A new report by LFA and Grunwald Associates, with support from AT&T, examines how parents perceive the value of mobile devices, how they see their children using mobiles, and what they think of the possibilities for mobile learning.
Individualized Language Arts Helps English Language Learners Succeed
Story posted December, 2007
Results:
• Among top 2% of California schools in narrowing the achievement gap separating disadvantaged and Hispanic students from their peers
• 172 point increase in the California academic progress index since 2000
Sparked by the rarest of rarities - affordable housing in Southern California - and its proximity to the Mexican border, Frank Wright Middle School in Imperial has grown from 367 students in 2001 to nearly 800, adding sixth grade and moving to a new facility in the process. More than 70 percent of the student population is Hispanic, and nearly one in four are English language learners.
The addition of sixth grade for the 2006-07 school year did more than just increase Wright's student population. It also required a new approach to middle school, and better outcomes for English language learners. "It's clear that student success...begins with preparation during the middle school grades, which are a critical, pivotal point in the educational career of each student," says State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.
To serve English language learners better, Wright strengthened its focus on language development. All sixth graders receive 155 minutes of language arts daily, and a focus on English-language development follows them through all grade levels. In seventh and eighth grade, language arts classes meet for 105 minutes each day, and students who need further instruction, including beginning English language learners and those who are three years or more below grade level, are assigned to another period of language arts, offering an additional 50 minutes of instruction.
Teachers tailor language arts and math instruction to each student's progress rather than grade level. Teachers evaluate students using testing data, teacher input, and work samples. The school places struggling students in special language arts intervention programs, where teachers test them again to determine exactly what their instructional needs are. Faculty monitor these students closely so they can be placed in core classes as soon as they are ready. 
A rotating series of electives offer interdisciplinary activities including art, music theory, computers and AVID, a college-preparation class to help average students prepare themselves for college. Portfolios to demonstrate student learning are used school-wide.
Wright's teachers work collaboratively in small teams. All math and language arts teachers also receive a year of state-funded professional development and coaching, followed by another year of coaching.
"We are really good at identifying and responding to the needs of our kids," says former Principal Chuck Bush. "We're able to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and build on those to prepare them for high school."
During the 2006-2007 school year, Frank Wright was recognized for being in the top 2 percent of all California schools that have narrowed the achievement gap separating disadvantaged students and Hispanic learners from their peers. It was also one of four California schools named a 2007 School to Watch, an honor bestowed upon schools by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform for meeting students' academic and developmental needs. It scored a 802 on California's academic progress index in 2006, up 172 points since 2000.
Making carefully individualized language arts instruction a priority and tracking student progress has helped the school meet all of its annual yearly progress goals, even for English language learners. Professional development and coaching for teachers also plays a key role.
Further details about this story can be found in our sources:
California League of Middle Schools, "Frank Wright Middle School: Introduction", 2006
California Department of Education, "2007 'Schools to Watch' Model Middle Schools", January 2007
Jonathan Dale, for Imperial Valley Press, "State Honors Brawley, Imperial Schools", January 2007
For additional information, please contact:
Diego Lopez
Principal, Frank Wright Middle School
dlopez@ivnet.org
Photos courtesy of Frank Wright Middle School
SIGN UP
Sign up for our e-newsletter on public school success.
A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
On this website, educators, parents and policymakers from coast to coast are sharing what's already working in public schools--and sparking a national conversation about how to make it work for children in every school. Join the conversation!
