Sixty percent of ELL students are in grades K-5, according to a report released this week that recommended several changes to the state’s program. There are about 35,000 English Learner students statewide.
A panel has recommended several changes to Connecticut’s English Language Learners program, including extending the number of years students can receive bilingual instruction from three years to five.
Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden) appointed the panel in February and gave them 45 days to deliver a set of recommendations. The panel members released their report this week.
“It is very important to invest our dollars wisely and to maximize each and every student and for us to give them the tools they need, especially the language tools, to be an integral part of the community,” said Danbury resident Emanuela Leaf, one of the panel members. Leaf is the editor of the Tribuna, a multilingual newspaper in Danbury.
According to the panel’s report, English Learners underperform on state assessments and graduate less than their peers.
Other recommendations included establishing pilot programs statewide to test different language acquisition models; increasing the number of bilingual teachers by creating additional ways to gain certification and allowing certification to be reciprocal with other states; and allowing students who are learning English to take the state’s Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium exam in their native language.
“Ensuring every child is provided with equal educational opportunity is an ongoing challenge, and making that a reality for the thousands of English Language Learner students throughout our state requires a focused plan.” said Sharkey in a statement.