Table of Contents

December 2007: Bilingual Education

December 2007: Bilingual Education

Armed with data that illustrate the lagging academic performance of bilingual students, a CPS commission is considering a new approach: Help children build fluency in their native language as well as English.

Cover Stories

A makeover for bilingual ed? CPS is not doing an adequate job of preparing English learners to tackle the same work as their classmates, a new commission says. Meanwhile, these students are facing new assessments under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. But a major overhaul may be in the works.
Bilingual teachers scarce in preschools Getting young children ready for school by exposing them to language, equipping them with reading readiness skills, and instilling a love of exploration and learning is the key to preparing them for school success. But that task is more difficult for youngsters whose native language is not English—because of the lack of bilingual preschool teachers.
A double hurdle for high schoolers Academic progress is often tougher for high school English-language learners, who comprise about 10 percent of all bilingual students in CPS. Educators note that older students face two hurdles: learning to speak a new language while also learning high-school-level academic content.
Teaching kids in two languages Walk into a 5th-grade class at Whittier Elementary in Pilsen and students are reading about the U.S. Constitution and the establishment of democracy—in Spanish. Whittier and a handful of schools use dual language instruction throughout the grades. The goal: Kids who are fluent in both English and Spanish.
New test, more accountability Fewer than 25 percent of bilingual students passed English proficiency tests this year. Educators say more scrutiny will mean better education.

Letter From the Editor Rising to meet the challenge Five years ago, Catalyst Chicago published the last in a series of reports on the struggles and successes of nine African-American and Latino graduates working toward a college degree. This month, we revisit "The College Challenge" to find out what happened to them. Their stories provide real food for thought as the district continues to roll out its High School Transformation Project.

Up Close

The College Challenge revisited: Support, perseverance are key What does it take to get a college education? Six years ago, Catalyst Chicago began to examine that complex question in “The College Challenge,” a series of periodic reports on the struggles of nine black and Latino students from Chicago Public Schools who were aiming to earn a college degree. With this report, Catalyst checks in with five of them to find out what made the difference in helping them surmount the hurdles.

Updates

Schools on the chopping block? CPS officials plan to announce the next round of school closings and restructurings Thursday afternoon. Mayor Daley and Schools CEO Arne Duncan have indicated that the district will close or consolidate as many as 50 underenrolled schools over the next five years.
Ren10 still missing the mark in some communities Chicago Public Schools is closing in on its goal of opening 100 new schools under Renaissance 2010, but almost half of the communities identified as most in need of high-performing schools have yet to get them.
After the fourth round of new schools approved recently under the district’s controversial program, 10 of the 25 “priority communities” identified in a 2004 report by the IFF (formerly the Illinois Facilities Fund) have yet to get the new schooling options they need.
Not just for poor schools anymore The district’s alternative certification initiative has changed dramatically over the last three years: Some programs that worked with CPS have ceased operating or been scrapped, and prospective teachers no longer receive tuition subsidies. But perhaps the most significant shift has been in the district’s mission for the initiative, which CEO Arne Duncan has lauded for bringing experienced career-changers into the classroom.
High schools neglected under NCLB No Child Left Behind is not helping low-performing high schools to improve, a panel of educators said recently. What's needed is more funding and accountability measures that include graduation and college performance rates as well as test scores.
CPS budget hanging in the balance School districts across the state will get $617 million in state aid, after legislators accept the governor's changes to the 2008 budget implementation bill that raises per pupil spending

Q and A

Q&A with Jenné Myers For the last 15 years, Working in the Schools (WITS) has been recruiting volunteers to read with CPS students. Writer Jazmenda McNabb sat down with Executive Director Jenné Myers to talk about the program.

Notebook

Notebook A collection of facts, figures, and news briefs about school reform—both in Chicago and around the country.

Letters From Readers

Collaboration is 'the real story' in Albany Park The education reform leaders of the Albany Park Neighborhood Council feel that the article “Tying Schools Together at the Roots” (Neighborhoods, Nov. 2007) fell short of truly communicating the mission and the work that is being done by a local group of education leaders through the Greater Albany Park Education Coalition.
School violence report needs context I applaud Catalyst Chicago’s coverage of school violence in its October 2007 issue. Having spent many years in and around schools on the West Side, however, I think you failed to provide some critical context.
Pre-k does focus on quality As advocates for early childhood education and care throughout Illinois, we were glad to see David Kirp’s interview by Cindy Richards in the November 2007 Q&A column. We agree with David Kirp that low-quality early childhood programs are not the best use of scarce resources. We wish to address the mischaracterization of Illinois’ early childhood education policies as “promoting quantity over quality.”
WebExtra: Low-income elementary schools most likely to have inferior middle-grades instruction In the November 2007 issue, Deputy Editor Lorraine Forte states in an editorial on page 2 that “the majority of CPS elementary schools are K-8… It just doesn’t work to keep students locked in the one-teacher-for-all subjects, one classroom-all day model.”
WebExtra: McDougal a key CPS partner in improving middle-grades education I am writing to provide further detail on “Building Up the Middle,” (Catalyst Chicago, November 2007). While the reporting and story were comprehensive, providing great detail about the work that is taking place in funding the Cluster 4 Middle Grades Project (C4MGP), one of our key supportive partners was not mentioned.
Low-income Latino students need college prep schools I appreciate the resources Catalyst Chicago devotes to examining the high-school
experience in Chicago. I was glad to see your emphasis on beginning to prepare for high school success before 9th grade (November 2007).