How can we promote inclusion of ELL (English Language Learners)

students, families, and cultures in the Durango 9r school district?

Maya Zarlingo

Senior Project Advisor: Janae Hunderman

Abstract
As immigration and the discussion of diversity becomes more and more taboo in the United
States, it is often times forgotten that diversity exists everywhere, and yet lacks rights and
accessibility to participation in education. In this paper I will be discussing how the Durango 9R
school district can improve English Language Learner (ELL) programs and how ELL parents
may be able to be active participants in their children’s education. This will be primarily focused
on the effectiveness of the dual-language model, and proper teacher training, in addition to the
current state of ELL programs in Durango 9R. Research has proven that the dual-language
model is ideal for both inclusion of students in school, and student connection to cultures and
families in a household environment. In addition, Durango 9R strives to implement a
dual-language model, though it is too resource heavy to implement in a small community such
as Durango. There is a clear indication that administrators and staff are aware of the underserved
ELL program, and progress is being made in attempt to improve inclusion of families within the
district.

12th Grade Humanities

Animas High School
5 March 2018
Zarlingo

Introduction

I’ve been a resident of Durango for close to 25 years. I am consistently underwhelmed by

the Durango Herald’s ineffectiveness at inclusivity as part of the community.

I applaud the Herald for the token articles on, or series, on matters that strike the hearts

of locals when something awful happens. However, I am exceedingly tired of the white

men’s op-eds and travel advisories.

Good gravy, do you really think that’s all who live and travel to Durango? Is no one else

writing in? Is no one else speaking? Is the Herald that white-washed?

Julie Frank

Durango

Julie Frank, a Durango citizen of over 25 years, only begins to break the surface of the issue of

inclusivity. The paper is just the start of the lack of inclusion that we portray as a town. The

Durango Herald is a central source of information, as well as the face of town politics,

demographics and opinions. While it is evident that diversity is lacking in this area, so much so

that it is noticed by residents, the newspaper should be the least of our concerns. Twenty percent

of our population, that is not “whitewashed” is being grossly underrepresented and not just in

the Herald, but for students and families part of the 9R school district, where inclusion is a huge

concern.

Durango diversity is often hidden and we fail to realize the importance of the twenty

percent of Durango that is not white. Though it may sound ignorant, the fact of the matter is that

1
Zarlingo

without this twenty percent the service industry in Durango would not be what it is today. Over

31 percent of the service industry is not white. (Lam) Though this is certainly not the only

reason why ELL families should be acknowledged in our community, it is one that affects every

single Durango resident and visitor.

During my internship with the Durango Adult Education Center, I was shocked to find

that many 9R ELL parents feel as though their children's education is out of their control.

English newsletters, little to no resources regarding news in the school, and with many of the

students whose English is better than their parents, often ELL parents feel isolated and

uninvolved.

In an article written by NEA today, the importance of parent involvement in student’s

education is discussed. It states that,

Ongoing research shows that family engagement in schools improves student

achievement, reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s

education. Students with involved parents or other caregivers earn higher grades and test

scores, have better social skills, and show improved behavior. (Garcia)

It is explicitly clear that parent involvement is crucial in the success of students, as backed by

research based evidence. While it may be lacking in Durango currently, there are many effective

models for improving the quality of parents and culture inclusion within ELL programs.

Therefore, ​through proper teacher trainings and a Dual Language model, we may improve ELL

inclusion in a classroom setting in Durango 9R.

2
Zarlingo

Historical Context and Background

Bilingualism has been around since the beginning of our history, dating back to the

periods of colonization and exploration. However it wasn’t until the early 1600’s that nearly 18

languages were documented to be spoken on Manhattan Island. For this reason, during this time

ELL and bilingual education came into play in terms of the way that education catered to diverse

populations. Bilingual Education was either accepted or rejected according to the dominant

language spoken in each area. Yet, as the US began to grow so did the fear of immigrants or

“aliens.” In 1917, the Americans declared war on Germany, adding to the turmoil of World War

I. Though German was the second most common language spoken in the US, many German

immigrants began dropping their mother tongue as a way of “accepting American values.”

Speaking English became a way to prove that you were not a spy and to show patriotism. Author

Dennis Barron writes,

“ ​The war on language was fought on two fronts, one legal, the other, in the schools. Its

impact was immediate and long-lasting. German was the target, but the other “foreign”

tongues suffered collateral damage. Immigrant languages in America went into decline,

and there was a precipitous drop in the study of foreign languages in US schools as well.”

(Barron)

As drastic as this so​unds, nationwide legislation continued to crack down according to American

politician William Harding, who, “banned the use of any foreign language in public: in schools,

on the streets, in trains, even over the telephone, a more public instrument then than it is today.”

3
Zarlingo

For Harding, the First Amendment “is not a guarantee of the right to use a language other than

the language of this country—the English language.” This act continued all the way into 1923,

until it was thrown out by schools in Ohio and Nebraska. By that time, German language

learning had already had suffered from a substantial loss of students, and interest in any foreign

language was still greatly frowned upon.

However, in the early 1960’s the need for both Bilingual Education and ELL programs

skyrocketed once more in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, as many Cuban immigrants sought

refuge in Florida. Coral Way Elementary School in Dade County, Florida was the national first

to implement a conversational and dual language instruction program since World War I in 1963.

Shortly after, in 1968, the Bilingual Education Act was passed. This bill proposed to “provide

assistance to school districts in establishing educational programs, and support the teaching of

Spanish as a native language, the teaching of English as a second language, and programs

designed to give Spanish-speaking students an appreciation of ancestral language and culture.”

The Bilingual Act is significant in the history of ELL because it provided grants for transitional

bilingual education programs, where full-time instruction was given in both English and a

second language with the goal of achieving competence in English and a second language and

alternative instructional programs in which the native language are not used, but special

instructional services are given in English to achieve competency. (Stewner-Manzanares)

Moreover, the act passed in 1968 very obviously contradicted the banishment of bilingualism

and foreign language.

While historians know that Coral Way was an important step in the development of ELL,

very few understand why and just how it worked. Bes de Farber was a first grader at Coral Way

4
Zarlingo

when this method of learning was very first introduced. In an article written by the University of

Arizona, Farber states, “It wasn’t just about speaking or writing the language, it was about

studying in both languages, it was about making Spanish as equally important as English.”

Her mother, who was from Argentina, helped prevent de Farber from losing her heritage as well

as her native language, just as the Coral Way teachers did.

De Farber continues to state the importance of bilingual education by saying, "After my mother

passed, I lost connection with family in Argentina," she said. "It was through language – reading,

writing and speaking – that I was able to rediscover those relatives. There is no price you can put

on that." (​Everett-Haynes)

De Farber is a perfect example of the success and importance of Bilingual Education. It

was at that point that it became known that there is a real need for programs like the programs

implemented at Coral Way Elementary. Not only was this fact recognized by parents and faculty,

but by students as young as 1st grade.

As mentioned, the Bilingual Education Act was passed in 1968 for immigrants, however,

it was passed under “poverty criterion” and was used for non/limited English speaking children.

Though, with the act being categorized into funding for all marginalized students, under the title

“poverty criterion” it was hard to consider the Bilingual Education Act fully developed. While it

functioned for the time being, in 1984, funding provided by the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act (ESEA) was re-organized into two divisions. In an article providing historical

context as to laws passed to protect ELL, it explains that,

5
Zarlingo

“Title I provides money for disadvantaged students, as well as migrant education

programs. Title II provides block grants to the states under such laws as “Ethnic Heritage

Act” and the “Emergency School Aid Act.” Funding for Limited English Proficient

(LEP) students (another term for ELL), comes from all of these programs to varying

degrees.” (​A Brief History of ESL and Bilingual Education​)

This was pivotal in the evolution of ELL after a Supreme Court arguing the lack of access to

equal opportunity in education in 1974, as it provided funding for materials, instruction, and

resources as a whole. However, it wasn’t until 1998, that ELL truly ‘recovered’ from the travesty

of the 1917 ‘death of language.’ 1998 was a critical year in the development of ELL when

Proposition 227 was passed during the primary election, first in California and eventually

nationwide. Proposition 227 mandated a structured immersion program for ELL students to be

able to actively participate in school and in their environment. However, many academics have

found no evidence supporting that the implementation of Proposition 227 has benefited ELL

students as the Proposition demanded an all English structure.

Research and Analysis

Since the late 1900’s into the early 2000’s, many proposals, models, and curriculums

have changed the face of ELL for the better. For example, the reversal of Proposition 2274

largely attributed to Proposition 57 which passed on November 8th, 2016 and eliminated the

banishment of all English structure in ELL classrooms. It is clear that professionals and citizens

alike agree on the importance of strong ELL programs in schools. As stated by author Gary

6
Zarlingo

Howard, “as diversity grows, so must we.” To put it simply, it is important to have strong ELL

programs implemented in schools because diversity is everywhere. It is important to be able to

serve these students with adequate resources and understanding.

Research favoring bilingual models were done considerably earlier than the bill that

passed in 2016. For example, in 2009, a study was written by three professors from the Texas

Institute for Measurement and the Evaluation and Statistics University of Houston. They worked

to provide the public with instructional models and strategies for teaching English Language

Learners, one of those models, was the Dual Immersion Model. The Dual Immersion Model

focused on bolstering both English and the native language of the student. It is what is

considered an additive approach, in which all students are expected to develop bilingual

proficiency. This approach is also commonly used in monolingual English classrooms to develop

proficiency, like an elementary school Spanish classroom. It is unlikely that you’ll hear the

teacher speaking Spanish for the majority of the class. While this method may not be effective

for English speakers, speaking English in a town with the majority of the population speaking

English, it is effective in the same setting with a non- native English speaker. Research

conducted by NPR confirms that dual- language models not only yields great academic results

but can also promote acceptance, diversity and cultural inclusion (Kamenetz).

To expand on the benefits of the Dual Language Model in terms of inclusion, according

to a study done by Michael Kelley on the use of dual language strategies, “children who

maintain their family language while learning a second language in school preserve connections

7
Zarlingo

to relatives which provides students with love, support, and knowledge. Language also allows for

the transmission of cultural knowledge and strengthens communities. Being immersed in a

bilingual environment also provides opportunities to increase cultural awareness and

understanding.” (Kelley) By fostering a connection to culture and heritage in students through

schooling, there is potential to then apply that to families of the children. Eliana Tardio, a

Family Resource Specialist for the Early Steps program states that, “Education is the key of

success in every aspect of our lives, and culture is no exception. When we educate them on who

we are and where we come from, we empower them as proud Hispanics.” (Benedetti) Though

this may not be a newsletter or a large class celebration, empowering students to be proud is a

large step in the process of inclusion, and therefore in support of the dual-language model.

Although, the Dual Language model is not used in many instances, instead, the Sheltered

Instruction Observation Protocol or SIOP is a model used across the nation. SIOP was, “created

as a means of helping teachers meet the needs of English language learners in the content area

classroom. It's now used to help teachers plan, teach, and reflect on a content-based lesson with

a language and literacy focus.” (​Learn About SIOP​) SIOP emphasises content learning through

language, though it also emphasises sheltered learning. While sheltered instruction (SIOP) may

be necessary for older children, it also is cause for concern, as many children may find

themselves at a disadvantage being pulled out of a standard grade level class.

Many schools currently face a larger issue that leaves little choice between models. It has

come to the attention of professionals in the field that many teachers have inadequate training to

even know how to efficiently serve the ELL population. Maria Miller of Bayfield Elementary

acknowledged the fact that, “Teachers are not as supported to teach ELL as they should be.” She

8
Zarlingo

estimates that “ two thirds of teachers don’t have the practice or skill set to effectively teach, and

there’s no funding to improve it by getting teachers the necessary SIOP training.” Though it was

also found in multiple studies, including a study done by St. Catherine's University, that even

simple inclusion tactics may help ELL students feeling included in the classroom. Inclusion

tactics, such as name pronunciation and encouragement of curiosity, promote a safe, inclusive

classroom and in turn academic success. Though, with little training it is hard to know these

simple facts, let alone how to implement them.

In addition to a lack of training, there is a considerable shortage of teachers sufficiently

fluent in more than one language to be qualified to teach in the Dual- Language model. In 2016,

32 states reported not having enough teachers For ELL students. (Sanchez)

In revisiting the thesis question, you may notice that the focus of this research was done

primarily in regards to inclusion within ELL, specifically in Durango. In conducting interviews

with local professionals in this field, I found that many are concerned with the lack of inclusion

for parents and families in the school district. With 86,500 Colorado students and families having

limited fluency, it leaves many to wonder what the disconnect truly is.

Whether it be an all English newsletter or a class function, many schools are inaccessible

for families of the 296 ELL students in the district. To quote Maria Miller, an ELL specialist and

Spanish teacher from Bayfield Elementary School, on her experiences with the drawbacks of

ELL in Durango, “ One challenge is not seeing their culture represented in the curriculum. If

teachers are not knowledgeable or comfortable enough to represent a culture it could be easy to

9
Zarlingo

misrepresent it. How do you help kids feel connected, seen and recognized when we are all

white?” She continues to speak to the fact that it is difficult to communicate with families.

“We have monolingual moms who’s first language is not English. They want to come in

and help and participate but they just can’t, they don’t know how. Or they send out

newsletters all in English and the information is not being relayed to parents who cannot

read English,” she says.

In conducting an interview with the director of Culture and Equity in 9R, David Tanaka,

it was found that many efforts are being made to include ELL students. The first of which being

the model in which the district currently uses. Contrary to the popular SIOP model, 9R bases

instruction on a model known as the ESL model, as well as using a co-teaching strategy. Using

the ESL model, ELL students have exposure to a normal classroom environment, with support

and a completely sheltered learning environment, otherwise known as the “push-in and pull out”

combination. Tanaka states that the benefit of this model is, “With pull out you can do

individualizing and pull from different language designations, ” Another strength of this model

that Tanaka points out is the benefit of co-teaching. Co-teaching is when,

“ELL teachers plans with classroom teachers to provide an all inclusive lesson, that way

the ELL teacher is able to help with design and the content teacher can benefit from

understanding lesson design that encourages interaction. The ELL teachers are also able

to share expertise on how to reach ELL students while content teachers also share what

content is being taught in class, that way everyone wins.”

10
Zarlingo

However, it was also acknowledged that this model has its flaws. The first point brought up

being the segregation of ELL students from their peers, in consequence of the pull out method.

“Kids are not English Language Learners for only 45 minutes of the day, they are ELL all day,

so how do we make sure they have access all of the time?,” he asks. It is clear that 9R

recognizes the benefits of a dual- language model, and strives to provide students with a

bilingual environment. Upon asking Mr. Tanaka what his thoughts were on the dual- language

model he responded by saying that the dual- language model is the best and most equitable

model, and provides many opportunities for meaningful interaction. The dual- language model is

a sought after model an is acknowledged to be a very resource heavy model to try and

implement. The issue in which may be hard to overcome, is the issue of staffing a fully bilingual

program. In a small community like Durango, Tanaka predicts that there are simply not enough

educators that are fluent enough in a second language to teach in a dual- language school. He

adds that, “ we would maybe get five or six applicants, applying for the same thirty to forty

positions in a school.”

It seems as if Durango 9R hopes to build capacity for all educators to have the skills to

effectively teach a diverse population. As Mr. Tanaka was adamant that, “one thing we know is

that if you take all instruction models and groupings out, put them side by side and nothing

compares to a highly effective teacher. They will get results even when you factor in lack of

access to food, or poverty, or minority.” Although that question remains, what makes an

effective teacher? How do we provide students with a support that outweighs marginalization?

Maria Miller, an ELL expert at Bayfield Elementary, suggests that all teachers should have the

option to have SIOP training at the very least; though with funding standing in the way, she

11
Zarlingo

estimates that about two thirds of teachers do not have sufficient training to provide support for

these students.

Despite best efforts, without the means to provide the best education for the students

within the ELL program, it is hard to turn focus to parental inclusion. Though as earlier stated, it

is a crucial part of a student’s success and should be one of the primary focuses of the school

district. Tanaka prides 9R on asking questions that they haven’t asked in the past, however, to

quote him directly, “It’s funny we are not paying enough attention to family and school

community partnerships, when it’s a powerful and cheap area that we can pay attention to.”

Conclusions

In review, there is more than sufficient evidence supporting the benefits of inclusivity

within school systems, whether that is in terms of the model used or the educator. As a school

district we still lack the ability to provide a well rounded inclusive environment for ELL

families. While lack of resources may be to blame for the lack of implementation of an exemplar

model, such as the dual- language model, there are still many steps that could be put in motion in

order to create a more inclusive bigger picture. To begin, my recommendation would be to

pursue the idea of teacher Maria Miller, and provide teachers with SIOP training, at the very

least. Through budgeting, fundraising, and potential grants, this idea doesn’t seem all that

unachievable. That way, teachers may provide their students with the sense that their educators

are able to empathize with the challenges that ELL students face, which would promote a

welcoming and inclusive environment as a whole. This will also provide teachers with the tools

12
Zarlingo

to provide basic inclusion tactics to ELL students, as previously discussed, which no matter how

small a gesture, may make all the difference.

Realistically, my next steps in effort to better 9R ELL programs are to be in close

collaboration with professionals such as David Tanaka, Maria Miller and other ELL specialists in

town, as this going to be the only way to make real change. Additionally, I strive to reconnect

with the community of ELL parents discussed in this paper. In order to make a change it is going

to be crucial to have advocacy directly from the source of the issue, as they are the only ones

who truly know what they need. It is also necessary to connect with ELL parents directly as it

would provide evidence for further research and validate claims made in this thesis.

Additionally, further research will need to be done in order to prove that the dual

language model is one that is even attainable in a rural area like Durango. In order to reach this

conclusion, it is necessary to understand and research the issue of lack of staffing, as well as how

we would satisfy the needs of students other than English and Spanish speakers.

To conclude, this paper shed light on the fact that, at the very least, the Durango school

district recognize the importance of the diversity that is present in our town, and has made strides

in serving marginalised communities. As Vietnamese monk, ​Thich Nhat Hanh​ once said,

“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.” ​Awareness

is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are

transformed.Awareness is like the sun. When it sh

13
Zarlingo

Bibliography

​A BRIEF HISTORY OF ESL AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION​.

teachingasleadership.org/sites/default/files/.../HistoryofESLandBilingualEducation.doc.

Alrubail, Rusul. “Empathy & Inclusion for ELL Students.” ​Edutopia​, 14 Sept. 2014,

www.edutopia.org/discussion/empathy-inclusion-ell-students.

Baron, Dennis. “America's War on Language.” ​Home​, 3 Sept. 2014,

blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/116243.

Benedetti, Ana Maria. “Raising Children To Be Proud Of Their Roots By Encouraging Latino

Culture At Home.” ​The Huffington Post​, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Aug. 2013,

www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/children-latino-culture_n_3799178.html.

Everett-Haynes, La Monica. “How Coral Way, Florida Made History In Two Languages.”

Https://Uanews.arizona.edu/Story/How-Coral-Way-Florida-Made-History-Two-Languag

es​, 15 Jan. 2008,

uanews.arizona.edu/story/how-coral-way-florida-made-history-two-languages.

Eskelsen Garcia, Lily. “The Enduring Importance of Parental Involvement.” ​NEA Today​, 29 Apr.

2015, neatoday.org/2014/11/18/the-enduring-importance-of-parental-involvement-2/.

Kamenetz, Anya. “6 Potential Brain Benefits Of Bilingual Education.” ​NPR​, NPR, 29 Nov.

2016,

www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/11/29/497943749/6-potential-brain-benefits-of-bilingual-e

ducation.

14
Zarlingo

Kelley, Michael F, et al. “Using Dual Language Strategies in the Early Grades.” ​Helios

Education Foundation​.

Kouakou, Etienne A. “A Short History of ESL/Bilingual Education.”

Https://Www.linkedin.com/Pulse/20140810131928-39092336-a-Short-History-of-Esl-Bili

ngual-Education​, 10 Aug. 2014,

www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140810131928-39092336-a-short-history-of-esl-bilingual-ed

ucation​.

Lam, Bourree. “The Least Diverse Jobs in America.” ​The Atlantic​, Atlantic Media Company, 29

June 2015,

www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/diversity-jobs-professions-america/39663

2/.

“Languages in La Plata County, Colorado (County).” ​Languages in La Plata County, Colorado

(County) - Statistical Atlas​,

statisticalatlas.com/county/Colorado/La-Plata-County/Languages.

Miller , Maria. “ELL Specialist and Spanish Educator .” 29 Jan. 2018.

Moughamian, Ani C., et al. “INSTRUCTIONAL MODELS AND STRATEGIES FOR

TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.” ​Center on Instruction ​.

“QuickFacts.” ​U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: La Plata County, Colorado​,

www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/laplatacountycolorado/PST045217.

Sanchez, Claudio. “English Language Learners: How Your State Is Doing.” ​NPR​, NPR, 23 Feb.

2017,

15
Zarlingo

www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/02/23/512451228/5-million-english-language-learners-a-v

ast-pool-of-talent-at-risk​.

“SIOP - Learn about SIOP.” SIOP Tagline, www.cal.org/siop/about/.

Stewner-Manzanares, Gloria. “The Bilingual Education Act: Twenty Years Later.” ​The National
Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education​, 1988.

Tanaka , David. “Director of Culture and Equity .” 2 Mar. 2018.

Trainers, Inc. TESOL. “The SIOP Trainer.” ​What Is SIOP?​, 1 Jan. 1970,

sioptrainer.blogspot.com/2015/06/what-is-siop_24.html.

16