Raising the Achievement of English Language Learners in the Seattle Public Schools
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Raising the Achievement of English Language Learners in the Seattle Public Schools Report of the Strategic Support Team of the Council of the Great City Schools Submitted to the Seattle Public Schools By the Council of the Great City Schools Summer 2008 Raising Achievement Among English Language Learners in Seattle’s Public Schools ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Council of the Great City Schools thanks the many individuals who contributed to this project to improve achievement among English language learners in the Seattle Public Schools. The efforts of these individuals were critical to our ability to present the district with the best possible proposals. First, we thank Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools, who asked for this review. It is not easy to subject one’s district to a review such as this one. It takes courage, openness, and commitment to the city’s children. She has those qualities in abundance. Second, we thank the Seattle School Board for supporting this effort and meeting with our team to discuss the issues presented in this report. The board has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving public education in Seattle. Third, we thank staff members and teachers in the Seattle Public Schools, who provided all the time, documents, and data that the Council team needed in order to do its work. Their openness and honesty were critical to our understanding of the challenges faced by the Seattle schools. Fourth, we thank the many individuals, groups, organizations, and associations with which we met. Our only regret is that we were unable to meet with everyone who we know had something valuable to contribute. Fifth, the Council thanks the school districts that contributed staff to this effort. Everyone contributed his or her time pro bono to help the Seattle school district improve. The enthusiasm and generosity of these individuals serve as a further example of how the nation’s urban public school systems are working together to help each other improve and reform. Sixth, we thank The Broad Foundation for providing the resources to cover the expenses of the team. Finally, I thank Gabriela Uro and Ricki Price-Baugh, Council staff members who drafted this report. Their skills were critical to the success of this project. Thank you. Michael Casserly Executive Director Council of the Great City Schools Council of the Great City Schools 2 Raising Achievement Among English Language Learners in Seattle’s Public Schools TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................... 2 Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 1. Background ................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2. Purpose and Origin of Project ..................................................................................... 16 Chapter 3. Findings....................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 4. Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 4. Synopsis and Discussion ............................................................................................. 85 Appendix A. Demographic History of Seattle Public Schools......................................................87 Appendix B. Excerpt from Washington State Standards...............................................................97 Appendix C. Individuals Interviewed..........................................................................................110 Appendix D. Documents Reviewed.............................................................................................112 Appendix E. Strategic Support Team Members ..........................................................................116 Appendix F. About the Council...................................................................................................120 Council of the Great City Schools 3 Raising Achievement Among English Language Learners in Seattle’s Public Schools Tables Table 1. Seattle Public School Enrollment and Percentages of English Language Learners by Year...................................................................8 Table 2. English Language Learners by Racial/Ethic Group and Year...........................8 Table 3. Number and Percentage of Each Major Language Group Not Served in a School District Bilingual Education Program...............................................10 Table 4. Number of Elementary Schools in Seattle with Varying Numbers of English Language Learners Enrolled............................................................................10 Table 5. Number of Secondary Schools in Seattle with Varying Numbers of English Language Learners Enrolled............................................................................10 Table 6. Number of Seattle School Staff Members (Teachers and Instructional Assistants) who Speak One of the District’s Five Most Commonly Spoken Languages ........................................................................................................11 Table 7. Percent of Students and ELLs Scoring At or Above Proficient on WASL, Spring 2007......................................................................................................12 Table 8. Schools with Bilingual Programs that Did Not Make AYP in 2006-07..........15 Table 9. Composition of Seattle’s Population by Year..................................................88 Table 10. Seattle’s Population by Race and Year............................................................88 Table 11. Washington State Population of Hispanic Origin............................................93 Table 12. Seattle Population of Hispanic Origin .............................................................93 Table 13. Refugees Resettled in Seattle by Decade, by Total Number of Refugees.......95 Table 14. Refugees as a Percent of Seattle’s Population .................................................96 Graphs Graph 1. Percent of Seattle and State ELL Fourth Graders Reading at or Above Proficiency Levels on WASL ..........................................................................13 Graph 2. Percent of Seattle and State ELL Fourth Graders Scoring in Math at or Above Proficiency Levels on WASL ..........................................................................13 Council of the Great City Schools 4 Raising Achievement Among English Language Learners in Seattle’s Public Schools EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Seattle Public Schools serve one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation. The school system’s enrollment represents many racial and ethnic groups and includes students from around the world who come to Seattle speaking many languages and families who came to the city generations ago. The challenge facing Seattle and all other major city school systems across the country is to educate all of its students to the highest standards regardless of their national origin, native language, or previous educational experiences. The new leadership of the Seattle Public Schools is acutely aware of this challenge and is well equipped to move the school district forward. The new superintendent and school board have asked for a series of critical reviews of various aspects of the school district’s operations, including the organizational structure, instructional program, financial operations, human resource systems, information technology, and facilities. The leadership of the district has also asked for a critical review of the school system’s programs to teach students who are learning English as their second language. This report presents the results of that review. To conduct the review, the superintendent and school board turned to the Council of the Great City Schools, a coalition of the nation’s largest urban school systems. The group has conducted nearly 150 similar reviews in about 50 of the nation’s biggest city school systems. The Council, in turn, assembled a team of senior instructional leaders from other large urban school systems who have a strong track record of raising student achievement among English language learners in their own cities. These individuals and staff from the Council made two site visits to Seattle; interviewed scores of individuals both inside and outside the school system; reviewed relevant documents and analyzed data; visited schools and classrooms; and compiled this report. It is not easy to ask for a review such as this. It takes courage, openness, and a strong determination to improve the lives of children. Accordingly, the city owes the school board and superintendent its thanks, even though this report is a critical one and was designed specifically to find problems rather than to praise individuals for their hard work. We hope that the city and its good people will take this report in that spirit. The city of Seattle has moved aggressively in the recent past to position itself as a globally competitive city and a hub for international trade. It is a compelling and unique vision, but it is one that is hard to attain when the city’s public school system is not adequately preparing the children of those who have come from around the world to share in the community’s bounty and enrich its culture. The team assembled