For the past few years, I have been going back to my former public school to work. I usually start on the second day of school and work for about three weeks in September. It's a pretty busy time for me since I was supposed to be 'free' from the kids finally after a long summer with them 24/7. But that's okay. It's good money, a great way of keeping connected with my colleagues in the public school arena and it's only temporary.
I test students who's primary language is not English. And at my old school, that's a significant amount of the school's population. In fact we will have tested over 200 students at this one school.
How do we know who to test? Well, one of the forms you have to fill out if you register to attend a public school in this state is the Home Language Survey. On this form, you indicate what was the first language your child spoke when (s)he first spoke; what is the primary language spoken at home; what the primary language is spoken to your child; and what is the primary language that is spoken between the adults in your household. If you answered any language that is not English in those blanks, your child is required to be tested. This test is called the California English Language Development Test (CELDT).
To quote the California Dept of Education, "Students in Kindergarten through Grade Twelve whose home language is not English are required by law to take an English skills test. In California, the test is called the CELDT. This test helps schools identify students who need to improve their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. Schools also give the test each year to students who are still learning English."
Why give this test? Well, this State has become a melting pot of languages. It's become more difficult to teach children academics when their grasp of the English language is very weak. So the State 'tries' to help these children by offering ESL services in the schools. Now with budget cuts in education, these areas are very small (or nonexistent) with minimal curriculum and manpower to teach so regular classroom teachers now are required to be trained to teach ESL learners. It is now a required part of receiving a Teaching Credential.
So I have been testing students Kinder through 6th grade at the beginning of every year for the past three years. It's a pretty long and comprehensive test. It is not easy by any means. When you don't 'pass' the test, it just means that your child will be eligible for ESL (English as a second language) services at the school (if they offer it). This test is regiven to each student every year until they show significant growth in their English language skills. It is then they will be reclassified and will hopefully 'exit' this classification.
The majority of the tested students are Kindergarteners through 3rd graders. This is because it takes quite a few years to be fluent in English not only conversationally, but auditorially, verbally, in reading and writing. Many of the Kinders at this school do not know how to speak English very well. That's because the majority of them never had any schooling (such as preschool) before entering Kindergarten. Note: You would probably not be aware of this test that was given to your child until your child comes home with a letter indicating how they did on this test.
Personally, I never went to preschool. My first language was probably not English since my parents rarely spoke it at home so I guess I was an ESL student entering Kindergarten. I don't think I was ever tested nor I received any special EL services but I think I turned out okay. I don't speak English with an accent nor have trouble expressing myself in the English language.
But I did come from a family where education comes first; doing your best in school is more important than anything else. Even though my parents could not help me with my homework or help me study for my tests, I was expected to do well on my own. I had nothing else to take my attention away from studying: no sports, no birthday parties, no sleepovers; no vacations; no hanging out outside to play.
BUT I did watch TV.. a lot of TV, as a matter a fact, since I was home with my grandma all day long. I think TV helped me learn English... yah.. that's it. Thank you to Romper Room (even though she never called my name as she said good-bye), Sesame Street, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, the Electric Company, Brady Bunch, I Love Lucy, Gilligan's Island, Charlie's Angels, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeanie, Happy Days.. I could go on and on.
So was your child tested?
