Annual Report of
Delaware’s English Language Learners,
Staff, and Programs
Delaware Department of Education
2011 - 2012
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Lillian Lowery, Ed.D.
Secretary of Education
Daniel Cruce, Esq.
Deputy Secretary / Chief of Staff
Amelia Hodges, Ed.D.
Associate Secretary of Education
College and Workforce Readiness
Linda Rogers, Ed.D.
Associate Secretary of Education
Teaching and Learning
Karen Field Rogers
Associate Secretary of Education / Chief Financial Officer
Financial Reform and Resource Management
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street
Suite #2
Dover DE 19901
Doc. No. 95-01/11/07/02
The Delaware Department of Education is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age or Vietnam Era veteran’s status in employment, or its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies should be directed to: Director of Human Resources and Quality Management, Delaware Department of Education, 401 Federal Street, Suite 2, Dover, Delaware 19901, (302) 735-4000.
Annual Report of
Delaware’s English Language Learners,
Staff, and Programs
Delaware Department of Education
2011 - 2012
For further information, please contact:
Terry Richard, Education Associate
Bilingual/ESL/Migrant Programs
Exceptional Children Resources
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 735-4210
Fran M. Purnell, Education Specialist
Data Manager
Curriculum Development Workgroup
Delaware Department of Education
401 Federal Street, Suite 2
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 735-4244
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 1
Background 1-2
Data Sources, Purpose, Design, and Guiding Questions 2-4
Delaware Student Population 5-6
Findings ……….7-22
Summary...... 23 -25
Appendix A ………………..……………………………….….……………………… 26
iii
Introduction
This report provides information on English Language Learners (ELLs) previously known as Limited English proficient (LEP) students, staff, and programs in Delaware schools. ELLs are identified through a home language survey and an English proficiency assessment. The focus of this report is on data that is entered into the Delaware Department of Education’s (DOE) ELL webpage in the Delaware Student Information System (DELSIS) database.
The following section of the report provides some background information, and is followed by the data sources, purpose, design, and guiding questions that structure the report. Later sections of the report describe the Delaware student population, findings, conclusions, and some general implications based on these findings and conclusions.
Background
An ELL student, as defined by the U. S. Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for ELLs is:
A. An individual who:
1) was not born in the United States OR whose native language is a language other than English, and comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; or
2) is a Native American or Alaskan Native or who is a native resident of the outlying areas and comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on such individual’s level of English language proficiency; or
3) is migratory and whose native language is other than English and comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and
B. An individual who:
1) has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language and whose difficulties may deny such individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English or to participate fully in our society.
The number of students from non-English language backgrounds is a rapidly growing segment of the United States K-12 student population. These linguistically and culturally diverse students present a new challenge for our education system; that is, the challenge of enabling linguistically diverse students, from a wide variety of cultural heritages, to achieve the same challenging content and performance standards as English-proficient students.
This report documents Delaware school districts’ ELLs, instructional programs, and staff information during the 2011-2012 school year. It also includes a summary of performance on the Delaware State Testing Program (DCAS) for ELLs.
Data Sources, Purpose, Design, and Guiding Questions
A brief description of the data sources, purpose, design, and guiding questions that structure the report follows.
Data Sources
The data collected on ELLs, as well as teachers providing ESL and bilingual instruction are based on seven areas: 1) student background, 2) type of instruction, 3) other services received, 4) entry ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State) results, 5) ACCESS annual test data, 6) English proficiency level, and 7) transition information. These data are to be entered electronically directly into DELSIS. Electronic updates are to be done throughout the school year as changes occur. For the 2011-2012 school year, 19 school districts and 22 Charter schools identified ELLs. Descriptive data regarding ELLs (see Guiding Questions 1-3 below) and the students’ transition to full English proficiency (see Guiding Question 5 below) is based on a snapshot of all ELLs enrolled as of April 30, 2012.
The data regarding teacher certification are entered directly into DELSIS by each district and charter school. (See Guiding Question 4 below).
DCAS data (see Guiding Question 6 below) reflect the performance of ELLs for the DCAS test administration (Reading and Mathematics in spring 2012 for grades 3-10; Science in fall 2011 for grades 5, 8, and 10; and Social Studies in October 2011 for grades 4 and 7)..
Finally, summary enrollment data shown on page 5-6 reflects the April 30, 2012 enrollment count..
Purpose
The purpose of this annual report of ELLs, staff, and programs, is threefold. First, documentation, analysis, and reporting of ELLs, staff, and programs are required by state and federal regulations. Second, these findings inform the Delaware constituency on demographics and instruction provided to ELLs. And third, the report provides districts and schools with information to support their planning and ongoing decision-making on issues related to ELLs, thus enabling them to be proactive in meeting these students’ needs and providing them with the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where instruction is in English.
Design
The data were summarized to describe ELLs, staff, and instructional programs both within Delaware school districts, charter schools, counties, and statewide. In addition, the results of the DCAS were examined to compare academic outcomes of ELLs and non-ELLs.
Consistent with the state’s emphasis on meeting state standards, the DCAS data are reported here as the percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards[1], which tell how well ELLs are performing relative to the state’s content standards in that subject area. DCAS scores are aggregated statewide rather than by district as, in most cases, the ELL groups tested in the district were below the minimum N of 15 for reporting.
Guiding Questions
A number of guiding questions were used to structure the report; five of these questions were descriptive and two addressed ELL student outcomes.
Descriptive Questions
Questions one and two address the ELL student population.
1. Was there a change in the reported number of ELLs being served by Delaware school districts and counties, from 2010-2010 TO 2011-2012?
2. What are the characteristics of the ELLs being served in Delaware school districts (i.e., grade levels, languages spoken) and how do they compare to the previous year?
Question three addresses ELL student instruction.
3. What type of instruction did ELLs receive?
Question four addresses teacher certification.
4. Did the school districts assign ESL and/or bilingual certified teachers to instruct ELLs?
Outcome Questions
Question five addresses the transition[2] of ELL students.
5. Was there a change in the reported number of ELLs being transitioned to Level 6 “Reaching” during the 2011-2012 school year, when compared to the previous school year?[3]
Question six addresses ELL’s student academic performance.
6. To what extent do ELLs meet or exceed the standards on the DCAS assessments?
The 2011-12 Delaware Student Population
The following section of the report disaggregates Delaware student enrollment by grade, by county, and by race/ethnicity. These numbers are as reported on April 30, 2012. They are included here for reference as they are used in comparisons in later sections of the report.
The growth in the ELL population for the state and counties since 1992 was as follows:
• The number of ELLs has increased dramatically since the 1991-1992 school year.
The Delaware student enrollment, including both regular and ELL students, for 2011-2012 was as follows:
Enrollment / ELLs as aGrades / All Students / ELLs / Percent of Total
Number / Percent / Number / Percent / Enrollment
Pre-K & K / 11,895 / 9.17 / 1,412 / 19.87 / 11.9
1-3 / 30,549 / 23.56 / 3,234 / 45.52 / 10.6
4-8 / 49,387 / 38.08 / 1,589 / 22.36 / 3.2
9-12 / 37,852 / 29.19 / 870 / 12.24 / 2.3
Total / 129,683 / 100.00 / 7,105 / 100.00 / 5.5
· The percent of ELL’s total enrollment was highest in the early grades and steadily decreased throughout the later grades.
The Delaware student enrollment, by county, for 2011-2012, was as follows:
County / Enrollment / ELLs as a(Number of / All Students / ELLs / Percent of Total
districts) / Number / Percent / Number / Percent / Enrollment
New Castle (6) / 67,602 / 52.13 / 4,361 / 61.38 / 6.5
Kent (6) / 27,952 / 21.55 / 878 / 12.36 / 3.1
Sussex (7) / 24,011 / 18.52 / 1,689 / 23.77 / 7.0
Charter (22) / 10,118 / 7.80 / 177 / 2.49 / 1.7
Total (41) / 129,683 / 100.00 / 7,105 / 100.00 / 5.5
· Sussex County had the highest percent of ELLs as percent of total enrollment at 6.7%.
The Delaware student enrollment, by race/ethnicity, for 2011-2012, was as follows:
Enrollment / ELLs as aRace/Ethnicity / All Students / ELLs / Percent of Total
Number / Percent / Number / Percent / Enrollment
American Indian / 616 / 0.49 / 26 / 0.38 / 4.22
Asian American / 4,482 / 3.54 / 758 / 10.99 / 16.91
Hispanic / 17,200 / 13.59 / 5,272 / 76.41 / 30.65
Black/African-
American / 41,374 / 32.69 / 654 / 9.48 / 1.58
Caucasian / 63,678 / 50.31 / 360 / 5.22 / 0.57
Hawaiian / 67 / 0.05 / 17 / 0.25 / 25.37
Multi / 2,266 / 1.79 / 18 / 0.26 / 0.79
Total / 129,683 / 102.45 / 7,105 / 102.97 / 5.48
• Among Hispanic students enrolled in 2011-2012 nearly 33% were ELLs.
Findings
The findings presented in this section relate to each of the seven guiding questions previously cited.
Question 1: Was there a change in the reported number of ELLs being served by Delaware school districts and counties, from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012?
Table 1 presents the reported number of ELLs enrolled during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years, ELLs as a percent of total enrollment, and the number and percent change in the number of ELLs from year-to-year. As indicated in the table:
• There were 7,105 ELLs reported being enrolled and served in Delaware school districts in 2011-2012.
Overall, there was a 1.9% increase, from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012, in the number of ELLs reported enrolled and served by Delaware school districts
Table 1. Reported number of ELLs enrolled in and served by Delaware districts by English Proficiency Level - 2011-2012.
Number andStudents / 2010-2011 / 2011-2012 / Percent Change
+/- / %
Level 1 - Entering / 667 / 711 / 44 / 6.6%
Level 2 - Beginning / 721 / 635 / -86 / -11.9%
Level 3 - Developing / 1,818 / 1,980 / 162 / 8.9%
Level 4 - Expanding / 2,120 / 2,104 / -16 / -0.8%
Level 5 - Bridging / 1,395 / 1,315 / -80 / -5.7%
Level 6 - Reaching / 252 / 360 / 108 / 42.9%
Unknown / 1 / 0 / -1 / -100.0%
Total / 6,974 / 7,105 / 131 / 1.9%
Table 2 presents a summary of the number of ELLs in 2010-2011and 2011-2012, by district and county, along with the change from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012. As the table illustrates:
· In 2011-2012, New Castle County reported 4, 361 ELLs, a decrease of -2.3% from 2010-2011. Appoquinimink reported a decrease (-26), Brandywine reported a decrease (-1), Christina reported a decrease (-67), Colonial reported a decrease (-64), New Castle County Vocational/Technical reported an increase (+30) Red Clay reported an increase (+26).
· In 2011-2012, Kent County reported 878 ELLs, an increase of 4.8% from 2010-2011. Two out of six districts reported increased in the number of ELLs: Capital increased by (+39), and Milford increased by (+23). Three out of six districts reported a decrease in the number of ELLs: Caesar Rodney reported a decrease (-8), Lake Forest reported a decrease (-8), and Smyrna reported a decrease (-6).
· In 2011-2012, Sussex County reported 1,689 ELLs, an increase of 6.8% from 2010-2011. Two districts reported decreases in the number of ELLs: Cape Henlopen (-13), and Delmar (-1). Four districts reported increases in the number of ELLs: Indian River (+102), Laurel (+12), Sussex Tech (+1) and Woodbridge (+6).
· In 2011-2012, Charters reported 177 ELLs, with 9 charters reporting increases: Las Americas ASPIRA Academy reported an increase of (+63), Campus Community reported an increase of (+1), Delaware Academy of Public Safety (+4), Family Foundation reported an increase of (+5), Gateway Lab reported an increase of (+1), MOT reported an increase of (+3), Newark reported an increase of (+ 17), Pencader Charter reported an increase of (+4)and Odyssey reported an increase of (+ 1), and Pencader reported an increase of (+8), and Reach reported an increase of (+1). Three charters reported a decrease: Academy of Dover and Providence Creek reported decreases by (-1) student and Thomas Edison reported a decrease of (-2) in the number of ELL students.
Table 2. ELLs by District and County- 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.
No. of ELLs / Number andDistrict / Percent Change
2010-2011 / 2011-2012 / +/- / %
New Castle County
Appoquinimink / 155 / 129 / -26 / -16.8%
Brandywine / 367 / 366 / -1 / -0.3%
Christina / 1,293 / 1,226 / -67 / -5.2%
Colonial / 989 / 925 / -64 / -6.5%
NCC VoTech / 42 / 72 / 30 / 71.4%
Red Clay / 1,617 / 1,643 / 26 / 1.6%
Total New Castle County / 4,463 / 4,361 / -102 / -2.3%
% of NCC Total Enrollment* / 6.6% / 100.0%
Kent County
Caesar Rodney / 148 / 140 / -8 / -5.4%
Capital / 252 / 291 / 39 / 15.5%
Lake forest / 58 / 50 / -8 / -13.8%
Milford / 311 / 334 / 23 / 7.4%
Polytech / 0 / 0 / 0
Smyrna / 69 / 63 / -6 / -8.7%
Total Kent County / 838 / 878 / 40 / 4.8%
% of Kent Total Enrollment * / 3.0% / 100.0%
Sussex County
Cape Henlopen / 203 / 190 / -13 / -6.4%
Delmar / 5 / 4 / -1 / -20.0%
Indian River / 764 / 866 / 102 / 13.4%
Laurel / 97 / 109 / 12 / 12.4%
Seaford / 351 / 351 / 0 / 0.0%
Sussex Tech / 1 / 2 / 1 / 100.0%
Woodbridge / 161 / 167 / 6 / 3.7%
Total Sussex County / 1,582 / 1,689 / 107 / 6.8%
% of Sussex Total Enrollment* / 6.6% / 100.0%
Charter
Academy of Dover / 5 / 4 / -1 / -20.0%
Aspira / 0 / 63 / 63
Campus Community / 8 / 9 / 1 / 12.5%
Delaware Academy of Public Safety / 0 / 4 / 4
East Side / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0.0%
Family Foundation / 12 / 17 / 5 / 41.7%
Gateway Lab / 0 / 1 / 1
Kuumba / 3 / 3 / 0 / 0.0%
MOT / 9 / 12 / 3 / 33.3%
Moyer / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0.0%
Newark / 34 / 42 / 8 / 23.5%
Odyssey Charter / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0.0%
Pencader Charter / 7 / 11 / 4 / 57.1%
Providence Creek / 4 / 3 / -1 / -25.0%
Reach Academy / 1 / 2 / 1 / 100.0%
Thomas Edison / 5 / 3 / -2 / -40.0%
Charter Total / 91 / 177 / 86 / 94.5%
% of Charter Total Enrollment* / 0.9% / 100.0%
State
TOTAL STATE / 6,974 / 7,105 / 131 / 1.9%
% of Total Enrollment / 5.4% / 100.0%
* based on county/charter enrollment