have been effective in serving ELs, as well as their perspectives on the strategies proposed.
The full presentation is available
here.
(Note, this link has been updated to the correct presentation).
