(03/17/2008 11: ool one Fact Sheet: English Language Learners Stalled on the Slow Lane to Success Who Are English Language Learners? Almost 150,000 New York City school students (14%) ate in the process of leaming English and are classified as English Language Leamers (ELLs); They constitute a sizable proportion of the student population. Thase students come from a variety of backgrounds with a diversity of skis and needs. Students with Interrupted Formal Education, Immigrant Youth, Long-Term ELLs, and Special Education ELLs make up growing numbers of micile and high school ELLS. ELL Students Bring a Wealth of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity to NYC School: Students in New York City come from homes where one ar more of the city's 166 languages are spoken. The vast majority of students and parents in the schoo! system speak Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Russian, Urdu, French or Korean. These students face huge obstacles to academic success: About two-thirds of children who have not yet leamed English are living in poverty, compared to only one-third of English proficient children and their parents are more likely to have had only limited schooling. ELLs who were not born here face additional obstacles: not only must they learn @ new language, but they must also adjust to a new country and school system - ali the while trying to catch up to a moving train and mest promotion ‘and graduation standards. Our public education system is not succeeding with these students: Despite overall gains in graduation rates over the last four years in New York, graduation rates for ELL students, have actually decreased during this time and the gap between ELL students and English proficient students has widened. Clearly, just as ELL students have to work harder, so do we. Barely a quarter (23%) of ELL students graduate NYC high schools in four years~ less than half the rate of English Proficient students. Cohort Membership 2001: 13,111 2002: 11,065 2003; 11,403 New York City Large City Urban: Rural Average Low Total Public Suburban 12001 Coho (2002 Cohort m2003 Cohort] souce: wvSe0 001,200 wt 206 Gaatan Rusts Peseta; Sanne 208+ Only one-tenth of ELLs graduate with a Regents Diploma + In 2007, only 5% of ELL students in NYC met 8” grade English Language Arts (ELA) standards compared with 43% of non-ELL students. This gap has persisted over the past eight years, + ELL enrollment rates swell in 9" and 10" grade due to increases in immigrant student enrollment in those grades; however, by the 11” grade, nearly half of ELLs disappear from ‘school rosters. These students likely dropped out or were pushed out of school into GED programs. SURE O Closing the ELL Gap in NYC Schooks ? NYC four-year gracuotion roles for English NYSELA Scores - Levels 38.4 longuoge leainers, classes of 2005-2007 (Grades 38) 100 m aa Hh Ge gan ce | won [J Regents odin ote Percent prodwating 20 27 20 -— 10 I ol eaaat 2005 2007 SOURCE: NYCBOE. Rerooxch and Poscy Sup. = mor 00 Bett Group. Godkoten Reto Clos of 2002 ESHER (2002 Coren) August 11, 2508 [Gerais Langue Learners Ergish Proficion Suserts| scr a Eason Jute oaring lo Hetate Fotrsy 208 ‘Sours Fist Ress of NYS Math and ELA Tess (Grades 3): Reales by Eghsh TanguagePofiseny, NVC DOE, Sameer 208 Percent of ELLs by Program Enrollment, 2002-2008 | 2002-03 2003.08, 2005-05 2006-07 2007-08 di [~ Se | 3 TransionalBitnguat Education A Dua Language {suc How York C's El Lonnage Lares Demegrephie Dna, NYE DOE Oe of ELLs, Spring 208 100/T00oR Ya 69:11 6002/!1/¢0Appendix 1. Number of ELLs by Grade, 2002-2007 ESI6 ATE), 23 4000 oc 62 aD 22 7 8 § ” 4 i Th grade é Grades neat Soy. of EUS Areéa fear