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i think the big picture is a collaborative effort at increasing the educational experience of all students regardless of language barriers at hand. Building tangible relationships with students will do more than aid in their academic growth but  also in their social settings. The goal is to incorporate instructional practices that transcend surface level information and travel deeper in the minds of the students. i think this initiative will be successful

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I thought the article about helping immigrant students catch up fast was very interesting. I think the work they have put towards the ELL program to help decrease the gap was amazing. The growth they have made in only a year is huge and if they continue working as hard as they have been the gap will continue to decrease.

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Reading this was incredibly interesting and it was incredibly inspiring to read about schools that were completely ELL. It was incredibly refreshing to read that they all worked together and brought each other up when someone didn't do too well. The story following Michele is going to work on stories to reflect lives like hers in order to help other people understand.
It isn't often that you see students working together like this and teachers going way out of their way to REALLY help better students who may not be proficient in english when it is their second or third or even fourth language.

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This article was so eye opening. I had never thought about all of the different languages that are in the school system. Most of the time I only think about the Spanish language as the ELL program, but this article really opened my eyes because this school has 15 different languages other than English and they all work toward a common goal. I believe it is remarkable how the students have developed so quickly when they are grouped by their needs. Speaking a different language can be daunting, but this school puts like students together and their teachers speak their language and understand them. They help them conquer tasks that if they were in a different school setting they would not be so successful. Putting kids of different English language skills together makes it easier to work in groups and to help each other out so every student can succeed. I think it is so important that everyone has an education even if there is a language barrier. Students should always feel comfortable and understood in a classroom and this school provides the comfort of understanding and persistence with the students.

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This article was very informative. There was a fair amount of statistics, most of which seem well conducted, and the information was presented in a very proactive manner. The percentage of Spanish speakers in Langely was very odd to someone who has never been to school in another state. 87% of the school is a jarring percentage and means that the administrators must consider many concerns when hiring their staff. 1st of all, the teachers must have at least BICS level of Spanish so that they could begin to use the language for academic purposes (CALP). Hiring Spanish speakers works very much in your favor as an administrator. 2. I believe that the 2-way immersion method would do very well at a school like this. If the students who were already there had been instructed in Spanish and English during their primary years of school, they would be able to help the student grasp concepts and the teacher delegate the tasks at hand. Reading this article, to say that there is a disparity between the native speakers and immigrant status students in the long run, in my opinion, should require more evidence such as the jobs they end up at and the school level they achieved. Using this information, I think that the final tally would be much more desirable.

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This article was a very interesting read. I had no clue that there were public schools in the U.S. that worked solely with ELLs. I think this is an excellent program because the students are all similar and have the same needs. The entire school is like one giant support group for these students that are enduring a significant amount of changes and stress (immigrating into a new country and learning another language) during an already stressful time in their development. The program seems too be very successful with the graduation rate rising 16 percentage points higher than ELLs who attend standard public school ESOL programs. These students have high aspirations and are utilizing the resources being offered to them. The Internationals Network for Public Schools is giving immigrant students a voice and making them feel included and cared for which will allow them to succeed in the long run.

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After reading about Michelle's opportunities at this school, it became inspiring to see how the school is focused on the betterment of all students who attend. These children don't have to feel targeted as less than because all of the students face the same challenges with language. Although they all come from different cultures with many different languages they all have the same task at hand when it comes to language. Creating a space where all students can feel comfortable and welcome is the first step in the development of learning. Once a teacher can gain her students trust it is easier for her to be more effective in her teaching. I believe the moral that this school has taken on is something that should be carried forward in other schools around the country because we are a melting pot of all different countries and in every states, every school there is a need more a more inclusive system.

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Until I read this article, I was not aware that schools like this existed. I think there should be schools like this all over the country because isn't this what the United States is all about? About giving children hope, especially coming into a new country, that they can achieve their dreams, regardless of what language you speak or where you come from. I think it's great that these schools create an environment where these children feel safe regardless of their immigration status and where they know they will have the resources made available to them to help them succeed. The attendance rate is 94% which I think shows people how hardworking these kids are and how eager they are to learn so that they can achieve their dreams in the future. This article did a great job of showing you the kinds of struggles that ELL students have to go through on a day to day basis and will hopefully open the eyes of people so they can see that these types of schools are needed all over the country.

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Reading the article about this amazing schooling environment for these students is just so wonderful and inspiring. These kids have a place to go where they can feel involved and included and not excluded based on their language abilities. It must be amazing to know that you as a student is attending a school in which there are teachers that are language teachers. The story of the young girl in the article was very touching. I enjoyed reading about how all of the students that the International School were there to help each other and encourage each other and to work as a team. I hope that one day schools all around the country can be as inviting as a school like this. English Language Learners should feel welcome and motivated to learn, despite the language barriers. I believe this is up to the school systems and the educators to make this happen.

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This article and the story of this student alone is such and inspirational story. It was so important and interesting to read about how different some schools can be like for some students. It also was very interesting to read about what these kids have to go through on a daily basis while just trying to get a good and proper education. This young girl is so inspiring with her words and how she wants to grow up and help other students grow and learn in the same ways that she was able to do within this spectacular school. I enjoyed reading about how all of the teachers are helpful in someway in getting the students to their full educational ability. The teachers help these students in any way they can to learn English to the best they can. It was so important to also read about how the recent election can put so many worries in these children minds. It is so important for children to feel comfortable in their school and it is important for students to get their best education that they can. I really enjoyed reading this article.

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NPR HELPING IMMIGRANT STUDENTS CATCH UP: Monica Tarver

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NPR HELPING IMMIGRANT STUDENTS CATCH UP: Monica Tarver

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This article was very inspiring and insightful as to what these kids have to worry about everyday. I could not imagine putting myself in their shoes going to a country where I don't speak the language and have to watch my back all day for deportation. It is a very stressful thing, but it is our job as educators to take that stress away from them. Their schools are smaller but that means a more intimate environment to learn. 176 students and 87% are Spanish speaking, I wasn't aware that they had specific schools for ELL students. I think it is a great idea because it really gives each student a support system as well as the one on one attention that they will need to succeed. I also think that it is important that teachers really know how to approach teaching ELL students, therefore they should have the language teacher skills. Georgia need a CASA school or multiple of them. This just goes to show you that no matter what your situation is, you can succeed. I have no doubt in my mind that Michelle is going to save that money and get into Harvard, she is very strong and ambitious.

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This article points out the struggles of ELLs face in school, and in this country. Not only do they have to worry about learning a new language, but living in fear of being deported. Not only is this difficult for the students to cope with, but the teachers as well. Students and teachers have to manage to learn in trailers, and on bean bags, while other schools have 2-storey gyms with large closets. I am glad to learn that they are schools that cater to ELLs and wish there were many across the country. It's also encouraging to see that students are doing better and improving in their English Language schools. I would be more helpful if they had more resources. It is quite sad that children cannot be children and have to worry about other things instead of enjoying their childhood and being able to participate in activities held outside the school. It's also refreshing that despite these struggles ELLs face, they still have hopes and aspirations and refuse to let anything stop them from reaching them. I was inspired the by the girl who is saving up for an ivy league school, and hopes to write a book about her experiences in English and Spanish. She sees that they are people who do care about them, and that is very important. more has to be done to show every student that we care, and they do matter.

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I had no idea that this type of school existed until I read this NPR article, but it made me think about all of the things that ELL students have to go through in order to come to the United States and attempt to create a successful life here. This article mentioned how some students do not want to participate in any event outside of school, out of fear of deportation. Because of this, I cannot imagine how alone these ELL students feel. This is one of the reasons why I think graduation rates are so much lower for ELLs in America. Many ELLs do not receive much help or support, and the hardships of their lives both inside and outside of school make success in America much harder. This article mentioned how the Internationals Network for Public Schools is attended by a mix of students with various backgrounds and languages, so this helps the students cope with the transition of their lives and education in the United States. This type of school causes each of the students to “lift each other up” and if one fails, they all fail together, so they help each other and all make each other feel more valued. I think this is so important when it comes to ELLs. ELLs in a general education setting in our public schools tend to struggle because of various reasons, but one of them might be because of the lack of support around them. I also think it is important to have every teacher be a language teacher, which is the case in the Internationals Network for Public Schools. I believe this gives the students a better opportunity to learn the English language because it gives them more qualified teachers who are capable of effectively teaching ELLs the English language. I think that more of these types of schools should be built around our country, especially because we are able to see the positive affects that this type of schools has on the ELLs here in America. The fact that this network was able to raise graduation rates of ELLs 16 points higher compared to graduation rates of ELLs in the public school system is proof that this type of schooling works, and that these students should be given more of these schools in this country, so that they are given more opportunity to success.

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Working at a predominantly African-American school, our ELL population dropped after the raids were conducted in the neighborhood.  Many students and their families feed to safer areas of the country.  I was and still am heart-broken by the children living our schools and worry about them.  How are they doing, are they getting enough food to eat, sleep, and are they going to school.  The Langley's Park school seem to be doing an excellent job by their partnership with CASA de Maryland.  I am also glad there are more schools around the country like CASA de Maryland.  We need a  CASA de Georgia.  The success of this  program are the collaborator planning or teaching.  Every teacher becoming an ELL teacher would help not just ELL students, but the entire student population.  Many students are not on grade-level and need more help in content subjects.  This collaborative teaching will give students lacking in content areas an extra boost.   I see a lot of students falling behind in especially reading.  Many have not had to phonemic foundation to begin reading.

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Going through life every day with fear of deportation does not seem like a way a student, or much less anyone, should be living their life. Reading the story about Michelle, brought back a lot of discussions we had in high school pertaining to this topic. I think it's unfair to rip a family apart after fighting so hard to get somewhere they feel safe. I understand that the issue of illegal immigration is large, but when it comes to kids and their education, I believe we should be understanding of the situation. I was surprised by the numbers in this article. Especially when it talked about the amount of languages spoken and countries represented in such little amount of students. With trauma that follows students when there is a change in their life as grand as coming to a new country, it can affect test scores, self-esteem, graduation rates, etc. " According to a recent Stanford study, the achievement gap between ELL-Hispanic and white students is the largest in the context of race and ethnicity. And, the average high school graduation rate of ELLs is 19 percentage points lower than the national rate, 63 percent compared to 82". I think it's also important to understand that achievement can be affected when confidence is low. If a student struggles to understand a language or any type of academic work, then they believe that they are failures or dumb (which obviously isn't true), but they are also maybe not receiving the best help or the help they need. Michelle had strong aspirations to be the best she could be and spread awareness of the issues going on in schools with ELL students.

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Click on the pink plus button to write comments on the NPR Ed article in Module 12. Be sure to add your name. 

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Click on the pink plus button to write comments on the NPR Ed article in Module 12. Be sure to add your name. 