ERIC Number: ED364111
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1993-Jul
Pages: 8
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Limited English Proficient Students in Intermediate Schools and in High Schools.A Concern About...
Concerns, n40 p1-7 Jul 1993
The typical public school classroom is more diverse, linguistically and ethnically, than 20 years ago, with a dramatic increase in the proportion of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. This pattern is reflected in secondary as well as elementary schools. Research indicates many of these students are at risk of failure or dropping out. A telephone survey of 33 state education agency bilingual education directors revealed a number of areas in which barriers to LEP student progress occur. These include: limited access to the core curriculum because of limited language skills; lack of native language literacy skills; isolation in rural areas; dearth of counselors with appropriate language skills or training in evaluating foreign educational credentials; limited instructional materials at the secondary school level; and outdated English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) methodology. Practices that hold promise for addressing these problems include: team teaching to improve access to content areas; parent outreach; use of interactive technology to support native language and ESL instruction; and temporary English teaching certificates for teachers who are bilingual and have content knowledge. Additional recommendations include: linking these changes with overall reform initiatives; modifying teacher training; allowing LEP secondary students extra time to attain credits for graduation; and more local responsibility for inservice teacher training. (MSE)
Descriptors: Access to Education, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, Change Strategies, Core Curriculum, Counseling Services, Demography, Educational Change, English (Second Language), High Risk Students, Instructional Materials, Language Maintenance, Limited English Speaking, Literacy, Literacy Education, National Surveys, Native Language Instruction, Program Length, Rural Areas, Second Language Instruction, Secondary Education, Secondary School Students, Teacher Certification, Teacher Education, Teaching Methods, Team Teaching, Trend Analysis
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, DC. Resource Center on Educational Equity.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A