E Pluribus Unum, on U.S. coins is Latin for “out of many, one.” Part of America’s national identity has been connected to the use of one language. Immigrants from many lands and language groups have assimilated into the United States. Learning English has been a large part of that process. New education legislation, passed in 2015, requires schools to test certain students in other languages, if they accept federal education money.
The “Every Child Achieves Act of 2015” includes new requirements for schools serving students who speak other languages. On page 39, line 5, S. 1177 reads, “… the inclusion of English learners, who shall be assessed in a valid and reliable manner and provided appropriate accommodations on assessments administered to such students under this paragraph, including, to the extent practicable, assessments in the language and form most likely to yield accurate data on what such students can do in academic content areas, until such students have achieved English language proficiency.”
This means that the local school system, to maximize test scores, will have no choice but to provide testing in native languages and different formats until the English language is mastered, but for how long?
The tests may be in English after 3 or more consecutive school years, but non-English language tests can be extended for 2 more years. This means that students may be tested in other languages for up to 5 years. (S. 1177, page 40)
What does this mean for teachers and the curriculum? If the students are to be tested in other languages, the students will need to be taught this content in other languages, by teachers who are fluent in other languages.
The exact same wording is also found in the House of Representatives re-authorization of No Child Left Behind, HR 5. (HR 5, section 1111, Part 2, ix. (III)).
To prepare speakers of other languages for the test, the content materials will of necessity be in other languages.
Who has these materials ready to go? The owners of the common core copyright, private internationally based companies already have these materials in other languages because they are worldwide.
Who benefits? The common core cartel benefits because local school districts and states that accept money from the federal government (123 billion) will of necessity have to “rent” these electronic resources from them.
How many different languages are spoken in Georgia homes? According a Census Bureau report from 2006-2008, there were 142 home languages other than English. In 2007, approximately 12 percent of Georgians over the age of 5 spoke a language other than English at home. From 2009-2013, that number rose to 13.3 percent.
Historically, English has been the language used for instruction in publically funded schools. There are special programs for English Language Learners (ELLs) to help students learn English. Public schools offer courses so students may learn foreign languages, in addition to the regular content coursework, which has traditionally been taught and assessed in English.
This new legislation marks a departure from the long standing policy of English as the official language of instruction and assessment in academic content areas.
What if parents and teachers want students to learn quickly through an English intensive immersion program? Intensive language programs have a proven track record. The decision to delay content area instruction in English for these students to boost test scores could set them back for many years to come. The implications for states accepting federal education dollars will be far reaching indeed.
All Georgia Senators voted for S. 1177 and all Georgia Representatives, except for Representative Jody Hice, voted in favor of HR 5.
Dr. Mary Kay Bacallao
www.EducationalFreedomCoalition.com
Fayetteville, Ga.
[Dr. Mary Kay Bacallao has been a teacher for 27 years. She has experience teaching English language learners at the elementary level and has been certified to teach English as a Second Language (K-12) since 1990.]
