English Learners Are Falling Further Behind In The Virtual Classroom

Speaker 1: 00:00 Recent data released by school districts show that while many students are falling behind during distance learning, English learners are among those suffering. The most KPBS education reporter, Joe Hong spoke to teachers and experts about the struggle of learning a new language in a new country. While schools remain closed, Speaker 2: 00:21 Damian Patterson works with English learners in the Grossmont union high school district. He said, they're in an almost impossible situation. Speaker 3: 00:27 Imagine myself going to another country and having to do what they're being asked to do in Arabic, or having to do that. And Mandarin, I would fail miserably, you know, but that's what they're being asked to do Speaker 2: 00:40 Data compiled by the district show more failing grades across all student groups. But Patterson says English learners are getting D's and F's at disproportionately higher rates than their peers. And it's not just that Grossmont officials at Sweetwater union high school district and Palla unified school districts see similar trends Speaker 3: 00:56 Being in a class, being able to practice that language with your peers and, and have those, those engaging conversations where you're using the language that's by far the best way to learn and to help these students become successful. Speaker 2: 01:10 Educators say this crisis is yet another example of the pandemic amplifying existing inequalities. Jorge clevis Antionne is the district advisor for curriculum and instruction of dual language and English learners at the San Diego County office of education. Speaker 3: 01:25 The students are getting decent apps are probably a symptom of larger issues that are going on for these students and their lives Speaker 2: 01:32 In California's public schools. English learners are more likely to come from low income families and experience homelessness and are less likely to graduate than their peers. Speaker 3: 01:40 A lot of reasons why this category, which has to do with their linguistic background is just one of the many hurdles that they are experiencing when they're trying to get an education, especially Speaker 2: 01:54 That's why one teacher working with English learners says handing out grades to these students is only making things worse. And no Monet is an English language development resource teacher at old tie ranch, high school and the Sweetwater union high school district Speaker 3: 02:07 Unfair because the grades are assuming everyone's internet connection is equal and everybody's home. Life situation is equal and that they have a learning space in their home. And they are, you know, in quiet locations with no other obligations. Speaker 2: 02:24 One Hayes says she's doing our best to help non bilingual teachers work with their students who only speak Spanish, but the virtual classroom puts up significant barriers. Right? Speaker 3: 02:33 Many students have never met me. So when I do reach outreach to them, they don't respond because they don't know who I am. They've never they're new to the school. They've never met me. And so that opportunity is lost on them. Speaker 2: 02:48 And Monet says she often ends up helping both the students and their parents Speaker 3: 02:52 Under normal circumstances. I think one of the biggest challenges for ELD students is that they don't have a strong advocate because their parents are also English learners. For the most part Speaker 2: 03:05 Back in Grossmont, Patterson says radical measures will be necessary to undo the damage the pandemic has done to English learners. Speaker 3: 03:12 I personally feel like we're going to have to go back and start from the beginning. And in most cases, because a lot of these students come to us not being literate or fluent in English or literate in their Elwanda their primary language. And they've had no, no educational access. I guess I'm trying to say since March Speaker 1: 03:32 Joining me is KPBS education reporter Joe Hong, Joe. Welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. Maybe you can give us some background on how English learners are usually taught in San Diego schools. Are they taught in their native languages or in English? Speaker 2: 03:50 Yeah, so it really depends on the student. Um, the category of English learner really encompasses a wide range of students from, uh, students who don't speak any English to students who are sort of on their way there. So for students who don't speak any at all, they're more likely to be in bilingual classrooms where some of the instruction does take place in their native language. Whereas maybe other students who are more advanced in their English will be in the general education classroom. And there'll be paired with students who are maybe bilingual to sort of help them in the transition. So it really depends on the student Speaker 1: 04:29 About what percentage of San Diego unified student population are regarded as English learners. Speaker 2: 04:36 Yeah. So, uh, at San Diego unified, which is the, of course the county's largest, it's about a 20, 21%. And that's pretty consistent with the rest of the County. Typically more affluent areas. You tend to have lower rates of, uh, English learners. And the highest I've seen is an Escondido where, um, about 38% of students are qualified as English learners. Speaker 1: 05:01 How was learning English different for kids when their classes are remote? Speaker 2: 05:05 Yeah. Virtual learning comes with all kinds of challenges for all students, but if you're learning a language or working in a language that you're not comfortable with losing that in person sort of mode of learning is, is extremely problematic because you no longer have the, the body language or the visual cues that are so often helpful when you're, when you are learning a new language in a zoom setting, you're sort of less likely to ask a question if you don't understand something. And you know, when you're learning a language practice is key and in the physical classroom, it's hard enough for certain students to try and answer a question in English, uh, when they're not comfortable with the language, but that gets even more challenging when you're in a, in a zoom setting. Now you're report show highlights, Speaker 1: 05:58 Not only the specific problem of learning a new language remotely, but how the stresses of home life are affecting these kids. Can you tell us more about how their experience of remote learning may be different from more affluent kids? Speaker 2: 06:13 Yeah, so, uh, data from really across the country, uh, show that English learners are more likely to come from low income families. They're more likely to experience homelessness and, um, experienced other traumas. They're also more likely to have to work, to support their families in the economic sort of, uh, consequences of the pandemic as well. So these challenges sort of just add on to the academic challenges of learning a language right now, Speaker 1: 06:45 How are districts reaching out to students and their parents to help them get better grades Speaker 2: 06:51 It's really about being proactive. So I think teachers right now are spending more time than ever, uh, making phone calls, sending emails, and just trying to establish relationships with parents to sort of really get them on board with this and try to get that additional support at home. If there is something going on, uh, you know, in, in, in the home life for these students, teachers are really working to, to address those as well. And just trying to be flexible, um, with their students and their families, Speaker 1: 07:22 Since many students, including the English learners that you're reporting on, have gotten bad grades during this remote learning time. Is there any effort maybe just stop grading kids during this time? Speaker 2: 07:36 Yeah, so I think that's a real challenge because, you know, you got to keep students accountable and motivated and, uh, you're not always doing them a favor when you don't give them grades or go too easy on them. Right. But I think the teachers who work with English learners, uh, they're spoke to, they all seem to grieve that grading these students right now is not the right way to go. A lot of these students don't have stable internet connections. Uh, I mentioned they don't have sort of the stable home lives or the support at home. So these teachers feel like they're, they're penalizing these students, um, and sort of the higher rates of D's and F's, uh, show the lack of grace that these students are being given right now. Speaker 1: 08:18 And is there a concern that this year of remote learning and bad grades may have a lasting effect on some English learner students? Speaker 2: 08:27 So the teachers and educators I've spoken with they're hopeful because we're still just, you know, halfway through the school year and if the vaccine arrives and the pandemic starts to wind down, um, you know, there's still time to sort of intervene and make up for that learning loss to make sure these students don't fall behind in the long-term. But what I can say is that English learner learners tend to graduate at lower rates than their peers, even when things are normal learning, isn't easy for English learners because of all the other things that I mentioned that, uh, they typically experience. So I think as educators really do have reason to be concerned, but it seems like they are, uh, cautiously optimistic about what they'll be able to do in the remainder of the school year. Speaker 1: 09:19 And I've been speaking with KPBS education reporter, Joe hung, Joe. Thank you. Thank you.