ERIC ED403781: A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students: Screening Methods, Program Support, and Teacher Training (SASS 1993-94). Statistical Analysis Report.

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by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
FL 024 471
ED 403 781
Han, Mei; And Others
AUTHOR
A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited
TITLE
English Proficient Students: Screening Methods,
Program Support, and Teacher Training (SASS 1993-94).
Statistical Analysis Report.
American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC.;
INSTITUTION
Catholic Univ. of America, Washington, D.C.
National Center for Education Statistics (ED),
SPONS AGENCY
Washington, DC.
ISBN-0-16-048976-8; NCES-97-472
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
Jan 97
NOTE
61p.
AVAILABLE FROM
U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of
Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC
20402-9328.
Research/Technical (143)
Statistical
Reports
PUB TYPE
Data (110)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
Bilingual Education; Educational Policy; Elementary
DESCRIPTORS
Secondary Education; *English (Second Language);
Enrollment Rate; ''.`Identification; *Limited English
Speaking; *National Surveys; Program Design; *Public
Schools; Screening Tests; Second Language Programs;
Teacher Education
*Schools and Staffing Survey (NCES)
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Results of the National Center for Education
Statistics' 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) concerning
identification of and services to limited-English-proficient (LEP)
students are reported in narrative and tabular forms. The survey is
the largest and most comprehensive data set available about schools
in the United States. Highlights of findings include these: over 2.1
million public school students are identified as LEP, and they
account for five percent of all students and 31 percent of all
American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic
students; LEP students are concentrated in the West, urban areas, and
large schools; schools can use a variety of methods for identifying
LEP students, most frequently using teacher observation, referral,
home language survey, and previous student record; 76 percent of
school with LEP enrollments provide English-as-a-Second-Language
(ESL) programs and 36 percent have bilingual education programs, with
about one-third of schools with LEP enrollments provide both ESL and
bilingual education, and 71 percent of LEP students attend these
schools; 3 percent of LEP students attend schools with neither
program; 42 percent of all public school teachers have at least one
LEP student; 30 percent of teachers instructing LEP students have
training for it, but few have a related degree.
(MSE)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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.111.1111.1.1.111.1.°1/11111
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS
Statistical Analysis Report
January 1997
7:0
Orn
A Profile of Policies and Practices
for Limited English Proficient
Students: Screening Methods,
Program Support, and
Teacher Training (SASS 1993-94)
SASS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
.0'This
document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in
this
document do not necessarily represent
official 0E131 position or policy.
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
NCES 97-472
EST COPY AVAILABLE
2
NATIONAL CENTER F R E
TION
STATISTICS
e ort
Statistical Anallysis
January 1997
A Profile of Policies and Practices
for Limited English Proficient
Students: Screening Methods,
Program Support, and
Teacher Training (SASS 1993-94)
Mei Han, American Institutes for Research
David Baker, American Institutes for Research and Catholic University of America
Carlos Rodriguez, American Institutes for Research
Peggy Quinn, Project Officer
National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
NCES 97-472
J
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-048976-8
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Marshall S. Smith
Acting Assistant Secretary
National Center for Education Statistics
Pascal D. Forgione, Jr.
Commissioner
The National Center for Education Statistics (NOES) is the primary federal entity for collecting,
analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations.
It
fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete
statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and
specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local
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activities in foreign countries.
NOES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent,
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Suggested Citation
U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. A Profile of Policies
and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students: Screening Methods, Program Support,
and Teacher Training [SASS 1993-94], NOES 97-472, by Mei Han, David Baker, and Carlos
Roderiguez. Project Officer, Peggy Quinn. Washington, DC: 1997.
Contact
Peggy Quinn
[phone]
For free single copies, call the National Data Resource Center at [phone] or send a
FAX request to [phone].
Table of Contents
PAGE
List of Tables
iv
List of Figures
iv
Acknowledgments
Highlights
vii
Introduction
1
Data Source and Methodology
3
Results
5
What is the distribution of LEP students across the nation's K-12 public schools?
5
What screening methods do public schools use to identify LEP students?
9
What proportion of public schools provide (1) English as a second language
and/or (2) bilingual education programs?
11
What proportion of LEP students receive special instruction in public schools?
13
What percentage of public school instructors with LEP students in their classes have
received training in LEP instruction?
16
Conclusion
19
References
21
Appendix A: Tables of Standard Errors
23
Appendix B: Denominators for Tables 1 and 2
33
Appendix C: Technical Notes
37
5
A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students
iii
List of Tables
Total number and percentage of public schools with LEP students and total
Table 1.
6
number and percentage of students enrolled, by state: 1993-94
Total number and percentage of public schools with LEP students and total
Table 2.
number and percentage of students enrolled, by selected school characteristics:
8
1993-1994
Percentage of public schools using each screening method to identify LEP
Table 3.
10
students, by selected school characteristics: 1993-1994
Percentage of public schools with LEP students providing ESL or bilingual
Table 4.
12
education programs, by selected school characteristics: 1993-1994
Percentage of LEP students receiving different kinds of instruction, by selected
Table 5.
15
school characteristics: 1993-1994
Number and percentage of teachers teaching LEP students, by selected school
Table 6.
17
characteristics: 1993-94
Percentage of teachers with LEP students who have received training for
Table 7.
18
teaching LEP students, by selected school characteristics: 1993-94
List of Figures
Total number of LEP students, by region: 1993-1994
7
Figure 1.
Percentage of public schools reporting LEP student enrollments, by urbanicity,
Figure 2.
9
school size, and percent minority enrollment: 1993-1994
Percentage of public schools using each instructional method to teach LEP
Figure 3.
students: 1993-94
14
iv A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank all those who contributed to the production of this report. Among
the American Institutes for Research staff, special mention goes to Don McLaughlin for advice
and review, to Chuck Keil for programming assistance, to Shannon Daugherty and Susan
Mansfield for editorial contribution, to Marianne Perie for her helpful comments, and to Mary
Anne Arcilla and Grace Wu for administrative assistance.
We are very grateful for the comments and suggestions of reviewers at NCES: Dan Kasprzyk
and Marilyn McMillen, Survey and Cooperative Systems Group; Edith McArther and Elvie
Hausken, Data Development and Longitudinal Studies Group; Mike Cohen, Statistical
Standards and Services Group; Sharon Bobbit, Office of Reform, Assistance, and
Dissemination; and outside NCES: William Velez, University of Wisconsin; Jeff Rodamar,
Office of Policy and Evaluation Services; Delia Pompa, Office of Bilingual Education and
Minority Languages Affairs; Eileen Hanrahan, Program/Legal Team, Office for Civil Rights;
and John Chapman and Tom Corwin, Budget Services, Office of the Under Secretary.
7
A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students
v
Highlights
According to the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey, over 2.1 million public school
students in the United States are identified as limited English proficient (LEP) students.
They account for 5 percent of all public school students and 31 percent of all American
Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic students enrolled in public
schools.
LEP students are concentrated in the West, in urban areas, and in large schools with 750
or more students. Schools with 20 percent or more minority students and 20 percent or
more students receiving "free or reduced-price lunches" are also more likely to enroll LEP
students.
Schools can use a combination of methods to identify LEP students. The most frequently
reported methods are teacher observation or referral, home language survey or assessment,
and previous student record.
Seventy-six percent of public schools with LEP student enrollments provide English as a
second language (ESL) programs, and 36 percent have bilingual education programs.
Bilingual education programs are generally implemented in schools with higher
concentrations of LEP students than in schools with smaller numbers of LEP students.
About one-third of public schools with LEP student enrollments provide both ESL and
bilingual education programs, and 71 percent of all LEP students attend these schools.
Thirteen percent of schools (4,832) enrolling LEP students have neither ESL nor
bilingual programs, and 3 percent of all LEP students (59,373) attend these schools.
Forty-two percent of all public school teachers have at least one LEP student in their
classes. Only 7 percent of these teachers have classes in which over 50 percent of their
students are identified as LEP.
Thirty percent of public school teachers instructing LEP students have received training
for teaching LEP students, and fewer than 3 percent of teachers with LEP students have
earned a degree in ESL or bilingual education.
8
A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students
vii
Introduction
With over 90 percent of recent immigrants coming from non-English-speaking countries, the
United States is becoming a more racially and ethnically diverse society than ever before
(O'Hare 1992; Martin and Midgley 1994). Furthermore, over the last decade, the population
of Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics grew especially fast. Hispanics are the second largest
minority group in the country, with a 1995 population total of 27 million. High levels of
immigration, coupled with a large representation of young people and high fertility rates
among minority groups, will continue the high growth rate of minority populations (O'Hare
1992). Many native born ethnic group members and new immigrants do not speak English at
home.
The growth of the U.S. non-English-speaking population (including both native born and
immigrants) is contributing to the increase in the linguistic diversity of public school students.
According to a 1990 Census data report, 6.3 million school-aged children (5 to 17 years of
age) spoke a language other than English at home, and almost 2.4 million of these children
did not speak English "very well"; this represents a 28 percent increase from 1980 (U.S.
Department of Commerce 1984, 1993). Similarly, a 1994 U.S. General Accounting Office
(GAO) study reported that about one-half of the limited English proficient (LEP) students
come from native born ethnic groups, while the other half are immigrants from many different
cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Further, many of the LEP immigrant students come to
the United States with little or no formal education (GAO 1994).
A large number of non-English-speaking students have low levels of academic performance in
English; dropout rates for these students are also high (Baker and de Kanter 1983; Bradby,
Owings, and Quinn 1992; Bennici and Strang 1995). On average, LEP students receive lower
grades, score below their classmates on standardized reading and mathematics tests, and are
often judged by their teachers as academic "underachievers" (Moss and Puma 1995). Children
with limited English proficiency have unique educational needs. Providing a high-quality
education to those students is an ongoing challenge for the American education system.
The law requires that LEP students be provided effective instruction that (1) leads to the
timely acquisition of proficiency in the English language and (2) provides equal access to the
mastery of the content knowledge and skills that are being taught to all students. The 1968
Bilingual Education Act, an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA), signaled a commitment by the U.S. government to address the needs of students with
limited English skills (Crawford 1989). In 1970, the former Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a memorandum (informally known as the
May 25th Memorandum) that explicitly discussed school districts' responsibilities to provide
equal education opportunities for language minority students, consistent with the Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In January 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Lau v.
9
A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students
I
Introduction
Nichols, upheld the OCR's May 25th Memorandum as a valid interpretation of the
requirements of the Title VI. Furthermore, OCR has continuously brought attention to bear
students with its Strategic Plan (U.S.
upon meeting the needs of language minority
Department of Education 1994; Wilson, Shields, and Marder 1994).
Although Title VII of ESEA provides funds to school districts to help limited English
proficient students that are supplemented with state and local funds, such funding has not
kept pace with LEP student population increases (GAO 1994). For example, the $157
million Title VII appropriation in 1997 is 52 percent less than in 1980 when adjusted for
inflation,' while the number of LEP students increased significantly during the same time
period.
Currently, only limited nationally representative information is available on LEP students and
the services they receive in U.S. schools. This report provides a descriptive analysis of issues
related to teaching LEP students; as such, it focuses on the policies and.practices of public
schools toward LEP students, including screening methods, program support, and teacher
training. The data used are from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), where LEP
students are, defined as those "whose native or dominant language is other than English and
who have sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English
language as to deny them the opportunity to learn successfully in an English-speaking-only
Specifically, the report examines the
classroom" (SASS Public School Questionnaire, 12).2
following questions:
What is the distribution of LEP students across different types of K-12 public
(1)
schools (e.g., school level, size, community type, geographic location)?
What screening methods do public schools use to identify LEP students?
(2)
What proportion of public schools provide (1) English as a second language
(3)
and/or (2) bilingual education programs? What proportion of LEP students
receive various kinds of instruction in public schools?3
What percentage of public school instructors with LEP students in their classes
(4)
have received training in LEP instruction?
' The inflation factor (1.95252) used to convert 1997 dollars to 1980 dollars comes from an
OMB documentation "Deflators for constant prices, fiscal year 1980."
2 This definition emphasizes four factors: (1) LEP students' native or dominant language is a
language other than English; (2) the extent of difficulty with English is "sufficient"; (3) LEP involves
all aspects of language skillslistening, understanding, speaking, reading, and writing; and (4) whether
unequal educational opportunities exist due to linguistic differences.
3 The SASS Public School Questionnaire asked about four types of instruction aimed at:
(1) teaching English to non-English-speaking students; (2) maintaining or improving a student's
fluency in his or her home language; (3) teaching subject matter in the student's home language; and
(4) providing special instruction for limited English proficient students whose educational attainment
is below the level appropriate for children of their age.
10
2 A Profile of Policies and Practices for Limited English Proficient Students