Working Together Is Key To Inclusion

Providing adequate resources to support English language learners in mainstream classrooms is an important component of the Inclusion Model, say Howard DeLeeuw and Susan Stannard.

A third essential component in this four-part series on inclusion (for the first two parts, see American Language Review, January/ February & March/April 2000) is ensuring that adequate resources are in place for supporting English language learners in mainstream classrooms. These resources consist primarily of personnel, such as ESL teachers, tutors and bilingual specialists, forming the basis of support for grade-level teachers and other educational staff, in meeting the needs of English language learners in an inclusion setting.
Culturally and linguistically diverse students are protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as other relevant decisions impacting their education. These protections are enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which does not mandate the type of program a district adopts, but rather evaluates a district’s program based on the following criteria:

• Is the program based on educational theory recognized as sound by at least some experts in the field?
  
• Are the programs and practices, including resources and personnel, reasonably calculated to implement this theory effectively?
  
• Does the school district evaluate its program and make necessary adjustments to ensure language barriers are actually being overcome?

The second of these criteria relates directly to the need for adequate resources in an inclusion model. Equal access to education for English language learners does not automatically ensure equitable opportunities for success. The U.S. Department of Education’s Policy Memorandum from May 25, 1970, which was later affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Lau v. Nichols, in 1974, states: "Where the inability to speak and understand the English language excludes national origin minority group children from effective participation in the education program offered by a school district, the district must take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency in order to open its instructional program to these students" (January 29, 1998 Guidance Memorandum, http://www.hhs. gov/progorg/ocr/lepfinal.htm#ensure)

Inclusion is based on the premise that the best English language learning environment is in age-appropriate, grade-level classrooms. However, it is simply not enough to put English language learners in this mainstream environment, unless the "affirmative steps" called for in the May 25th memorandum are in place.
One of the most important steps in opening the instructional program to English language learners is to provide tutors and bilingual specialists, who form the backbone of ESL support in an inclusion model. Their primary role is to promote English language development through the following means:
Limited pullout of newly-arrived non-English speaking (NES) students: In Spokane Public Schools, an NES curriculum focusing on basic survival vocabulary has been created. Students are pulled out for up to three hours a week, not to exceed one semester.

In-class support, through modification of grade-level curriculum: This is intended for students who have completed the NES curriculum or who have a higher proficiency in English. ESL support staff assist students, 1 to 3 hours a week, in completing classroom tasks at a level commensurate with their English language proficiency.
Ongoing collaboration with teachers in monitoring student progress and suggesting appropriate modifications of grade-level curriculum.First-language support for communication between school and home (i.e. parent-teacher conferences, open house, emergencies, etc.), through the use of bilingual specialists and translated documents.

Due to the large number of languages typically represented in a district and the focus on English language development, bilingual specialists do not instruct students in the first language, but instead use English to teach English, as the tutors do, and therefore work with all ESL students. For example, the ESL population in Spokane Public Schools is currently composed of 36 different language groups. A school district should make every effort to find qualified interpreters for home-school communication, and make use of translated documents to inform the ESL community about essential school information, such as early release days, open house, parent-teacher conferences. It may not be feasible to employ bilinguals for every language group, either if the applicant pool is limited or the size of the language group does not warrant a full-time bilingual specialist. The Office for Civil Rights does not support the practice of depending on family members, friends, or other ESL students to serve as interpreters, since this could lead to a breach of confidentiality or place interpreters in a context beyond their language abilities, either in English or the first language or both. Successful inclusion occurs when there is a combination of first-language support to link the home with the school and tutor support to assist in the development of English language proficiency.

A final, crucial resource in meeting the needs of English language learners is the ESL endorsed, certificated teacher. This teacher not only works with ESL students, but has additional responsibilities, such as scheduling tutors and bilingual specialists, working directly with principals, and facilitating collaboration between ESL and other educational staff. It is through collaboration, ongoing staff development, parental involvement, and the sharing of resources that opportunities are created for all students to experience success.

Howard De Leeuw, Ph.D., Susan Stannard, M.A., ESL Facilitators, Spokane Public Schools.