No habla english - too bad

[Yurt]

English-only tests, judge rules


More than 10,000 native Spanish speakers in Santa Cruz County will have to continue to take standardized tests in English, a San Francisco Judge ruled Monday.

Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer dismissed part of a lawsuit brought by eight school districts — including Pajaro Valley Unified — that demanded students be allowed to take the test in Spanish.

The lawsuit claims that testing students only in English does not accurately measure their abilities because they get many questions wrong simply because they don't understand English, which makes it harder to do word problems in math or show mastery of grammar.

Twenty-three schools in the county are under sanctions of No Child Left Behind because of low scores on standardized tests, including more than a dozen in Watsonville. Each of those schools, which could eventually be taken over by the state or a charter school organization, is in trouble due to the performance of non-native English speakers.

It's not clear if attorneys will appeal the ruling. But teachers insisted Monday that state tests need to be tailored to suit English-learners at different levels of English ability to gauge how well they're learning a new language and concepts in other subjects.

"If you're just looking at the test itself, all you're proving is that a student doesn't know English," said Lucia Villarreal, a kindergarten teacher at Starlight Elementary.

Press 1

[Hobbit]

Somebody call the whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaambulance.

If your test scores are lower because of your inability to speak the language of the country you live in, then you need to work on that language, not bitch and moan about it.

[glockmail]

A rational ruling in California?

[Doniston]

It seems someone isn't thinking here. It is the duty of the School and/or state authorities to insure the education of the students, rather than promoting the political agenda of the officials. It is unfair to test that way.

[Mr. P]

It seems someone isn't thinking here. It is the duty of the School and/or state authorities to insure the education of the students, rather than promoting the political agenda of the officials. It is unfair to test that way.

So true! You should try an start doing it more.

[darin]

It seems someone isn't thinking here. It is the duty of the School and/or state authorities to insure the education of the students, rather than promoting the political agenda of the officials. It is unfair to test that way.

To ENSURE the education of the students, Schools need to INSIST fockers learn to speak English.

[Hobbit]

It seems someone isn't thinking here. It is the duty of the School and/or state authorities to insure the education of the students, rather than promoting the political agenda of the officials. It is unfair to test that way.

The purpose of the schools is to prepare students to enter the workforce, and it doesn't matter if you can do quantum physics in your head; if you can't speak English, the only kind of jobs you'll be getting in America are manual labor jobs.

[Joan]

I don't know about other school systems, but the ones around here start spanish classes in kindegarten. We even have a couple of towns (where there are mostly spanish people, who teach all day in spanish. When I was young, we had a little german girl in out class who knew not one word of English, we all helped her, and by the end of that year, she was speaking fluent English!!

[Monkeybone]

I don't know about other school systems, but the ones around here start spanish classes in kindegarten. We even have a couple of towns (where there are mostly spanish people, who teach all day in spanish. When I was young, we had a little german girl in out class who knew not one word of English, we all helped her, and by the end of that year, she was speaking fluent English!!

that's because instead of helping them, we just cater to them

[Joe Steel]

It seems someone isn't thinking here. It is the duty of the School and/or state authorities to insure the education of the students, rather than promoting the political agenda of the officials. It is unfair to test that way.

Not to mention short-sighted. Ignorance doesn't do anyone any good. You're right. The schools should be concentrating on education not politics.

[Mr. P]

Not to mention short-sighted. Ignorance doesn't do anyone any good. You're right. The schools should be concentrating on education not politics.

As I recall English was part of the curriculum.

[glockmail]

It seems someone isn't thinking here. It is the duty of the School and/or state authorities to insure the education of the students, rather than promoting the political agenda of the officials. It is unfair to test that way.

You should look into the state constitution that requires this of itself, and I'm sure that you will find that it was written in engish.

[glockmail]

Not to mention short-sighted. Ignorance doesn't do anyone any good. You're right. The schools should be concentrating on education not politics.

A better argument is that it is political pandering not to teach them english.

[Monkeybone]

if it wouldn't turn some away and what not, i would say that they have to pass an english/english comprehension class/test to even get into school

[Mr. P]

if it wouldn't turn some away and what not, i would say that they have to pass an english/english comprehension class/test to even get into school

Works for me. I think that's a good idea.