Vol. XIX Number 4 CHICAGO DECEMBER 2007 INDEPENDENT REPORTING ON URBAN SCHOOLS ¿¿HABLAHABLA INGLES? INGLES? BILINGUALBILINGUAL PROGRAMS PROGRAMS AREARE FALTERING,FALTERING, AA NEW NEW COMMISSION COMMISSION SAYS.SAYS. BUT BUT A A MAJOR MAJOR OVERHAULOVERHAUL MAY MAY BE BE ININ THETHE WORKS.WORKS. Also: Where grads from ‘The College Challenge’ ended up. PAGE 14 A Publication of the Community Renewal Society www.catalyst-chicago.org FROM THE EDITOR Rising to meet the challenge ive years ago, Catalyst Chicago published than Americans who speak Chinese or French—and that puts American the last of a series of reports on the students at a disadvantage in a world struggles and successes of nine African- in which business, and society, are American and Latino graduates working becoming increasingly connected F across national boundaries. toward a college degree. This month, we revisit With that in mind, a new CPS-led “The College Challenge” to find out what commission is on the right track with happened to those students. its goal to shift bilingual education Deputy Editor toward a dual-language approach (in Lorraine Forte Happily, six of the nine have grad- ment that Orr’s staff gave Ray. Stu- which non-English-speaking stu- uated. (One did not finish school and dents, especially African-American dents build literacy in their own lan- two could not be located.) Their sto- and Latino kids from poorer com- guage and also learn English) and ries provide real food for thought as munities, need to believe that they have more English speakers learn a the district continues to roll out its can make it in the larger world and foreign language. High School Transformation Project. succeed at prestigious institutions Having all kids achieve at least While the former students stressed like USC. basic fluency in a foreign language that they had to work hard and stay With better academic preparation might seem like a lofty goal in a dis- focused to reach their goal, another and more support and encourage- trict where many children are still common theme emerged: Support ment from adults, more high school reading below grade level in their made a critical difference. graduates would end up as success own language. But too often, kids in Indeed, one young woman, a for- stories like those we profile—and the CPS are stuck with just the bare mer valedictorian at Orr High who district could catch up with the rest skeleton of a real education, with lit- landed at the University of Southern of the nation in the percentage of tle or no exposure to music, art and California, now says her years at Orr graduates who earn degrees, instead other so-called “extras” that are plen- were the best thing that happened to of lagging behind. tiful in wealthy districts and ought to her. In one sense, that’s surprising, be considered core subjects. One of given the school’s not-so-stellar rep- LEARNING TWO LANGUAGES those is foreign language instruction utation and the young woman’s Almost every year, the media acknowledgment that Orr didn’t pre- reports statistics showing how U.S. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: We are delighted pare her for college-level work. But, students compare to those in other to now bring you freelance writer as Brooke Ray told writer Kristin countries in reading and math. But Alexander Russo’s blog, “District 299: Maun, at Orr “people believed in me one statistic that isn’t reported—one The Chicago Schools Blog.” Since its and what I could accomplish.” that would show a clear gap in favor launch, the blog has become the talk of Chicago’s broad-based school “People [at Orr] believed in me and what I could accomplish.” community. Now you can read it online at www.catalyst-chicago.org. Brooke Ray, Orr High and University of Southern California alumna District 299 brings you unfiltered news and views from people involved That’s an invaluable lesson for of foreign students—is the number in public schools. The viewpoints are a neighborhood high schools. Trans- of children who are studying a sec- mix, and no one minces words. Also, forming these schools shouldn’t ond language. each weekday morning, Russo posts focus solely on bringing in stronger In Europe and other foreign links to education stories in local, and curricula and better teaching. It countries, learning English is either sometimes national, media. should also include efforts to ensure compulsory or widespread, often We encourage you to weigh in. that teachers, counselors, coaches, starting in elementary school. Con- And look for more upgrades to our aides and administrators give kids sequently, it’s far more common to Web site, which we will unveil in the the same sense of self-empower- find foreigners who speak English coming months. 2 Catalyst Chicago December 2007 BILINGUAL EDUCATION A makeover for bilingual ed? PS is not doing an adequate job of preparing English learners to tackle the same work as Ctheir classmates, a new commission says. Meanwhile, these students are facing new assessments under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. COVER STORY: PAGE 6 NEW TEST BRINGS MORE ACCOUNTABILITY Illinois is one of a group of states to adopt a new English proficiency test based on state learning standards. PAGE 10 TEACHING IN TWO LANGUAGES A handful of schools use dual language.The goal: Kids who are fluent in both English and Spanish. PAGE 11 A DOUBLE HURDLE FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS Educators say teens need more support as they learn a new language while trying JOE GALLO to master academic content. PAGE 12 Kindergartner Julissa Ramos, whose first language is Spanish, gets extra help with her vocabulary. At Sawyer Elementary in Gage BILINGUAL TEACHERS SCARCE IN PRESCHOOLS Park most instruction is carried out in English. The pool of potential teachers is small; few Latinos go to college and those who do choose higher-paying professions. PAGE 13 ON THE COVER: Camila Maeses, a 3rd-grader at Whittier Elementary in Pilsen, will receive some instruction in her native Spanish all the way through 6th grade. PHOTO BY JOE GALLO DEPARTMENTS Notebook 4 Jill Prout, who got Viewpoints 18 her alternative UP CLOSE Page 14 teaching The College Comings & Goings 24 certification through Challenge revisited CPS’ Chicago UPDATES Page 19 ON OUR WEB SITE Teaching Fellows Ren10 still missing Go to the Catalyst Web site, program, works with the mark in some www.catalyst-chicago.org, 3rd-grader Marcus areas for news and resources on Chicago Thomas at Mahalia Alternative school reform, including: Jackson Elementary. certification: Not just Spanish translations See story, page 21. for poor schools Reform history news highlights JOHN BOOZ www.catalyst-chicago.org December 2007 3 Q&A Notebook with ... TIMELINE Jenné Myers, executive director, Working in the Schools Nov. 10: Test troubles Nov. 12: Certification Nov. 14: Opt-outs For the last 15 years, Working in the A decline in scores on high Just two months after passage The School Board declines to Schools (WITS) has been recruiting school tests prompts Illinois of a new teachers contract vote on a proposal to limit volunteers to read with CPS students. State Board of Education that ensures a $1,750 annual military recruiting in schools. Now, volunteers work with students in officials to say they plan to salary boost to National The previous week, parents 28 schools. The Power Lunch program hire an independent con- Board certified teachers, the of high school students were sends workers from Loop offices to sultant to look into the district announces that more given military opt-out forms nearby schools for lunchtime reading results. CEO Arne Duncan than 660 teachers are on on report card pick-up day, sessions with 2nd- and 3rd-graders. suggests that too many jun- track to obtain certification. allowing parents to refuse Older students are invited into the iors blew off the second day They would join 652 teach- access to their child’s contact workplace for a mentoring program, of the two-day Prairie State ers who already are certified information. CPS says and preschoolers and kindergartners exam. Day two includes a and another 400 who are activists have complained cuddle up with volunteers who read to test of workplace skills; day waiting on their scores. The about aggressive recruiting, them. Writer Jazmenda McNabb sat one includes the ACT, which process can require as many and says 11,767 students down with Executive Director Jenné is needed for college admis- as 400 hours of work over have returned the forms, up Myers to talk about the program. sion. Overall scores declined three years. Board certified from 8,018 earlier this year— in CPS, from 31.2 percent to teachers also get $3,000 but still just 17 percent of stu- How did WITS start? 29.7 percent meeting or from the Chicago Public dents in grades 10 through We started 15 years ago with a basic need exceeding standards. Education Fund. 12. (See Updates, April 2007.) recognized by our two wonderful founders, Joanne Alter and Marion Stone, who walked ELSEWHERE over to Cabrini-Green [a public housing devel- opment on the North Side] and into Byrd Missouri: Merit pay Web listing follows a 10-month Dispatch School saying, “How can we help?” Now we investigation which found the state did not serve 2,500 students with 1,300 volunteers. The Missouri State Teachers Association and always notify school districts about repri- Missouri National Education Association— manded teachers, so some superintend- What is your goal? the state’s two major teachers organiza- ents had unknowingly hired teachers with If you can get a child who, in their free time, tions—might consider linking salaries to histories of misconduct.