Successful Strategies for English Language Learners

Between 1979 and 2008, the number of school-age children (ages 5-17) in the United States who spoke a language other than English at home increased from 3.8 to 10.9 million, or from 9 to 21 percent of the population in this age range, according to the latest figures from the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES). The NCES also reveals that the Hispanic dropout rate is almost twice that of black students and three times that of white students. In 2008, 18 percent of dropouts were Hispanic, while 10 percent were black and 5 percent were white. The future of English language learners' (ELLs) success depends on strong district and community leaders who are willing to push for the best programs to ensure ELLs graduate from high school and have a bright future. Dallas (Texas) Independent School District, Kent (Washington) School District, Tucson (Arizona) Unified School District, San Francisco Unified School District and Washington County (Maryland) Public Schools may not be the only school districts that are doing well with ELL students, but they are school districts that have strategically planned to address the needs of ELL students. Each of the districts has its own approach, and some use a combination of programs. This article describes Kent's sheltered instruction, Dallas' dual language program, Washington County's best practices and Tucson's English immersion program.