The Trenton Times published the following article on November 24, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Trenton public schools announce rise of proficiency in ESL classes
By Jenna Pizzi/The Times of Trenton
on November 24, 2013 at 7:00 AM, updated November 24, 2013 at 7:03 AMTRENTON — Trenton public school officials are touting progress for students who are learning English as a second language after a higher-than-expected number of them scored well on a language proficiency test this year.
There are 1,034 students enrolled in the district’s 49 bilingual classrooms, where they are taught in both English and Spanish. The goal is to use their primary language, which is usually Spanish, to transition them to English-only classes, said Kathy Smallwood Johnson, a spokeswoman for the district.
There are also 343 non-native English speakers enrolled in English as a Second Language classrooms who do not require the bilingual learning but don’t have the proficiency to keep up in English-only classes; and 106 students are special education English language learners, Smallwood Johnson said.
Smallwood Johnson said that the change in focus and increased training for teachers in these classrooms have meant that the number of students scoring proficient on the annual ACCESS test, a standardized test given to English language learners once a year, increased in 2013, surpassing the district’s test targets for growth.