classification of learning
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Grand Canyon University *
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POS-500
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English
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
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5
Uploaded by ChancellorFox3409
Classifications Based on English Language Learners
Dorothy Haughton
College of Education, Grand Canyon University
POS-500: U.S and Arizona Constitutions for Teacher Candidates
Tyson Cullimore
November 1, 2023
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Classifications Based on English Language Learners
Checking to see if a student is an English learner involves several steps. Each state
usually has its own way of classifying things. As a first step, each state requires students to take a
test to see if they need to be put in English-language classes (National Research Council, 2011).
Some states also have surveys that ask students to write down what language they spoke most
often as a child (National Research Council, 2011). Assessments could put students in classes
where they don't belong, so it's important to know about them (Abedi, 2008). There was an
article about "Theories of Second Language Acquisition" and how important it is for students to
understand how learning a new language works so that they can understand it better (Abedi,
2008). Some people believe that students will learn a new language on their own, while others
say that learning a new language depends on the environment (Abedi, 2008). It is important to
remember this because every student learns in their own way, so it might be different for each
student to learn a new language.
The lack of a formal system for grouping students is what puts many of them in the
wrong classrooms or makes them fall behind in their work. Some groups, like students who are
culturally and linguistically diverse or students who are learning English as a second language,
were used in the past. However, most of these terms are now considered outdated and don't really
describe anything (Learning for Justice, 2017).
Legal Issues Presented by the Classifications
People who are supposed to be learning English and have to go to classes to do so might be
controversial. It might make some students feel bad that they have to take classes that other
students don't have to. Some people may think that all American schoolchildren should be able
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to speak and understand English. Additionally, parents of English language learners may feel
scared because their children may have parents who are immigrants. immigrant students from
being treated unfairly in school because of their immigration status (Sugarman, 2019). For
immigrant parents, "Plyler v. Doe and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" makes it
safe to send their kids to school (Sugarman, 2019). But parents may feel scared when their kids
are in English classes because they feel like they are being watched. This change in equal
protection law can be seen in a few important Supreme Court cases.
In the case of Independent School District v. Salvatierra (1930), parents of Mexican American
descent in the small border town of Rio in the state of Texas sued the school district for
segregation (Orozco, 2020). In this case, the court agreed with the school district that keeping
immigrants away from other students was necessary to teach English. Individual rooms were
utilized to keep immigrants separate from their peers. It didn't work in a similar case in California, though: Alvarez v. Lemon Grove (1931). In the
Alvarez case, the judge said that separating the students did not help them learn English (Zinn
Education Project, 2022). Since the Constitution of this country's equal protection rights was
written, courts have made different decisions.
Equal Protection
As stated in the Fourteenth Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause is a significant law
in public education. Courts have used it to stop separating children based on a variety of
differences. Along with protecting against discrimination based on race, sex, and other
factors, the Equal Protection Act also protects children whose parents are not legal
citizens from not being able to go to school. It also says that school districts and state
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education departments have to make sure that everyone has the same chances to
participate (Learning for Justice, 2017). For ELL students, this also means getting rid of
language barriers. The Plyler v. Doe court case in 1982 and the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 are both efforts to give immigrant parents peace of mind
that their children's immigration status will not be revealed when they sign them up for
school (Sugarman, 2019). So that families wouldn't think they couldn't get an education
based on citizenship, this was done. The United States Constitution says that everyone
who wants to get an education should be able to get one, no matter where they come
from.
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References
ELL 101. Learning for Justice. (2017). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2017/ell-101#:~:text=Federal
%20Laws%20Protecting%20ELL%20Students&text=The%20Equal%20Educational
%20Opportunities%20Act,language%20barriers%20for%20ELL%20students
Sugarman, J. (2019). Legal protections for k-12 english learner and immigrant-background students. Washington D.C. Migration Policy Institute. from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/EL-
Insight_LegalFramwork_Final.pd
Davis, J. (2008). Classification system for English language learners. National Council on Measurement in Education. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://education.ucdavis.edu/sites/main/files/LEP_Class_EMIP_New.pdf
"4 State Procedures for Identifying and Classifying English Language Learners." National Research Council. (2011). Allocating Federal Funds for State Programs for English Language Learners. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13090.
Abedi, J. (2008). Classification system for english language learners: Issues and recommendations. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 27(3), 17-31. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3992.2008.00125.x
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