High school helps Spanish-speakers adjust

Tue Dec 2 16:42:23 UTC 2003

>>From the Philadelphia Enquirer, Posted on Fri, Nov. 28, 2003

High school helps Spanish-speakers adjust

A class and an advocacy program are designed to fulfill the academic and
social needs of students at Cherry Hill (NJ) West.

By Kristen A. Graham, Inquirer Staff Writer

CHERRY HILL - Last school year, Lorena Mejia had a roster full of regular
classes, no idea what a GPA was, and no knowledge of how to make her
desire to go to college a reality. Now, the poised 17-year-old junior at
Cherry Hill High School West is thriving in honors courses, can list
leadership seminars on her resume, and knows what to do to catapult
herself into the world of higher education.

The difference, she said, is something that started as a class and
blossomed into a program to help the district's burgeoning Hispanic
population navigate its way through an affluent suburban school district.
"Now I'm pushing myself," Mejia said. "I want to do more, and now I know
how to do it." Reaching out to West's rapidly growing Hispanic population
has yielded gains across the board. As a result of the advocacy program,
64 percent of the more than 70 participating students raised their GPA.
Twenty-two students are taking higher-level courses, including Advanced
Placement and International Baccalaureate classes. Almost every student is
involved in extracurricular activities, a marked difference from previous
years.

It began when one of Rosario Casiano's students, a native Spanish speaker
enrolled in one of her regular Spanish classes, came to the teacher in
frustrated tears. "He said: 'I can't do this. It's so boring,' " she said.
"I knew it was time to do something." Casiano, who has taught world
languages in Cherry Hill for six years, has watched as the school's
Hispanic population surged from fewer than 20 students in 1998 to more
than 70 this year.

She approached West and district administrators, and their enthusiasm
inspired her to begin a Spanish for Heritage Speakers class in September
2000. The class, open to students who speak Spanish at home, continues
this year. Casiano also has started a Hispanic Student Advocacy Program,
which serves all students, not just those in the class. "It helps your
aspirations a lot," student Ruth Rivera said this week during a pause from
Casiano's class. "You know if you need help, it'll be there. It helps you
not only academically, but socially, and mentally."

Rivera, a 16-year-old junior, said she likes living in the suburbs. But
even in a relatively diverse district such as Cherry Hill, looking down a
hallway and seeing so many people who have grown up in different
circumstances is overwhelming, she said. The majority of Casiano's
students were born elsewhere - either in other U.S. cities or in Hispanic
countries - and moved to Cherry Hill recently.

"Here, you learn about being Hispanic in the U.S.," Rivera said of the
class and the program. "For the first time, we understand our situation a
little better. This is an extra lift." Damaris Suero, a 16-year-old
junior, nodded. "Before, Hispanics weren't really connected. They didn't
know about their community," Suero said.

The academic component is strong, too, students said. They have spoken
Spanish all their lives, but many lack skills that would allow effective
communication in professional settings. "Other classes just learn
Spanish," 14-year-old freshman Nidia Gonzales said. "We get into more
details - learn about our culture, about artists and important people."
Sitting in a room decorated with Salvador Dali prints, student projects,
and paper stars dangling from the ceiling, Casiano's students were engaged
and polite this week, speaking in easy, rapid Spanish.

Seventeen students laughed, eager to exchange ideas about who would bring
what dish and whose parents would attend a Latin culture night in
December. Casiano held up a flyer that would be sent out to families.
"Esta en espanol y en ingles," she said. Reaching out to parents is an
important part of the advocacy program. In her new role as Hispanic
Student Advocate, Casiano regularly calls parents and writes them in
Spanish.

When she began phoning parents this summer, she budgeted 20 minutes
maximum for each conversation. What she found opened her eyes, she said.
"It ended up being an hour for every call," said Casiano, who earned a
master's degree at Villanova University and is studying for her doctorate.
"They had all these questions - they wanted to know about the school,
about the programs, about who to call for what." Even with the many
successes, Casiano admits there have been trying times.

In her native Puerto Rico, Casiano was trained to teach Spanish to native
speakers. When she moved to the United States, she learned how to teach
the language to non-Spanish speakers. So creating her class from scratch
was a big leap. "Many days, it was a disaster," she said. "I was putting
all my efforts into Spanish and missing the big picture."

The big picture, she said, was a group of bright, motivated students who
did not know how to do many things their peers did easily. But with the
help of her West colleagues and phone calls to teachers in Florida, where
programs for heritage speakers are prevalent, she made her way through.
And now, in addition to focusing on the language, students attend
workshops on everything from calculating GPAs to giving PowerPoint
presentations. The class has traveled to Temple University and will take
more trips during the school year.

Organizing such outings helps, but much of her work is listening, Casiano
said. She helped Mejia, for instance, decide to double up in science this
year.  Mejia is taking French and will sit for the Advanced Placement exam
for Spanish. "The second day of school, she came to me and said: 'Senora,
I'm so scared.  I don't know if I can do it,' " Casiano said. So she
talked to Mejia's teachers, explained her situation, and has watched as
Mejia thrived.

It is not about carrying her students, Casiano said. It is about
supporting them and showing them the opportunities available to them.
"Only 11 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. have a college degree," Casiano
said. "I say: 'Do you want to be part of the 11 percent, or part of the 89
percent?' "

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Contact staff writer Kristen Graham at 856-779-3927 or
kgraham at phillynews.com.

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