As a high school teacher who has worked in public schools for many years, it’s easy to see that students learn complex subject matter like algebra more quickly and with greater understanding if the course is taught in their native language. Our own monolingual English students have enough trouble with the content demands of high school. Similarly, at the elementary level children learn to read much more quickly in their native language. What good is sounding out words you don’t know?
You only learn to read once. You only learn algebra once. As they acquire English, both groups quickly transfer skills, learn English, and they haven’t fallen behind academically.
Withholding proven methods of educating children in their first language while they acquire academic English is unfair. It robs our society of potential brilliance of these children. Why would we want a law that prepares kids to fail and drop out?
I’ve taught for the past 32 years. Attendance is certainly a factor leading to dropouts. However, the system does not encourage attendance. My own daughter suffers from anxiety. It was an enormous challenge for her to overcome this each moring, and get to school. Often, she missed her ride, and would use her own money to pay for a cab. Once she arrived, she was greeted with comments from school staff such as, “why did you bother?”. I actually rceived a call from the principal stating that they felt she was only motivated to attend to see her friends. Duh!! He couldn’t see that she had finally made a connection to others at the program! She had great difficulty leaving the house, let alone making friends. Anyhow, he said that the next time she arrived late, he would send her home. He actually did this. There was no positive reinforcement, no encouragement to be a part of his program.
She missed some days, but always got a Dr’s note. Despite this, she was tld she had failed the term as soon as she hit 9 days. What student wants to keep coming, when no matter how hard they work, they’vealready failed?
In my work, I’ve seen many students who are late risers, a well established fact about adolescent cicadian rhythms causing them to awaken later. One of my students lost credit for my 1st block class simply because he arrived 25 min. late frequently enough to equate the cut-off for absences. The school rule required me to report this, despite the fact that this class was a study hall. How does being punitive encourage a student to remain positive about the school experience?
Why don’t we finally respond to the studies and begin high school a bit later in the day?
Why can’t we allow students to really progress at their own pace? If they can demonstrate competency in a subject, check it off and move them along!!!
Our slower students could finally have the attention they required to fully learn, and the kids that “get it” could move along toward an earlier graduation. I assure you that they would be committed and engaged!
I agree Ms. karen,learning a subject in their native language makes sense. I know the learning is english is also important. i am a product of an ESL family. I came to this country when I was 16 and it was hart for me to lear any subject. It was very frustrating because in my country I was a straight A’s student. I drop out of HS and obtain my GED back in 1990 in my own native language. Thank god I did that because it gave the opportunity to college and learn more english and learn a trade. Know I am working on going back to a 4 year college an getting certified as a HS ESL teacher so I can help new comer students students. With all this graduation requirements any student don’t matter if they are in a ESL program, Special ED,or even in mainstream program our nations kids are having a difficult time learning because they have to many gaps. How can we fix this? By letting the law makers know we have a voices. They need to listen to what education advocates have to say, listen to the parents,teachers, community and MOST Important our kids. The lawmakers solution is to race the expectations by implementing this graduation requirements( do not get me wrong having expectation for our kids is important) However, the great majority of kids in urban communities are not prepared for eg. in my state Rhode Island:PBGR’s
( graduation by “proficiency requirements) NECAP ( state assessment test , Portfolio,senior Project, and God knows what else with out the help of mentors . This not a good thing, talk about setting our kids for failure.
The TV program is (rightly) focusing on language difficulties, social factors, and educational opportunities, including nontraditional classes.
What I haven’t heard much about is the dropout rate among gifted and talented. My daughter’s partner is a terrifically bright, socially well-adjusted young man. When he was in high school, his family went through a terrible crisis. His mother left, and he acted out a lot in school. The principal told him he should drop out. Fortunately, his father found him an alternative school, but even there, classes did not challenge him.
In my studies of gifted and talented, I have seen that bright girls are particularly at risk, and bright boys become discipline problems if not challenged. We must focus on the special needs population that has difficulty achieving basic skill levels, but we must not forget the special needs of the gifted. These wonderful young people come from all socioeconomic levels, and not all of them have families who recognize and advocate for their special needs.
As for legal dropout age, if kids can graduate at age seventeen (August babies, for example) why not make 17 the legal dropout age?
WGBH
April 9th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Learning in the Native Language Helps Us All
As a high school teacher who has worked in public schools for many years, it’s easy to see that students learn complex subject matter like algebra more quickly and with greater understanding if the course is taught in their native language. Our own monolingual English students have enough trouble with the content demands of high school. Similarly, at the elementary level children learn to read much more quickly in their native language. What good is sounding out words you don’t know?
You only learn to read once. You only learn algebra once. As they acquire English, both groups quickly transfer skills, learn English, and they haven’t fallen behind academically.
Withholding proven methods of educating children in their first language while they acquire academic English is unfair. It robs our society of potential brilliance of these children. Why would we want a law that prepares kids to fail and drop out?
April 10th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
I’ve taught for the past 32 years. Attendance is certainly a factor leading to dropouts. However, the system does not encourage attendance. My own daughter suffers from anxiety. It was an enormous challenge for her to overcome this each moring, and get to school. Often, she missed her ride, and would use her own money to pay for a cab. Once she arrived, she was greeted with comments from school staff such as, “why did you bother?”. I actually rceived a call from the principal stating that they felt she was only motivated to attend to see her friends. Duh!! He couldn’t see that she had finally made a connection to others at the program! She had great difficulty leaving the house, let alone making friends. Anyhow, he said that the next time she arrived late, he would send her home. He actually did this. There was no positive reinforcement, no encouragement to be a part of his program.
She missed some days, but always got a Dr’s note. Despite this, she was tld she had failed the term as soon as she hit 9 days. What student wants to keep coming, when no matter how hard they work, they’vealready failed?
In my work, I’ve seen many students who are late risers, a well established fact about adolescent cicadian rhythms causing them to awaken later. One of my students lost credit for my 1st block class simply because he arrived 25 min. late frequently enough to equate the cut-off for absences. The school rule required me to report this, despite the fact that this class was a study hall. How does being punitive encourage a student to remain positive about the school experience?
Why don’t we finally respond to the studies and begin high school a bit later in the day?
Why can’t we allow students to really progress at their own pace? If they can demonstrate competency in a subject, check it off and move them along!!!
Our slower students could finally have the attention they required to fully learn, and the kids that “get it” could move along toward an earlier graduation. I assure you that they would be committed and engaged!
April 11th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I agree Ms. karen,learning a subject in their native language makes sense. I know the learning is english is also important. i am a product of an ESL family. I came to this country when I was 16 and it was hart for me to lear any subject. It was very frustrating because in my country I was a straight A’s student. I drop out of HS and obtain my GED back in 1990 in my own native language. Thank god I did that because it gave the opportunity to college and learn more english and learn a trade. Know I am working on going back to a 4 year college an getting certified as a HS ESL teacher so I can help new comer students students. With all this graduation requirements any student don’t matter if they are in a ESL program, Special ED,or even in mainstream program our nations kids are having a difficult time learning because they have to many gaps. How can we fix this? By letting the law makers know we have a voices. They need to listen to what education advocates have to say, listen to the parents,teachers, community and MOST Important our kids. The lawmakers solution is to race the expectations by implementing this graduation requirements( do not get me wrong having expectation for our kids is important) However, the great majority of kids in urban communities are not prepared for eg. in my state Rhode Island:PBGR’s
( graduation by “proficiency requirements) NECAP ( state assessment test , Portfolio,senior Project, and God knows what else with out the help of mentors . This not a good thing, talk about setting our kids for failure.
Please comment back!
-Liz
April 20th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
The TV program is (rightly) focusing on language difficulties, social factors, and educational opportunities, including nontraditional classes.
What I haven’t heard much about is the dropout rate among gifted and talented. My daughter’s partner is a terrifically bright, socially well-adjusted young man. When he was in high school, his family went through a terrible crisis. His mother left, and he acted out a lot in school. The principal told him he should drop out. Fortunately, his father found him an alternative school, but even there, classes did not challenge him.
In my studies of gifted and talented, I have seen that bright girls are particularly at risk, and bright boys become discipline problems if not challenged. We must focus on the special needs population that has difficulty achieving basic skill levels, but we must not forget the special needs of the gifted. These wonderful young people come from all socioeconomic levels, and not all of them have families who recognize and advocate for their special needs.
As for legal dropout age, if kids can graduate at age seventeen (August babies, for example) why not make 17 the legal dropout age?
Chris