ell report - summer 2015

ELL REPORT / SUMMER 2015

English Language Learners The opportunities and challenges of increased cultural and linguistic diversity in our region.

3 L ATINO ENDOWMENT FUND

*If it is determined that a student’s English proficiency is insufficient “to assure equal educational opportunity in the regular school program,” that child is classified as an “eligible student” for ELL programs.

In 2014–15, the Latino Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation

for Public Giving focused on the issue of English Language Learners (ELL)*

through a series of forums. This report examines what we learned and

highlights the opportunities and the challenges of increased cultural

and linguistic diversity.

Our schools and communities are more diverse than ever, with more

than 100 different languages spoken in homes throughout Greater

Hartford. State and national data demonstrate significant educational

attainment and income gaps for English Language Learners when

compared to their English-speaking peers. At the same time, the

little growth we have seen in the working-age population in Greater

Hartford has been driven by migration from outside the continental

United States.

How can we harness the assets of by a multilingual population to enhance

our community and create stronger links to the global marketplace?

We hope this report will be used as a resource to address the challenges of increased cultural and linguistic diversity in our region and continue the dialogue for effective solutions.

L ATINO ENDOWMENT FUND

ENGLISH L ANGUAGE LEARNERS REPORT / SUMMER 2015 4

LATINO

ASIAN

The globalization of Connecticut and Metro Hartford

METRO HARTFORD foreign-born residents

POPULATION GROWTHin last 25 years

40% from LATIN AMERICA

200%

For the last decade, growth in Metro Hartford’s population has been almost entirely foreign-born.

500,000FOREIGN-BORN*CT RESIDENTS

18

*According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the term foreign-born applies to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth and includes naturalized U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, temporary migrants, humanitarian migrants and unauthorized migrants. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey; Refugee Processing Center.

PUERTO RICO Not included in “foreign-born” stats but is a significant factor for the issue.

1/3 of Hartford’s population is Puerto Rican, making it the 4th highest percentage of Puerto Rican people in the continental U.S.

This population arrives with complex social and economic needs.

REFUGEE POPULATION

4,800 PEOPLE to the state since 2005*

300%


Place of origin, students, and schools in our region

TEACHER SHORTAGES IN CONNECTICUT

For the last 4 years, two of the top 3 shortages in our state have been bilingual and world languages educators.

2009–10 4 3

3 1

1 3

1 3

2 1

WORLD LANGUAGES 7-12BILINGUAL EDUCATION PK-12

Shortage Rank By Teacher Type

YEAR

Across Connecticut, there is a concentration of ELL students in the lowest performing schools within the lowest performing districts.

In 2010–11, 78% of all children labeled ELL attended schools in the 30 lowest performing districts. Within these 30 lowest performing districts, 64% of ELL students attend schools that are identified as ‘focus,’ ‘review’ or ‘turnaround’ schools, compared with 43% of non-ELL students in those same districts.

About ¾ of Connecticut ELL students speak Spanish.

Of the population that speak a language other than English at home, 35% or 85,000 are not proficient in English.

In Metro Hartford, more than 1 in 5 people speak a language other than English at home.

* In Metro Hartford: Andover, Avon, Bolton, Canton, East Granby, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hebron, Marlborough, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Stafford, Suffield, Tolland, West Hartford, Wethersfield. Based on SDE classification.

** In Metro Hartford: Bloomfield, East Hartford, East Windsor, Manchester, Vernon, Windsor and Windsor Locks. Based on SDE classification.

Source: State Department of Education.

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

CREC HARTFORD HIGHER PERFORMING* UNDER-PERFORMING** PUBLIC CHARTER

ELL ENROLLMENT IN METRO HARTFORD

2010-11 ‘10-11 ‘10-11 ‘10-11 ‘10-11‘11-12 ‘11-12 ‘11-12 ‘11-12 ‘11-12‘12-13 ‘12-13 ‘12-13 ‘12-13 ‘12-13‘13-14 ‘13-14 ‘13-14 ‘13-14 ‘13-14

PERC

ENT

ELL

ST

UD

ENT

S

2011–12

2012–13

2014–15

2013–14


The persistent academic gap

From 3rd grade through high school, ELL students’ performance is much lower than non-ELL students.

MULTIPLE NEEDS, MULTIPLE CHALLENGES

ELL Students Non-ELL StudentsGRAPH KEY

Researchers believe that, on average, it takes 2 years to master conversational English, yet 5-7 years to master academic English.

An ELL student may appear fluent in English for everyday conversation, but still struggle with academic English proficiency.

79% of ELLs are eligible for free/reduced-price lunch, compared to 35% of all students.*

* Based on 2011-12 academic year, via State Department of Education, CMT / CAPT data and 2011-12 ELL Data Bulletin.

16% of ELL students are identified for Special Education services vs. 11% of non-ELLs.

SCIENCE GAP

100

50

03 4 5 6 7 8 10

% A

T /

AB

OV

E G

OA

L

GRADE

% A

T /

AB

OV

E G

OA

L

MATHEMATICS GAP

100

50

03 4 5 6 7 8 10

GRADE

GRADE

READING GAP

100

50

03 4 5 6 7 8 10

% A

T /

AB

OV

E G

OA

L

GRADE

WRITING GAP

100

50

03 4 5 6 7 8 10

% A

T /

AB

OV

E G

OA

L


We have an opportunity: Globalization is the future of our workforce and economic development

Linguistics, immigration, and economic development

HISPANIC ENTREPRENEURS IN THE UNITED STATES

Immigrants employ 10% of all American workers and generate 16% of the overall US business income.

The number of Hispanic entrepreneurs in the U.S. more than tripled since 1990. Hispanic entrepreneurs grew almost 10 times faster than the U.S. population overall.

Diversity contributes to our local economy and makes our region more competitive nationally and globally.

Immigrants and their children will account for almost all growth in our labor force in the coming decades.

HISPANIC / LATINO SMALL BUSINESSES~ 50% growth rate since 2007

LINGUISTICALLY ISOLATED* HOUSEHOLDSIn Connecticut (2013), there are over 191,000 working-age adults with limited English proficiency.

For the 174,000 households in CT that are considered

This population has grown 32% since 2000 and now represents 10% of the total working- age population. Over 58% of these are Spanish-speaking.

About 20% of all adult ELLs experienced poverty in the last year, about twice the rate in the state as a whole.

In Connecticut, the earned income of ELL adults is $25,000 per year—less than half of English-speakers’ earnings.

Working-age adults with limited English proficiency earn 25-40% less than their English-proficient counterparts.

14K

577,000 2,000,000from 1990 to 2012

NOT LINGUISTICALLY ISOLATED HOUSEHOLDS

28%BELOW $50khousehold income

58% BELOW $100k

62%BELOW $50khousehold income

88% BELOW $100k

Sources: American Community Survey data via IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org, 2013; “Better Business: How Hispanic Entrepreneurs Are Beating Expectations and Bolstering the U.S. Economy,” http://www.renewoureconomy.org /; Small Business Administration

* All household members 14 years old and over have at least some difficulty with English.


What can be done to ensure equitable opportunities for English Language Learners in our region and state?

English Language Learners are an asset to our increasingly global society.

Much needs to be done to increase the opportunities for ELL children and adults and to build on the assets of a more culturally diverse population.

The Latino Endowment Fund, as an endowed fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, supports the advancement of the social, economic, educational and leadership development of the Latino community. Building on the expertise of our members, community, providers, and educators, we ask:

SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS DISCUS SED INCLUDE:

State and local education policies should recognize that speaking multiple languages is an asset and something to build on.

Expand dual-language immersion programs to build a more supportive multilingual environment that can cater to both urban and suburban families.

Amend teacher certification requirements in Connecticut to allow for greater reciprocity with other states to better attract talent.

Provide greater access to affordable professional development to public school teachers for supporting ELL students, and integrate this training into teacher certification programs.

Eliminate the state requirement that a district must have a minimum of 20 students requiring ELL support before receiving state funding. All districts that teach students who need ELL support should be eligible for state assistance.

Increase the maximum number of months for which students can receive ELL services from 30 to 60 months.

Introduce a 2-year moratorium on new ELL students being required to take state-mandated standardized tests.

Strengthen efforts to educate parents of ELL students on the availability of supports to assist their children as they transition to English.

Support better coordination and collaboration between various adult ESL training programs.

Develop an ESL/adult education curriculum for parents that focuses on interactions with their children’s schools and teachers.

Provide additional support to create a smooth transition from adult education ESL classes to college-level ESL classes through the development of a coordinated curriculum.

The Latino Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation

for Public Giving was founded in 2003 by Latino leaders in Greater

Hartford to increase philanthropy in their community and to

strengthen nonprofits working to improve the quality of life for

Latino residents. Members examine issues affecting the Latino

community and recommend grants from the fund to address

those issues.

For more information, contact Wanda Y. Correa at 860-548-1888 or [email protected] or go to www.hfpg.org/latino.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, established

in 1925, is the community foundation for 29 communities in the

Hartford region. It is dedicated to putting philanthropy into action

to create lasting solutions that result in vibrant communities

within the Greater Hartford region. It receives gifts from generous

individuals, families and organizations, and in 2014 awarded grants

of $33 million to a broad range of area nonprofits.

For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.

ABOUT US:

Let us continue the dialogue to find effective solutions together.

ell report - summer 2015

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