Fresno Unified School District Charles E. McCully, Interim Superintendent. Annual English Learner Evaluation Report

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1 Fresno Unified School District Charles E. McCully, Interim Superintendent Annual English Learner Evaluation Report Research, Evaluation and Assessment January, 2005

2 Board of Education Luisa Medina, President Carol Mills, Clerk Patricia R. Barr Valerie F. Davis Manuel G. Nuñez Janet Ryan Tony Vang, Ed. D. Interim Superintendent Charles E. McCully

3 Fresno Unified School District Charles E. McCully, Interim Superintendent Annual English Learner Evaluation Report Paul A. Garcia, Ed.D. Approved Report from Research, Evaluation and Assessment Paul A. Garcia, Ed.D. Administrative Analyst Terry Simerly Associate Superintendent Fresno, California January, 2005

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5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this evaluation report is to provide evidence of program effectiveness for English Learners. This report attempts to increase understanding about the educational experiences of English Learners as a diverse population with unique language, socio-cultural, and educational experiences. Evaluation results are presented in the context of the three major goals outlined in the Fresno Unified School District Master Plan for English Learners, Increase English and primary language proficiency Examination of CELDT scores indicated a larger percent of students achieved Early advanced or Advanced levels of English language proficiency in 2003 compared to Secondary students were more likely to score at Early advanced or Advanced levels in 2003 (54%) than elementary school students (29%). In 2004, the redesignation rate reached 6.7%, the highest rate in 11 years. While the achievement gap between English Learner and English-only students continued, English Learners made important academic gains between 2003 and An increased percent of English Learners at ELD levels 4-5 in grades two through six scored at Proficient in language arts in 2004 (12%) compared to 2003 (10%). In mathematics, the percent of ELD 4-5 students in grades two through six scoring at least Proficient increased from 21% in 2003 to 23% in SABE/2 test results indicated increased performance in 2004 among most grade levels, as evidenced by the increased percentage of students scoring at or above the 50 th percentile in reading, language, and mathematics. More than half the students scored at i

6 or above the 50 th percentile in reading (6 grade levels), language (6 grade levels), and mathematics (5 grade levels). Provide equal opportunity for academic achievement One indicator of curricular access is the extent high school graduates met requirements for enrollment in the University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) systems. During the academic year, a decreased percent of redesignated (39%) and English Learner (8%) students met UC requirements. The participation rate of English Learners in GATE classes (7%), and AP/Honors courses (12%) was not representative of their school district enrollment (28%). A larger percent of redesignated students were enrolled in GATE (24%) and AP/honors classes (26%) compared to district representation (12%). Improvements were made in the participation rates of English Learners in alternative education programs in 2004 (English Learners, 35%; English-only students, 61%; Redesignated students, 4%). FUSD does not have disparities between English Learners and non-english Learners in the placement of students into special education. Promote positive self-concept and cross-cultural understanding Evaluation data was presented on factors correlated with self-concept such as school retention and dropout rates. English Learner students at lower levels of English language proficiency experienced the highest dropout rates (ELD 1-3, 12%; ELD 4-5, 5%). ii

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Executive Summary...i Table of Contents...iii List of Figures and Tables... iv Introduction...1 Demographic Characteristics and Instructional Placement of English Learners...1 Goal 1: Increase English and Primary Language Proficiency...5 California English Language Development Test....5 English Language Development Gains...8 Redesignation Rates...10 California Standards Test...11 Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition (SABE/2) 19 Goal 2: Provide Equal Opportunity For Academic Achievement Access to Curricular and Instructional Programs...20 Completion of University of California and California State University Requirements Participation in Alternative Education and Special Education Programs Goal 3: Promote Positive Self-concept and Cross-cultural Understanding...22 School Retention...22 Dropout Rates...22 Conclusions and Recommendations...23 Conclusions Recommendations...24 References iii

8 LIST OF FIGURES and TABLES Page Figure 1 Total English Learners and Non-English Learners, R30-LC...2 Figure 2 Major Languages Spoken by English Learners in Fresno Unified School District, Figure 3 Percent of English Learners by ELD Levels, Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Percentage of English Learners in Primary Lanuguages (L1), Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English with Primary Language Support (ELD & SDAIE with PLS), and Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English Instructional Programs, Percent of Students Scoring at Early Advanced or Advanced on CELDT, 2002 to Percent of Students Meeting Benchmark Standards for English Language Development, 2002 to Figure 7 Redesignation Rate for Fresno Unified School District, Figure 8 Redesignation Rates for Major California School Districts, Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in English Language Arts: Grades 2 6, 2003 and Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in English Language Arts: Grades 7-11, 2003 and Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in Mathematics: Grades 2 6, 2003 and Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in Mathematics: Grades 7 11, 2003 and Mean Scaled Score on CST English Language Arts for Fourth Grade Students Enrolled 5 Years...15 Mean Scaled Score on CST Mathematics for Fourth Grade Students Enrolled 5 Years...15 iv

9 Figure 15 Figure 16 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Percent of Students Scoring at Least Basic on the California Standards Test in English Language Arts by Language Group: 2003 and Percent of Students Scoring at Least Basic on the California Standards Test in Mathematics by Language Group: 2003 and Results on California Standards Test for English Learner Students in Structured English Immersion and Primary Language Instructional Programs, 2003 and Percent of Students Scoring At or Above the 50th Percentile on SABE/2 Spring 2003 and Percent of English Learners, English-Only, and Fluent English Proficient- Redesignated (FEP-R) Students Enrolled in Accelerated Courses, Grades Percent of English Learners, English-Only, and Fluent English Proficient- Redesignated (FEP-R) Students Enrolled in Alternative Education Programs , Grades Percent of English Learner and Non-English Learner Students Participating in Resource Specialist Program or Special Day Classes, 2003 and Percent of Student Dropouts Among English Learner, English-Only, and Fluent English Proficient-Redesignated (FEP-R) Students, Grades 9-12, v

10 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS, INTRODUCTION The purpose of this evaluation report is to provide quantitative evidence of academic achievement land language proficiency for English Learners in Fresno Unified School District. This report contains: A description of the demographic characteristics and instructional placement of English Learners according to the Fresno Unified School District Master Plan for English Learners, 2003 (Fresno Unified School District, 2003) Evaluation data in the context of the three program goals outlined in the Master Plan: Goal 1 Increase English and primary language proficiency. Goal 2 Provide equal opportunity for academic achievement. Goal 3 Promote positive self-concept and cross-cultural understanding. Evaluation data is presented in the context of a multiple-measures model and a standards-based assessment system. Throughout this report careful attention is given to the English language proficiency level and language group membership of English Learners. This report disaggregates achievement data to indicate English language proficiency levels, language group membership, and instructional program placement. Demographic Characteristics and Instructional Placement of English Learners Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) has the fourth largest population of English Learners in California numbering 25,319. English Learners represent about 31% of the total FUSD student population (See Figure 1). The largest language groups in FUSD are Spanish (64%), Hmong (25%), Khmer (4%), and Lao (3%) (See Figure 2). 1

11 TOTAL ENGLISH LEARNERS AND NON ENGLISH LEARNERS R30-LC 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10, EL 24,039 25,089 25,567 25,947 25,530 25,473 24,952 24,491 25,032 26,152 25,319 NON EL 52,091 51,006 51,451 51,830 52,073 52,785 53,063 54,400 49,209 53, % EL 46.1% 49.2% 49.7% 50.1% 49.0% 48.3% 47.0% 31.0% 33.7% 32.7% 30.9% % NON EL 68.4% 67.0% 66.8% 66.6% 67.1% 67.4% 68.0% 69.0% 66.3% 67.3% 69.1% Figure 1 MAJOR LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ENGLISH LEARNERS IN FRESNO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 2004 Khmer 4% Lao 3% Armenian 1% Other 3% Hmong 25% Spanish 64% Figure 2 2

12 A large percentage of English Learners are at higher levels of English Language Development (ELD): Speech Emergence, 33%; Intermediate Fluency, 28%; and Advanced Fluency (19%). (See Figure 3). Elementary school English Learners outnumber (62%) secondary school English Learners (38%). Percent of English Learners by ELD Levels, % 30% 25% 20% 15% 33% 28% 10% 19% 5% 11% 9% 0% Pre-production Early Production Speech Emergence Intermediate Fluency Advanced Fluency Figure 3 The instructional program for English Learners requires properly credentialed teachers to provide content area instruction and English language development with appropriate district-adopted curriculum. FUSD meets the academic and English language development needs of English Learners through Structured English Immersion (SEI), Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE), and Primary Language instructional programs. The majority of English Learners were placed into SDAIE classes (55%). However, a smaller percent of students received primary language instruction (8%), 3

13 (See Figure 4). In California, a similar percent of English Learners received primary language instruction in A small percentage of English Learners (3%) were enrolled in classrooms where appropriately certificated teachers were unavailable. Percentage of English Learners in Primary Language (L1), Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English with Primary Language Support (ELD & SDAIE with PLS), and Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English Instructional Programs, 2004 No EL Services 3% 783 Other Alternative Programs 6% 1460 L1 Instruction 8% 2032 ELD & SDAIE WITH PLS 24% 6024 ELD & SDAIE 55% ELD 4% Figure 4 4

14 Goal 1: Increase English and Primary Language Proficiency This section provides evidence related to two questions: 1) Are English Learners acquiring English language proficiency? 2) Are English Learners acquiring primary language proficiency? Are English Learners Acquiring English Language Proficiency? Evidence of increased English language proficiency is provided by comparison of test scores on the California English Language Development Test between 2002 and 2003, the percentage of students achieving ELD gains according to district benchmarks, district redesignation rates, and performance on the California Standards Test. California English Language Development Test (CELDT) Results are presented for students with two years of CELDT scores. A larger percent of students achieved Early Advanced or Advanced levels of English language proficiency in 2003 compared to Secondary students were more likely to score at Early Advanced (43%) or Advanced (11%) levels in 2003 than elementary school students; Early Advanced (22%), Advanced (7%). (See Figure 5) 5

15 50 Percent of Students Scoring at Early Advanced or Advanced on CELDT 2002 to Early Advanced Advanced Early Advanced Advanced Early Advanced Advanced Early Advanced Advanced FUSD K-6 California K-6 FUSD 7-12 California Figure 5 6

16 Title III Accountability Report Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act, 2001 requires school districts to meet three Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO). Results for each AMAO is presented here. AMAO 1: Percent of students making annual progress in learning English was met. AMAO 1 requires 51% of English Learners with two years of CELDT test scores to make annual progress toward acquiring English. In FUSD, 57% of English Learners met the target. AMAO 2: Percent of students attaining English proficiency on CELDT was not met. AMAO 2 requires 30% of a defined subgroup of students to attain English proficiency on CELDT. In FUSD, 28.6% of the subgroup of students attained English proficiency on CELDT. AMAO 3: Adequate Yearly Progress at the district level for the English Learner subgroup in English language arts and mathematics was partially met. AMAO 3 requires 12% of English Learners to meet AYP in English language arts. In FUSD, 10.4% of English Learners achieved Proficient or Advanced performance levels on the California Standards Test in English language arts. AMAO 3 also requires 12.8% of English Learners to meet AYP in mathematics. In FUSD, 17.4% of English Learners achieved Proficient or Advanced performance levels on the California Standards Test in mathematics. Comparisons were also made between students enrolled 2 consecutive years in either primary language instruction or Structured English Immersion (SEI). Only students at ELD levels 1 through 3 and in grades Kindergarten through six were included in the analysis. Results indicate both groups of students achieved gains on the CELDT between 2002 and However, students in SEI were more likely to score at Early advanced or Advanced (17%) in 2003 than students in primary language instruction (9%). 7

17 English Language Development Gains The Fresno Unified School District Master Plan for English Learners, 2003 has established benchmarks English Learners are expected to achieve toward becoming proficient in English. Students at Pre-production, Early production, and Speech emergence levels are expected to gain one level of proficiency each year; while students at Intermediate fluency and Advanced fluency are expected to gain a proficiency level every two years. As indicated in Figure 6, students at Early Production were more likely to meet benchmark standards in elementary and middle school, while Speech Emergence students were more likely to meet the benchmark in high school. Middle and high school students were increasingly less likely to meet the benchmarks at Intermediate fluency and Advanced fluency levels. 8

18 Percent of Students Meeting Benchmark Standards for English Language Development, 2002 to Elementary Middle High Pre Production Early Production Speech Emergence Intermediate Fluency Advanced Fluency Figure 6 9

19 Redesignation Rates In 2004, Fresno Unified School District achieved the highest redesignation rate in 12 years at 6.7% (See Figure 7). However, other school districts with large numbers of English Learners achieved higher redesignation rates than FUSD (See Figure 8). In California, the redesignation rate was 8.3%. Redesignation Rate for Fresno Unified School District % 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% Percent 6.7% 4.1% 0.7% 3.3% 3.4% 2.4% 2.3% 3.9% 2.5% 2.8% 3.9% 3.0% Figure 7 10

20 Redesignation Rates for Major California School Districts, California Fresno Long Beach Santa Ana San Diego Los Angeles Figure 8 California Standards Test For analytical purposes, test data is ungrouped with careful attention to: Level of English language proficiency Instructional program participation Language group membership English language proficiency. English Language Development (ELD) is strongly related to academic achievement, therefore, results are reported separately for students with low (ELD 1-3) and high (ELD 4-5) levels of English language proficiency. While the achievement gap between English Learner and English-only students continued, English Learners made important academic gains between 2003 and For example, as indicated in Figure 9, an 11

21 increased percent of English Learners at ELD levels 4-5 in grades two through six scored at Proficient or Advanced in language arts in 2004 compared to 2003 (2004, 12%; 2003, 10%). Only 2% of English Learners at ELD levels 4-5 in grades seven through 11 scored at least Proficient in 2004 (See Figure 10). In mathematics, the percent of ELD 4-5 students in grades two through six scoring at least Proficient increased from 21% in 2003 to 23% in 2004 (See Figure 11). In grades seven through 11, 2% of ELD 4-5 students scored at least Proficient in 2004 (See Figure 12). Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in English Language Arts: Grades 2-6, 2003 and % 90% 80% 70%.5% 4% 22% 0.30% 3% 22% 1% 9% 42% 2% 10% 42% 8% 20% 8% 20% 7% 38% 9% 38% 60% 37% 36% 34% 32% 50% 40% 30% 34% 34% 23% 24% 51% 48% 20% 37% 39% 10% 0% 14% 14% 15% 16% 4%.6% ELD 1-3 ELD 4-5 English Only FEP-R 5% 0.20% Far Below Basic Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced Figure 9 12

22 Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in English Language Arts: Grades 7-11, 2003 and % 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%.1% 5% 36% 59%.3% 7% % 32% 61%.0% 2% 28% 44% 27% 0 28% 44% 27% 2% ELD 1-3 ELD 4-5 English Only FEP-R 8% 20% 33% 23% 17% 8% 20% 33% 23% 17% 4% 29% 56% 9% 2% 4% 27% 58% 10% 2% Far Below Basic Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced Figure 10 Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in Mathematics Grades: 2-6, 2003 and % 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1% 10% 23% 43% 22% 2% 10% 25% 47% 16% 4% 17% 32% 37% 11% 5% 18% 34% 35% 8% ELD 1-3 ELD 4-5 English Only FEP-R 9% 21% 27% 30% 13% 9% 21% 28% 33% 10% 11% 36% 37% 15%.7% 13% 39% 39% 9% 0.60% Far Below Basic Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced 13

23 Figure 11 Percent of Students in Each Performance Band on the California Standards Test in Mathematics: Grades 7-11, 2003 and % 90%.2% 13% 1% 0.10% 2% 12%.1% 3% 21% 0.20% 2% 18% 2% 12% 2% 11% 2% 19% 2% 17% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 47% 47% 50% 55% 26% 41% 24% 44% 37% 35% 30% 20% 10% 0% 34% 38% 39% 40% 26% 25% 20% 19% 8% 8% ELD 1-3 ELD 4-5 English Only FEP-R Far Below Basic Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced Figure 12 An examination was conducted of the performance level of fourth grade English Learners enrolled for five years in FUSD since kindergarten. Test scores on the California Standards Test were disaggregated by ELD level at enrollment. As indicated in Figure 13, students entering at Speech Emergence in kindergarten achieved a mean scaled score in English language arts (326) similar to English Only students by the fourth grade (327). In mathematics, Speech Emergence students out performed English Only students (See Figure 14). 14

24 Mean Scaled Score on CST English Language Arts for Fourth Grade Students Enrolled 5 Years 340 Pre Production Early Production Speech Emergence English Only Mean Scaled Score Figure 13 Mean Scaled Score on CST Mathematics for Fourth Grade Students Enrolled 5 Years 340 Pre Production Early Production Speech Emergence English Only Mean Scaled Score Figure 14 15

25 Instructional program participation. This section examines achievement levels for students in Structured English Immersion (SEI) and primary language instruction. Students in SEI are at early stages of English language acquisition and receive instruction that is overwhelmingly in English. Students in primary language classes receive Spanish language instruction according to approved parent exception waivers that authorize an alternative educational program. To compare students at similar levels of English language proficiency, only students at ELD levels 1-3 were included in the analysis. The cohort of students includes students participating in the same instructional program for two years in grades two through six. Scaled scores on the California Standards Test were used to determine performance differences. In 2004, SEI students scored higher in language arts and mathematics than students in primary language instruction for grades three and four (See Table 1). However, by grades five and six, both groups of students had similar scaled scores in English language arts and mathematics. Table 1 Results on California Standards Test for English Learner Students in Structured English Immersion and Primary Language Instructional Programs 2003 and 2004 Structured English Immersion Primary Language Instruction Language Arts Grade Grade Grade Grade Mathematics Grade Grade Grade Grade

26 Language group membership. Test score data is disaggregated for students with diverse home languages. Only students at ELD levels 4-5 were included in the analysis to reduce the effect of low levels of English language proficiency. Examination of results on the California Standards Test for the four largest language groups in FUSD indicates language groups made little achievement gains in language arts between 2003 and 2004 (See Figure 15). More than half of Lao (54%) and Hmong (57%) students scored at Basic or higher in grades two through six. Lao students out performed other language groups in grades seven and eight, and nine through 11. Percent of Students Scoring at Least Basic on the California Standards Test in English Language Arts by Language Group: 2003 and Percent Spanish Khmer Lao Hmong Spanish Khmer Lao Hmong Spanish Khmer Lao Hmong Grades 2-6 Grades 7-8 Grades 9-11 Figure 15 All language groups in grades two through six had higher achievement levels on the California Standards Test in mathematics in 2002 compared to 2003 (See Figure 16). 17

27 Hmong students out performed all other language groups. Increased test scores were less evident in grades seven and eight, while a decreased percent of students scored at least Basic in grades nine through 11. This analysis suggests academic interventions may be warranted for all language groups in high school. Percent of Students Scoring at Least Basic on the California Standards Test in Mathematics by Language Group: 2003 and Percent Spanish Khmer Lao Hmong Spanish Khmer Lao Hmong Spanish Khmer Lao Hmong Grades 2-6 Grades 7-8 Grades 9-11 Figure 16 18

28 Are English Learners Acquiring Primary Language Proficiency? The dearth in the availability of non-english language standardized norm referenced tests limits the assessment of primary language skills among many groups of English Learners. The Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition (SABE/2) is a reliable indicator of achievement for students whose primary language is Spanish. The following students were tested on SABE/2: Spanish language students enrolled in California public schools less than 12 months. Students with an approved waiver that requires primary language instruction in Spanish. Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition (SABE/2) In 2004, the number of students tested on SABE/2 decreased from 2003 (2003, 2,173; 2004, 1,951). As indicated in Table 2, more than half the students scored at or above the 50 th percentile in 2004 in reading (6 grade levels), language (6 grade levels), and mathematics (5 grade levels). Table 2 Percent of Students Scoring At or Above the 50th Percentile on SABE/2 Spring 2003 and 2004 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Reading % 64% 56% 47% 53% 53% 46% 42% 59% 49% % 60% 52% 51% 45% 48% 43% 44% 58% 67% Language % 69% 57% 55% 52% 64% 59% 33% 58% 33% % 65% 54% 50% 52% 46% 43% 41% 49% 61% Mathematics % 65% 58% 57% 63% 44% 36% 23% 38% 21% % 66% 50% 50% 56% 47% 33% 26% 45% 29% 19

29 Goal 2: Provide Equal Opportunity For Academic Achievement Evidence of equal opportunity for academic achievement is examined in this section. Evidence is presented to determine the extent English Learners have equal access to: Enrollment in accelerated classes, Enrollment in courses that meet requirements for the University of California or California State University systems, Participation in alternative education and special education programs. Access to Curricular and Instructional Programs To determine the extent English Learners have equal access to all curricular programs, data was collected on the enrollment in accelerated courses (GATE, Advanced Placement, and Honors courses). In 2004, English Learners were less likely to participate in GATE classes (7%), or Advanced Placement/Honors courses (12%) (See Table 3). However, a large number of redesignated students were enrolled in GATE (24%) and Advanced Placement /Honors classes (26%). Table 3 Percent of English Learners, English-Only, and Fluent English Proficient-Redesignated (FEP-R) Students Enrolled in Accelerated Courses, Grades 9-12 Accelerated Courses GATE Enrollment AP/Honors Enrollment District Enrollment English Learners English Only FEP-R % 7% 70% 69% 22% 24% 11% 12% 67% 63% 22% 26% 28% 28% 61% 60% 11% 12% Completion of University of California and California State University Requirements Another indicator of curricular access is the extent high school graduates met requirements for enrollment in the University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) systems. During the academic year, a decreased percent of 20

30 students met UC enrollment requirements compared to Redesignated students (39%) were more likely to meet UC and CSU enrollment requirements than English only (22%) or English Learner (8%) students. Participation in Alternative Education and Special Education Programs Alternative Education. English Learners were much less likely than Englishonly students to enroll in alternative education programs (Continuation high school) in 2004 compared to District enrollment (English Learners, 35%; English-only, 61%; FEP-R, 4%) (See Table 4). However, participation rates for English Learners increased since Table 4 Percent of English Learners, English-Only, and Fluent English Proficient-Redesignated (FEP-R) Students Enrolled in Alternative Education Programs , Grades 9-12 Alternative Education District Enrollment English Learners English Only FEP-R % 35% 66% 61% 4% 4% 29% 28% 61% 60% 10% 12% Special Education. As indicated in Table 5, there were only negligible differences in the percentage of English Learners and non-english Learners enrolled in Resource Specialist Program (RSP) or Special Day Classes (SDC) in all grade categories between 2003 and While more English Learners than non-english Learners in secondary grades were enrolled in RSP, FUSD does not have wide disparities in Special Education rates between English Learners and non-english Learners found by others (U.S. Department of Education, 1994). 21

31 Table 5 Percent of English Learner and Non-English Learner Students Participating in Resource Specialist Program or Special Day Classes, 2003 and 2004 English Learners Non-English Learners Grades 1-6 RSP 5% 5% 5% 5% SDC 2% 2% 3% 3% Grades 7-8 RSP 7% 7% 7% 5% SDC 5% 4% 6% 4% Grades 9-12 RSP 7% 8% 7% 6% SDC 5% 5% 6% 5% Goal 3: Promote Positive Self-concept and Cross-cultural Understanding This section will summarize and discuss information related to self-concept and cross-cultural understanding. Evaluation data is presented on factors correlated with selfconcept such as school retention and dropout rates. Annual comparisons are provided. School Retention A correlate of self-esteem is school retention (National Association of School Psychologists, 1988). In 2004, English Learners were as likely to be retained as English-only students in grades kindergarten through eight (English Learners, 2.6%; English-only, 3.1%). Dropout Rates Student dropout rates are presented for As indicated in Table 6, English Learners at lower levels of English language proficiency (ELD1-3) experienced the highest 22

32 dropout rates. However, English Learners at ELD levels 4-5 had similar dropout rates to English-only students. All students were more likely to drop out in grade 12. Table 6 Percent of Student Dropouts Among English Learner, English-Only, and Fluent English Proficient-Redesignated (FEP-R) Students, Grades 9-12, 2004 Grade Level English Learners ELD 1-3 English Learners ELD 4-5 English Only FEP-R 9 8% 3% 5% 1% 10 8% 3% 5% 1% 11 9% 6% 6% 1% 12 21% 7% 8% 1% Total 12% 5% 6% 1% Conclusions and Recommendations Conclusions This report reflects the school district s progress toward meeting the academic achievement and language development needs of English Learners. Inconsistent levels of academic achievement suggest improvements are warranted for increasing the achievement levels of English Learners. In addition, implementation of a common curriculum for the instruction of English language Development is necessary. These factors had major implications toward meeting FUSD goals outlined in the Fresno Unified School District Master Plan for English Learners,

33 Recommendations Goal 1: Increase English and primary language proficiency The relationship between student achievement and the revised redesignation criteria should be monitored to ensure students are appropriately redesignated. An analysis should be conducted of the relationship between years of student enrollment and results on the California English Language Development Test. There should be a continued review between the relationship between FUSD ELD descriptors and results on the CELDT. Goal 2: Provide equal opportunity for academic achievement English Learners need increased access to alternative education programs. Exemplary programs should be identified that increase enrollment of English Learners in courses that satisfy enrollment requirements for California State University, Fresno and the University of California systems. Improvements should be made in the assessment of all English Learners on all state and district assessments. Goal 3: Promote positive self-concept and cross-cultural understanding Increased dropout prevention activities appear to be warranted for English Learners at lower levels of English language proficiency. 24

34 REFERENCES August, D. & Hakuta, K. (Eds.). (1997). Improving schooling for language minority children: A research agenda. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Cummins, J. (1989). Empowering minority students: A framework for intervention. California Association for Bilingual Education. Fresno Unified School District. (2003). Master Plan for English Learners, Fresno Unified School District: Fresno, CA. National Association of School Psychologists. (1988). Position Statement. Bethesda, MD. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. (1997). High stakes assessment: A research agenda for English Language Learners. Washington, D.C., National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. Ramirez, J. D., S. D. Yuen, et al. (1991). Longitudinal study of structured English immersion strategy, early exit and late exit transitional bilingual education programs for language minority children: Final report to the U.S. Department of Education. San Mateo, CA: Aguirre International. Ruiz de Velasco, R. & Fix, M. (Eds.) (2000). Overlooked and underserved: immigrant students in U.S. secondary schools. Urban Institute Thomas, W. & Collier, V. (1996). Language minority student achievement and program effectiveness. NABE NEWS, U.S. Department of Education. (1994) elementary and secondary school civil rights compliance report: Reported and projected enrollment data for the nation. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. U.S. Department of Education. (2000). The use of tests when making high stakes decisions for students: A resource guide for educators and policymakers. Washington, DC: Office for Civil Rights. 25