Aiming to serve the district's "small but growing" English Language Learner population, a settlement was reached Feb. 1 by the U.S. Department of Justice with Mercer County schools, following an examination to determine whether students were receiving "adequate services."
According to a U.S. DOJ news release, Mercer County officials agreed to set aside funding, resources and time for professional teacher development, English Language Learner materials and translator/interpreter services.
"We've always tried to deliver the best services possible to all of our youngsters," said Deborah S. Akers, superintendent of Mercer County Schools. "With this agreement, it outlines some of the specific reporting mechanisms for the federal government that helps us to make sure we are complying with the many regulations they have."
Before enrolling in an ELL program, students are tested and placed in a level between one and five -- one meaning the student cannot speak English. Services are then provided in a number of different ways. Level 1 students can be placed in all-day English classes with other non-English speakers.
"They have this in big cities where there are a large number of ELL students," Akers explained. "What we have found and what we have pointed out to people at the Justice Department is that the procedure is not one that is working well. Immersion programs work better."
When the DOJ began its investigation into the district's ELL program, there were approximately 16 students, Akers said. Now, there are approximately 26, she added.
"There is one teacher on staff full time and one teacher that had specific training," she said. "The district has contracted with three other teachers who received some additional training."
Akers said initially the DOJ said the amount of ELL students identified was too small for the size of the district.
"They were looking at percentages on a U.S. basis, and in southern West Virginia we have some ELL students but not a lot," she said.
The district then had to send a home language survey to every household in the district. According to the agreement, this survey will be used in the future to identify ELL students.
"Through that process, we only identified about four or five more students that we didn't already have," she said. "That was about six or seven months ago."
Akers explained the district was relying upon teachers to identify ELL students instead of a pen-and-paper format.
"They wanted us to use paper and pencil rather than the method we were using and we agreed to that," she said. "It seemed to be the way we could document the way to identify youngsters."
The agreement additionally set parameters for ELL teachers, stating the district can use a certified language arts teacher for grades 6-12 and a certified classroom teacher for grades K-5.
"One of the issues we've had for a long time is trying to find individuals certified to work with ELL youngsters," Akers said. "In the plan we put together, we put down professional development using teachers working with ELL students and then how they collaborate the services."
As part of the agreement, the district must put together a plan outlining ELL requirements. Akers explained part of the plan will focus on how ELL teachers collaborate with core subject teachers. The plan also focuses on how to identify students who need ELL services.
"Essentially, the plan put into writing was the procedures we already were doing," she said. "We were following the actions, but we didn't have it put together in one place."
Akers stressed that ELL students were doing well in state testing.
"The agreement outlines and gives us a document that tells us what documentation we need to put in place," she said. "It formalizes the process we were using in many instances and formalizes it into a step by step procedure. But our children as a group were doing very well on state test results."
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WVSTATE. All Rights Reserved.