In 1974, the Lau v. Nichols case argued that the San Francisco Unified District failed to provide adequate support for English learners. Since then, bilingual education has reached new heights through various developments, including the English Learning Program as a resource for those who need extra support with the language.
EL coordinator and English teacher Theresa Shaw-Iyer explained the process of placing new students in specific EL classes.
“Whenever a student comes in new to our district, the parents fill out the registration form that triggers the EL process,” Shaw-Iyer said. “(The district) first decides and then we have to decide where they need to go because we have multiple levels of EL.”
As a teacher for the beginner level, Shaw-Iyer aims to expose her students to the foundational aspects of English, such as grammar.
“My class right now, they’re learning basic vocabulary, and their grammar is really simple sentences. That stuff, it’s not necessarily going to help them in mainstream English, but as they move up, it gets more complicated,” Shaw-Iyer said.
Sophomore Hanna Matsuda had been part of the EL program since middle school. Having recently transitioned out of it, Matsuda looked back on her time in the program with resilience and gratitude.
“I was in the EL program since sixth grade. I failed the ELD test, and I felt really disappointed by myself, but at the same time, I learned what I needed to improve my English skills,” Matsuda said.
Junior Froilan Avalos shared similar sentiments as Matsuda as someone who also reclassified out of the EL program after initially struggling.
“During my first semester, it was kind of tough because where I’m from, they don’t teach good English, and my speaking skills weren’t good enough,” Avalos said. “I had some struggles during my first year, but at the end of the day, I think I had a lot of fun because the teachers are really patient.”
Though many point to the positives of the class, some like senior Deisy Lopez noticed there are aspects of the program that need to be reevaluated. After taking the English Learning Proficiency Assessment for California in her sophomore year to determine her level of English knowledge, Lopez was placed in the advanced class for one year.
“My freshman year, I was new to Santa Clara. I had lived here in the past, but we moved to San Jose (where) I didn’t really have to take any EL classes,” Lopez said. “So I think that’s what messed me up my sophomore year (since) I didn’t meet the requirements for a proficient English language learner.”
Despite not passing the ELPAC, Lopez believed she met the standards to skip the designated EL class and felt the test should not have been a complete indicator of whether she took it.
“I feel like a test shouldn’t determine that (need for support) because many people aren’t even good at taking tests to begin with,” Lopez said. “I feel like if the teacher knows that the kid is putting their best effort and they understand the material, that should be more than enough than just the test.”
Shaw-Iyer also reflected on how the system has changed over the years, mentioning a major transition the district underwent.
“When I first started, we used to have SDAIE, which is like sheltered instruction in English,” Shaw-Iyer said. “SDAIE went away a couple years ago. The district did get audited by the state, and they were like, ‘Hey, you’re not doing this right. You’re out of compliance.’ So we had a big overhaul across all of Santa Clara Unified.”
Due to this, Shaw-Iyer feels the district and state need to work more on forming structure within the EL program as well as implementing other helpful resources.
“I think there’s definitely some things that the district should step up and provide us with. In the EL master plan, I believe there’s something about getting an EL paraeducator,” Shaw-Iyer said. “I also do think maybe the state needs to give a little more guidance. They have mandates, but then sometimes they’re a little hands off.”
As the EL program continues to develop, many like Matsuda hope it can continue to facilitate English learners on their journey.
“I think it (the EL program) is effective,” Matsuda said. “Middle school wasn’t much (help) but high school, I feel like they cared so much about students and them passing the EL program.”