[lg policy] Fluency in English Unnecessary to Graduate in Oregon

[Harold Schiffman]

Fluency in English Unnecessary to Graduate in Oregon
By Mary Ann Zehr

The Oregon board of education voted last week to permit some
English-language learners to get a high school diploma even if they
aren't fluent in English. The policy enables students to graduate if
they can read and write well in their native language and score 3 out
of 5 on the state's English-language-proficiency test, according to an
article in the Democrat Herald published in Albany, Ore. That's an
English-proficiency score needed for admission to a community college,
says Tony Alpert, the testing director for the state department of
education, in the article. (Update: The article is actually a rewrite
of a story originally published in the Oregonian by Betsy Hammond.)

The policy brought up for a vote is posted on the state board's Web
site. It says the option of demonstrating proficiency in one's home
language instead of English is available only to students who have
been in the United States for five or less years. Students can show
they have a command of their native language on "statewide or local
assessments as appropriate and available," according to the policy.

The document describes the policies of several states for providing
diplomas to English-learners (scroll to the end). In New Mexico, for
instance, ELLs don't have to be fluent in English to get a high school
diploma. They can take the state's high school exit exam in Spanish or
English. School districts can also ask for translations in other
languages of all parts of the exit exam except the reading section.
The reading part is available only in Spanish and English. In
addition, ELLs may request a waiver from the exit exam.

I know that's not the case in California, which has the most ELLs of
any state. In that state, ELLs must pass the exit exam in English.
I've reported previously on some ELLs who couldn't graduate because
they couldn't meet that bar.

In New York state, ELLs must pass the English/language arts high
school exit exam in English to graduate, though exit exams in other
subjects are available in five other languages. I've met students in
New York who passed the state's English-language-proficiency test, but
didn't pass the English exit exam.

Do ELLs have to be fluent in English in your state to get a high
school diploma? Do you think they should have to show a command of
English to graduate?

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2009/12/oregons_students_dont_have_to.html
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