Arizona: Schools seek changes to English learning requirement

[Francis Hult]

AZ Central

 

Schools seek changes to English learning requirement

 

Two Tucson area school districts say they can do a better job of teaching English to non-English speakers and they intend to seek alternatives to a teaching mandate from the state Legislature.

 

In 2006, the Legislature mandated that students not proficient in English must be segregated four hours a day to learn English beginning with the 2008-09 school year.

Administrators in the Sunnyside and Tucson unified school districts contend the requirement is unfair, too long and will prevent students from taking other subjects.

Both districts would cut the four hours of immersion to two hours.

 

Called the 2 plus 2 plan, the other two hours would be spent in integrated subjects other than English, where students would learn academic concepts in addition to receiving specialized English support.

 

TUSD currently has about 8,000 English Language Learners students, while Sunnyside has about 4,000.

 

Full story:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/06/05/20080605tucsonschools05-on.html

_______________________________________________
Edling mailing list
Edling at lists.sis.utsa.edu
https://lists.sis.utsa.edu/mailman/listinfo/edling
List Manager: Francis M. Hult