This story was written by Lia Salvatierra, our new Education Reporter. Find more of Lia’s reporting here. Do you have an NKY education story? Email lsalvatierra@linknky.com.
Progress toward English language proficiency was a bright spot among otherwise declining academic performance at Northern Kentucky elementary schools last year.
Though Northern Kentucky continues to outperform the state on math, reading, science, social studies and writing scores, new report card data shows the region’s scores backslid more last year than the rest of the commonwealth.
Despite a shrinking statewide lead on academic test scores, the region’s elementary school English language learners (ELL) saw notable gains last school year. Progress toward English language proficiency grew at both schools that improved — and schools that otherwise performed lower — according to report card data. Out of the region’s 52 elementary schools, 19 have a large enough population of ELL students to measure progress.
ELL progress is measured by improvement on annual exams, with the goal of proficiency within five years. Students are assessed after their second year in English instruction.
Despite red rating, Newport Primary and Intermediate improved ELL progress
English language learner progress at Newport Primary School and Intermediate Schools jumped up last year, despite the schools’ performing at the bottom 5% of the state overall. Both schools are now facing state-backed intervention after being flagged for low performance overall.
Despite declines in the three other performance metrics, both schools saw a 6.4-point boost in performance scores for English language learner progress toward proficiency last year, bringing the school into fifth place of all 19 elementary schools in the region measuring EL progress.
Newport’s ELL Coordinator Melissa Calderon called Newport’s program strong for multiple reasons. For one, two EL teachers, including Calderon, are bilingual themselves. That strength helps facilitate what she called the other key to success: forming relationships and engaging families.
“We share food, and we talk to them in their language about the services that we offer, the academics of their students, Calderon said. “A lot of times they come here and they don’t understand how the system works, so we are that bridge for them,” she said.
Covington, Boone County, Kenton County make large ELL strides
Covington Independent Public Schools was home to three of the five schools with the biggest boosts in ELL progress last year: Ninth District Elementary, Sixth District Elementary and John G. Carslisle Elementary.
Ockerman Elementary School in Boone County and James A. Caywood Elementary in Kenton County also realized big improvements.
Sixth District Elementary, where 45% of the school’s 440 students are English language learners, improved its EL progress scores by 12 points last year. Sixth District Principal Joe Moran said that over the past few years, the district has looked closer at individual student data to identify needs and tailor support.
“A typical day for an EL student now includes more targeted instruction based on their individual needs. Some students may benefit from additional small-group instruction, while others may need less intensive support,” Moran said.
Ockerman Elementary’s saw ELL progress scores improved by 17.5 points last year. Of the school’s 777 students, 223 are EL students. Ockerman Principal Chris Ritzi credits the school’s strong EL teacher team, who have been working together for about five years.
“With the consistency of them being here and getting to know each of these students individually and their families on a yearly basis, just shows the dedication that they’re putting into their students,” he said.
The school also was one of the first in the district to implement an English language teaching approach that helps better blend language acquisition with what students are already learning in their classes, according to the school’s EL team.
One of Ockerman’s EL teachers also credited the students’ hard work as part of the school’s success.
“Our EL students are so hardworking and they are going through more adversity now than we’ve ever seen so we are happy to highlight their hardworking families, their hardworking students and that they are really a joy to work with because they really try so hard,” said Ockerman EL teacher Laura Toebbe.