[lg policy] New York: Addressing criticism from the misclassification of Asian American client as English Language Learning

[Harold Schiffman]

>> AALDEF Commends Iowa School District’s New ELL Classification Policy

Compiled by Beleza Chan

Nation

AALDEF Commends Iowa School District’s New ELL Classification Policy

New York - Addressing criticism from the misclassification of Asian
American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) client Lori
Phanachone as an English Language Learner (ELL), Storm Lake School
District has created a comprehensive new ELL classification policy.
Storm Lake will retroactively apply this new policy, which sets forth
clear steps for identification and classification of ELL students as
well as parental notice, to the approximately 1,000 ELLs currently
enrolled in Storm Lake public schools.
Storm Lake erroneously
classified Ms. Phanachone, a Laotian American student with a 3.98 GPA,
as an ELL without assessing her actual English ability. This spring,
the honors student protested Storm Lake’s faulty classification by
boycotting a yearly ELL test, resulting in a 3-day suspension,
revocation of her National Honor Society membership and
extracurricular privileges, as well as a threat of further discipline.
After AALDEF’s intervention, Storm Lake agreed to reclassify Ms.
Phanachone as English proficient, lift all disciplinary consequences
from her record, and restore her National Honors Society membership.
Lori Phanachone said: “I’m glad my taking a stand has led Storm Lake
to improve its ELL classification policy. Now, other students who were
misclassified under the old policy will have a chance to be
reclassified as English proficient.”

http://www.asianweek.com/2009/06/25/daily-dose-announcements-062509/
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