Initial Justification for LEP students
Of our student population, 102 students, or 14% is enrolled in our English as a Second Language Learners (ESL) program and are identified as Limited English Proficient (LEP) students.
When comparing academic achievement according to subgroups, 50.9% of white students passed both the reading and math EOGs in third through fifth grade, compared to less than five percent of the LEP students who passed both.
Academic Performance
Collier indicates “LEP students who entered the ESL program at ages 8-11 were the fastest achievers, requiring 2-5 years to reach the 50th percentile” (Collier, 1987, pg. 618). Because of this two to five year acquisition time, teachers often make excuses for why LEP students are not making higher growth. Implementing interventions will help eliminate these excuses and will ensure quality education and high expectations for all learners.
Disciplinary Actions
When further examining discipline referrals for the 2013-2014 school year through May, 30% were of Hispanic students. Per 100 students, there were 5.9 out-of school suspensions given to LEP students in relation to 8.3 for the non-LEP students. There were 2.9 in-school suspensions given to LEP students, compared to 0.8 for non-LEP students. There were also 5.9 bus suspensions for LEP students in comparison to 1.3 for non-LEP students. Based on this data, it can be concluded that there are large discrepancies in discipline referrals with bus problems, as well as smaller discrepancies in the number of in-school suspensions given to LEP students.