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English Language L earner Funding Nevada Task Force on K-12 Public Education Funding February 2014. Michael Griffith School Finance Consultant Education Commission of the States. Education Commission of the States “Equipping Education Leaders, Advancing Ideas ”.
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English Language Learner FundingNevada Task Force on K-12 Public Education FundingFebruary 2014 Michael Griffith School Finance Consultant Education Commission of the States
Education Commission of the States“Equipping Education Leaders, Advancing Ideas” • Anational organization formed in 1965 by states,for states • Helping states improve their educational systems, from pre-kindergarten all the way through college and beyond • An unbiased contributorto the education policy discussion- we don’t advocate for certain education laws or policies
The Federal Government’s Role Public schools are mandated to provide the academic and fiscal resources to help ELL students to overcome language barriers and gain English fluency (U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Equal Opportunity Act of 1974) • Nevada Federal Title III funding: • FY 2012: $8.8 million ($106 per pupil) • FY 2013: $8.0 million • FY 2014: $7.2 million ($86 per pupil)
Goals of StateEnglish Language Learner Programs • To provide sufficient funding to allow the state’s ELL population to: • Meet state education goals • Move students from ELL designation
Nevada Students PerformingAt or Above “Proficient” on 2013 NAEP Exams
The Cost of an ELL EducationWhat the Research Says • Research has shown that there is an additional cost to educating ELL students to state standards • Research has also shown that there are factors that can influence costs, including: • Small districts with few ELL students • Large districts with a high density of ELL students • Educating a student population with multiple languages
The Cost of an ELL EducationWhat the Research Says • National studies recommend between 14% and 100% additional funding per ELL student. • The 2012 study of Nevada’s school funding system recommended additional ELL funding – but did not identify a specific amount per student
What are States Doing • 42 states provide some form of additional funding for ELL students • The amount of additional funding ranges from 10% (Texas) to 99% (Maryland) (AIR, 2012) • The average additional funding that states provide equates to 38.7% (AIR, 2012)
Time Limits for ELL Students • Arizona (Proposition 203) • “…require that all classes be taught in English except that pupils who are classified as "English Learners" will be educated through sheltered English immersion programs during a temporary transition period” • Some states have looked at limiting the number of years that a school district could receive ELL funding for a student
Additional Funding for Moving Students off of ELL Designation • In the past California and Texas provided additional funding to districts based on how many students they were able to move off ELL designation
ELL School Funding Issues • Should the state provide additional funding? • If so, what is the appropriate funding level? • Should there be time limits for funding? • Should districts receive additional funding for moving students off of ELL designation?