After searching through different links provide by The National Association for Bilingual Education, I was overwhelmed with various information and articles relating to early childhood and education in general. I decided to focus on a particular link provided that supplied several articles relating to the 'No Child Left Behind' act.
One article that caught my attention does not relate to the NABE and their advocacy for bilingualism, but mentions the students who are left behind when programs do not quite live up to their expected abilities and results. Rubalcava (2004) illustrates one class where the lead teacher posts names of children to have risen to the top in reading and math on a weekly basis and the students participate in "discussions, partner reading, read-alouds, and fact games." Occasional field trips are set up and allotted times of the year are designated for play. This provides structure and benchmarking, making it more streamline for educators and programs to organize and create a cohesive curriculum. However, as Rubalcava (2004) continues, it is clear that students feel stressed and focus on test scores, which is a potential danger of 'No Child Left Behind', thus leaving students with less energy for creativity and intrinsic motivation, which are key roles in a child's development.
Leaving english learners behind (Petersen, 2002) relates to the lack of equity in early childhood education. Petersen explains that the NABE advocates bilingual learning and that Limited English Proficient (LEP) students were exempted from tests and ignored, which creates limitations in accessibility because not all LEP students get the education they deserve when excluded from certain key areas. However, this does not mean that students should be thrown into having standardized English tests where immigrant students (who may have resided in USA for only a week) in states, such as Indiana, would be forced to take tests in a language that they do not understand (Petersen, 2002). Researching these articles have allowed me to gain a better grasp of how many restrictions there are within education and that there are many students that get "left behind" because of increased standards and changes in policies. Even with the constant improvements made within early childhood education, key details are being forgotten, meaning that young children are missing out on proper education opportunities because of factors, such as language barriers or inaccessibility.
Resources
Petersen, B. (2002). Leaving english learners behind. Rethinking Schools. Retrieved from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bushplan/leav171.shtml
Rubalcava, M. (2004). Leaving children behind. Rethinking Schools. Retrieved from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bushplan/leav191.shtml
Nicole, you are very right. In my school/county we have ELL students(English Language Learners). While they are not exempt from our standardized tests, such as MAPS (a computerized test) and other benchmarks given in middle/high school, they are expected to take them, even if they have only been learning English for a day, a week, a month, a year... it doesn't matter. We as teachers struggle with that, because like you said, they are still learning the language, so how can they be expected to take a test that they do not even understand? We always ask, How is that a true authentic assessment of their knowledge if it's not in their home language or they are not receiving assistance in decoding the questions they are being asked? (We are not allowed to help them and they are not allowed to be accommodated by an ELL teacher.) It is very frustrating. So of course, their scores are lower, we are pushed and pressured more to get them to learn, and so the cycle continues. Like you said, they basically get left behind. I get frustrated because I think, just because they do not understand the language, doesn't mean they do not understand what the questions are truly asking. Thanks for the information, it was quite interesting!
ReplyDeleteHi, Nicole.
ReplyDeleteI agree that leaving english language learners behind is directly related to the lack of equity in the early childhood field. The issue of meeting the needs of children and families who have varied native languages is one that requires attention across the nation. As I studied the Early Childhood Australia website, I found out that the Australian child care system is also struggling with the issue of how to meet the needs of immigrant families who speak a different native language. In Australia they frequently get immigrant and refugee families from Sudan, Somalia and the Middle East. It would be interesting to compare the strategies used by American child care providers with the strategies used by Australian child care providers to see what we could learn from each other as both cultures strive towards a more equitable child care system.
It is sad that children are getting left behind because they have limited skills in English. I do feel that we have come a long way in trying to improve on this problem, but it is getting better and I feel that this problem will be remedied in the next five years or so.
ReplyDeleteI feel like requiring non- English speaking children to complete standardized tests are setting them up for failure. I mean, think about it. Most of the English speaking children cab barely get through them. I believe that if state officials took the time out the see how flawed No Child Left behind is, they would change it drastically.
ReplyDelete