TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Page #
INTRODUCTION	5
PART I: ACCESS, EQUITY AND COMPLIANCE	7
PHLOTE Identification	7
Initial English Language Assessment of PHLOTEs	8
Initial Assessment of SDPEs in the Primary or Home Language	10
Placement of SDPEs in SDPE Instructional Programs	11
TUSD’s Instructional Programs for SDPEs	13
Participation of SDPEs in AP, GATE, and Special Education Classes	20
PART II: ACHIEVEMENT	22
Achievement of SDPEs	22
Letter Grades for Secondary Students	26
Attendance and Promotion Rates	27
PART III: REASSESSMENT AND RECLASSIFICATION	29
CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS	31

TABLES

	Page#
Table 1:    Profile of PHLOTE students in TUSD	8
Table 2:    Initial English Assessment of New PHLOTEs	9
Table 3.    non-english Initial Assessments of New SDPEs	11
Table 4:    Profile of SDPEs in TUSD	12
Table 5:    Bilingual Education Instructional Programs in TUSD	14
Table 6:    English Language Development Programs in TUSD	16
Table 7:    Teachers in Bilingual Instruction and ELDP Education	17
Table 8:    English Development -Individual Education Plan Schools	18
Table 9:    SDPEs Receiving Instruction in Programs for SDPEs	19
Table 10:  Participation of SDPEs and Non-SDPEs in AP Classes	20
Table 11.  Participation of SDPEs and Non-SDPEs in GATE Classes	21
Table 12.  Participation of SDPEs and Non-SDPEs in Special Education Classes	21
Table 13:  Language Arts core curriculum/standards assessments	23
Table 14:  Mathematics core curriculum/standards assessments	25
Table 15:  Letter Grades	26
Table 16:  Attendance Rates	27
Table 17:  Promotion Rates	28
Table 18:  Reassessment and Reclassification of Continuing SDPEs	30

 Bilingual Education Status Report

1998-99

To ensure equal access to public education for students not proficient in English, the Arizona Legislature adopted into law Article 8 of the Arizona Constitution, which was revised to Article 3.1, Sections 15-751 to 15-756. These revised statutes require that all districts in Arizona provide bilingual education or English as a Second Language (ESL) programs or individualized language development plans for students who have limited English proficiency and have a primary or home language other than English. To identify students for placement in these programs, the Law requires the following: identification, assessment, appropriate program placement, reassessment, reclassification, and teacher endorsement.

The Arizona Board of Education supports this law through Board Rule R-7-2-306. Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) addresses bilingual education of all students in Board Policy 6110 and cultural diversity in Board Policy 6112.

This report examines the steps taken by TUSD to provide equal access to education for Students Developing Proficiency in English (SDPE). The report is divided into three parts:

I.         Access, Equity, and Compliance

II.       Achievement

III.      Reclassification

Part I reviews access and equity in two ways: 1) through compliance with the State Law in identifying language minority students, assessing their English and non-English (primary or home language) proficiency, and providing them with appropriate programs of instruction with endorsed teachers; and 2) through participation of SDPEs in Advanced Placement, Gifted an Talented Education (GATE), and Special Education classes.

Part II reviews achievement of SDPEs in the language arts and mathematics Core Curriculum/Standards performance assessments and compares their percent proficiency to that of non-SDPEs, former SDPEs, and TUSD. For secondary students, achievement is also assessed by examining letter grades. The report then compares attendance and promotion rates for SDPEs in 100% compliance, SDPEs not in compliance, students in bilingual education, non-SDPEs, and former SDPEs for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years.

Part III reviews TUSD’s effectiveness in providing reassessments for reclassification and in conducting reclassification of SDPEs for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years.

The report closes with final comments and a summary of recommendations for continued improvement.

To comply with State bilingual education statutes, TUSD has implemented processes for the identification, assessment, and program placement of SDPEs. Part I of this report examines TUSD’s implementation of the following processes:

·         Identification of students having a Primary or Home Language Other Than English (PHLOTE)

·         Initial assessment of new PHLOTEs for English proficiency and for classification of students as SDPEs

·         Initial assessment of newly identified SDPEs in the non-English, primary or home language

·         Placement of new and continuing SDPEs in appropriate programs of instruction

·         Participation of SDPEs in Advanced Placement, Gifted and Talented Education, and Special Education classes.

 

PHLOTE Identification

To identify students who have a Primary or Home Language Other than English (PHLOTE), TUSD parents answer three questions in the District's registration form:

1)    What was the first language the student learned to speak?

2)    What is the language spoken most often by the student?

3)    What is the language most often spoken in the student’s home regardless of what the student speaks?

Parent responses are coded as either “E” for English or “O” for other than English. If the answer to any of the three questions is other than English (“O”), a student is identified as PHLOTE.

 

 

Table 1 below shows a profile of PHLOTE students in TUSD indicating the percentage of Hispanic and non-Hispanic PHLOTEs as reported by parents in TUSD registration forms.

 

The data indicates that from 42 to 43 percent of all students in TUSD report their ethnic background as Hispanic.  It also shows that the vast majority of PHLOTE students (85%) are Hispanic. The PHLOTE population in TUSD is approximately 28% of the District’s K-12 population. For the 1998-99 school year, there was a slight decrease in the number of PHLOTEs and in the percentage of Hispanic PHLOTEs when compared to 1997-98.

 

Initial English Language Assessment of PHLOTEs

In grades Kindergarten and 1st, all students newly identified as PHLOTE must be assessed for English oral proficiency at the time of original registration in TUSD. In grades 2 through 12 new PHLOTEs must be additionally assessed for English reading and writing proficiency. To be in compliance, the above assessments must be completed by December 1^st of the student’s initial registration year or within 30 days of entry for students who register after December 1^st.

Table 2 below shows a profile of the initial assessment of new PHLOTEs.

 

 

For the 1998-99 school year, the PHLOTE initial English assessment data shows that there was a statistically significant increase (z=-11.63 <-1.96, α=0.05) in the number of students tested within the compliance time limit in all grades.

Initial Assessment of SDPEs in the Primary or Home Language

After new PHLOTEs are assessed initially in English, those who score below District standards of proficiency are classified as Students Developing Proficiency in English or SDPEs. Of the 2,990 new PHLOTEs in the 1998-99 school year, 2,154 (72.0%) were classified as new SDPEs. These figures represent an increase in the number of new PHLOTEs as well as of new SDPEs for 1998-99 when compared to the previous year.

For new SDPEs, State Law requires further assessments in the student’s primary or home language whenever qualified testers are available.

Approximately 89% of new SDPEs report Spanish as the primary or home language. For these students, the assessments are done with Spanish versions of the same tests given in English: the oral Language Assessment Scales (LAS) and District’s reading and writing assessments. For the remaining 11% the Bilingual Education maintains a list of qualified personnel who administer the assessments in the language of the student.  The Department also offers oral assessments in the primary language for O’odham and Yoeme students, but the number of students that are tested in these languages is minimal. The compliance time limit is the same as stated for the assessment of English proficiency: All assessments must be completed by December 1^st of the student’s initial registration year or within 30 days of entry for students who register after December 1^st.

The purpose of the primary or home language assessments is to find out how proficient students are in their primary or home language(s) and to assist the schools with placement of students in appropriate programs of instruction.

Table 3 below shows a profile of the initial assessment of new SDPEs in their primary or home language.

 

Table 3 shows that, for the 1998-99 school year, there was a statistically significant increase (z=-4.03 <-1.96, α=0.05) in the percentage of students tested within the compliance time limit in all grades.

Placement of SDPEs in SDPE Instructional Programs

To ensure that SDPEs receive equal educational opportunities, the State requires that they be placed in appropriate programs of instruction. For the two school years of this report, TUSD had approximately 2,000 new SDPEs and more than 9,000 continuing SDPEs who required placement in appropriate SDPE programs of instruction. Placement of SDPEs is done at the school by a team of qualified educators who decide what type of program is appropriate for each student.

Table 4 below shows a profile of all SDPEs in TUSD with respect to ethnicity, place of birth and language, as reported by parents in the District’s Registration Form. This information may be used for making decisions as to which SDPE program type (English/Spanish Bilingual Education, ELDP, or Mainstream with ED-IEP) is best for each student.

*The three language questions are: 1) What was the first language the student learned to speak? 2) What is the language spoken most often by the student? 3) What is the language most often spoken in the student’s home regardless of what the student speaks? There are two possible answers: “E” for English and “O” for other than English.

 

The above profile shows that a great majority of SDPEs are Hispanic. On the average, the majority of SDPEs are also U.S. born. Parents report that approximately 77 percent of SDPEs speak a language other than English and have a primary or home language other than English, and from 15 to 17 percent report English as the language of the student.

 

 

TUSD’s Instructional Programs for SDPEs

 

Federal and State laws require that schools serving SDPEs provide them with a bilingual education or ESL instructional program, or an individual language development plan. TUSD’s programs are in compliance with State law, Arizona Board of Education rules, and TUSD board policies. The District has supported and implemented the following types of programs for SDPEs:

1.      English/Spanish Bilingual Education Instructional Programs

2.      English Language Development Programs (ELDP)

3.      English Development—Individual Education Plan (ED-IEP)

 

Tucson Unified School District currently has 106 schools distributed as follows: 73 elementaries, 18 middle schools, and 15 high schools (not including projects RISE and SLIC, or Teleteaching). For the 1998-99 school year, 42 elementaries, 13 middle schools, and 3 high schools were reported as having English/Spanish Bilingual Education Instructional Programs. Nine elementaries, four middle schools, and five high schools were reported as having English Language Development programs. Students developing proficiency in English who are placed at schools without SDPE instructional programs require an English Development Individual Education Plan (ED-IEP). Fifty-five schools reported having ED-IEPs for their SDPEs.

The Comprehensive Plan for Bilingual Education suggests that English/Spanish Bilingual Education Instructional Programs include the following four components:

1.      Primary language development: English language arts for English Speakers or Spanish language arts for Spanish speakers

2.      Second language development: English as a Second Language (ESL) for Spanish speakers, or Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) for English speakers

3.      Primary language content instruction: Spanish content instruction for Spanish speakers or English content instruction for English speakers

4.      Second language content instruction: sheltered Spanish instruction for English speakers or sheltered English instruction for Spanish speakers and mainstream instruction

English/Spanish Bilingual Education Instructional Programs are open to all students, but priority is given to SDPEs.

Table 5 below shows TUSD’s bilingual education instructional programs and the schools where these programs were implemented for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years.

 

 

For the 1998-99 school year, three schools: Ford and Wright elementaries and Doolen Middle School added bilingual education programs.

The District’s English Language Development Programs (ELDP) are designed to address the needs of SDPEs of several different language groups or of those in any one-language group where the number of students is too small to establish a dual language, bilingual education instructional program. Language arts teachers of SDPEs are required by State Law to have an ESL or bilingual education endorsement. The District additionally requires content area teachers of SDPEs to have an ESL or bilingual education endorsement. In ELDP programs, language arts and content area teachers deliver instruction in English only. All ELDP and dual language bilingual education instructional programs in TUSD include an English as a Second Language (ESL) component.

Table 6 below shows TUSD’s schools implementing ELDP programs for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years.

The data in Table 6 shows that the number of schools implementing ELDP programs remained the same for the 1998-99 school year.

Table 7 below shows the number of classroom teachers and their endorsement status in TUSD for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years.

 

The data in Table 7 indicates that the number of endorsed and non-endorsed teachers in programs for SDPEs increased for the 1998-99 school year.

 

The District’s English Development Individual Education Plan (ED-IEP) is designed to address the needs of SDPEs at schools where the number of SDPEs is fewer than nine per grade and the school does not have a bilingual education instructional program nor ELDP. In these cases, the State requires that each SDPE be placed on an individual education plan. As the name implies, ED-IEPs are instructional plans developed and implemented by teachers for individual SDPEs. The State also requires an ED-IEP for SDPEs when parents refuse bilingual education instruction for their children even though the school may have an instructional program for SDPEs. Teachers implementing ED-IEPs do not require an endorsement. The District provides staff development and support for teachers implementing ED-IEPs.

Table 8 below shows the schools implementing ED-IEPs for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years and the total number of students participating in this type of SDPE instructional program in TUSD.

 

The number of ED-IEPs written and implemented each year varies with need; by itself, the number of ED-IEPS does not provide significant program information. The information given in Table 8, however, indicates that TUSD is providing this option for SDPEs and complying with State regulations.

To determine what percentage of SDPEs are placed in appropriate programs of instruction it is necessary to know the number of SDPEs participating in each type of program. Table 9 below shows the total number of SDPEs active at the end of the year, the number of SDPEs in bilingual education instructional programs, the number in ELDP, and the number on ED-IEPs for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years.

 

School Year	Total active SDPEs at the end of each year	Total active SDPEs in bilingual education instructional programs	Total active SDPEs in ELDP instructional programs	Total active SDPEs on ED-IEPs	Total active SDPEs in all  instructional programs for SDPEs	Percent SDPEs served in instructional programs for SDPEs
1997-98	10,333	6,041	1,334	522	7,897	76.4%
1998-99	10,011	5,978	1,616	435	8,029	80.2%

 

The data shows that there was a statistically significant increase (z= -6.57< -1.96, α=0.05) in the percentage of SDPEs placed in appropriate programs of instruction for the 1998-99 school year when compared to 1997-98.

The lower number of total active SDPEs at the end of the year is due, in part, to the large number of SDPEs that were reclassified as English proficient during the school year.

Participation of High School SDPEs in Advanced Placement (AP), Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) in grades 1-8, and Special Education Classes

 

Placement of SDPEs in AP, GATE, and Special Education classes is another indication of whether or not SDPEs have full access to the curriculum.

The data in Table 10 below shows participation of SDPEs in AP classes compared to that of non-SDPEs.

Year	SDPEs in high school	SDPEs in AP Classes	Percent participation of SDPEs in AP Classes	Non-SDPEs in high school	Non-SDPEs in AP Classes	Percent participation of Non-SDPEs in AP Classes
1997-98	2,758	96	3.5%	16,040	1,672	10.4%
1998-99	2,460	81	3.3%	15,755	1,677	10.6%

 

The data above shows that there was no significant change (z=0.37<1.96, α=0.05) in the percent participation of SDPEs in AP classes for the 1998-99 school year, however, SDPEs continue to be significantly under-represented in AP classes (z=-11.48 <-1.96, α=0.05).

Tables 11 and 12 below show participation of SDPEs and Non-SDPEs in GATE for grades 1-8 and special Education classes for grades K-12 for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years. 

Year	SDPEs in grades 1-8	SDPEs in GATE Classes grades 1-8	Percent participation of SDPEs in GATE Classes grades 1-8	Non-SDPEs in grades 1-8	Non-SDPEs in GATE Classes grades 1-8	Percent participation of Non-SDPEs in GATE Classes grades 1-8
1997-98	7,225	84	1.2%	33,170	1,071	3.2%
1998-99	7,825	275	3.5%	36,465	3,442	9.4%

 

Table 11 shows that, for 1998-99, the number of SDPEs in GATE increased significantly (z=-9.45 <-1.96, α=0.05) when compared to the previous year, however, they were significantly under-represented in GATE  (z= -17.5 <-1.96, α=0.05) when compared to non-SDPEs.

Year	SDPEs in TUSD	SDPEs in Special Education Classes	Percent participation of SDPEs in Special Education Classes	Non-SDPEs in TUSD	Non-SDPEs in Special Education Classes	Percent participation of Non-SDPEs in Special Education Classes
1997-98	11,905	1,502	12.6%	56,654	6,369	11.2%
1998-99	11,486	1,190	10.4%	56,657	5,273	9.3%

 

Table 12 shows that although there was a statistically significant decrease in the percent of SDPEs in special education (z=5.41 > 1.96, α=0.05), SDPEs continue to be significantly over-represented in special education (z=3.51 > 1.96, α=0.05) for the 1998-99 school year.

In this section, the report focuses on achievement of SDPEs in the District’s reading and writing assessments for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years. The report reviews achievement of SDPEs in 100% compliance and compares them to SDPEs not in compliance, to students in mainstream education, and to former (reclassified) SDPEs.

To be in 100% compliance SDPEs must meet the following criteria:

1.         Be placed in a state approved SDPE program (bilingual education or ESL instructional program with an endorsed teacher, or ED-IEP)

2.         Have current (within two years) English test scores for oral, reading, and writing assessments

 

Part II of this evaluation reports on the following:

·         Percent proficiency in Language Arts and Mathematics Core Curriculum/Standards  Assessments of SDPEs, non-SDPEs former SDPEs, and TUSD students in elementary, middle, and high schools

·         Letter grades for secondary (middle and high) SDPEs in 100% compliance, SDPEs not in compliance, non-SDPEs, and former SDPEs

·         Attendance rates for SDPEs in 100% compliance, SDPEs not in compliance, non-SDPEs, and former SDPEs

·         Promotion rates for SDPEs in 100% compliance, SDPEs not in compliance, non-SDPEs, and former SDPEs

 

Achievement of SDPEs

Measurements of average achievement of SDPEs with English norm-referenced, standardized achievement tests, such as the Stanford-9, do not provide a true picture of SDPE’s achievement for two reasons: 1) many SDPEs are exempt from these tests, and 2) SDPEs who score above the 36 percentile are generally reclassified and no longer contribute to the average scores of SDPEs. Therefore, average scores will always remain low, and will not show improvement for SDPEs as a group.

Achievement of SDPEs is best evaluated with the Core Curriculum/Standards Assessments since these assessments are given to students in their dominant language (English or Spanish) and they measure academic ability in language arts and mathematics independent of English language proficiency.

Students receiving instruction in Spanish are assessed with the District’s language arts academic standards and core curriculum assessments in both English and Spanish. Assessment of mathematics ability is done in either English or Spanish depending on the student’s language dominance. The information presented in this report was selected to show the highest ability for each student by choosing the highest score in the language arts assessment when a student was tested in both English and Spanish. 

Table 13 below shows the percent proficiency by grade clusters in Core Curriculum/Standards Assessments for SDPEs, non-SDPEs, former SDPEs, and TUSD in language arts for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years.