New York: English Learners Left Behind

[Harold Schiffman]

Forwarded From: edling at lists.sis.utsa.edu


Gotham Gazette



English Learners Left Behind



In a city where more than 170 languages are spoken and over a third of
residents are foreign-born, scores of New York public school students
struggle to learn English. They are known as English-language learners
(ELLs), students who speak a language other than English at home and score
below a state-designated level of proficiency in English upon entering the
New York City schools.



These students are far less likely to complete high school than English
speaking students. At a press conference in early August, Mayor Michael
Bloomberg announced in a celebratory tone that the city's four-year high
school graduation has risen to 55.8 percent, while the dropout rate has
decreased to 14.7 percent (This was the first time the numbers included
students who graduated after summer school).



Full Story:

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/immigrants/20080818/11/2614





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Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone: (215) 898-7475
Fax: (215) 573-2138

Email: haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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