Monday, September 26, 2011

English learners more prevalent in rural schools, many of which lack resources to teach them

About 9 percent of U.S. students have limited proficiency in English, but in rural schools the figure is 11 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The number of English-language learners is quite large in some rural districts such as Columbus Community Schools, in the southeast corner of Iowa, where the Hispanic population is 66 percent, Sally Holland of CNN reports.

There is "a difference between a child who can speak general English and one who has the academic English skills required to get through school," Columbus Supt. Rich Bridenstine told Holland. "The English language learners don't have vocabularies big enough to learn at the rate and speed they need to."

Employers like Tyson Fresh Meats' pork processing plant in Columbus Junction employ large numbers of Hispanics. The increase in English-language learners puts a strain on school systems, with rural schools facing the most difficulty, Elena Silva of Education Sector, a think tank in Washington, D.C. told Holland: "They simply don't have the resources, training, funding and infrastructure to support English language learners." (Read more)

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