Legal and Historical Context of Arizona’s English-Only Instruction Requirement

1. Legal and Historical Context of Arizona’s English-Only Instruction Requirement Arizona Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition Services

2. Guidelines • We love questions, but please keep them relevant to the material being presented. • This is a discussion of the legal and historical events leading us here today.

3. Proposition 203 • Arizona Proposition 203, English for Children, was an initiative that was passed by 63% of Arizona voters on November 7, 2000. This piece of legislation resolved that all children in Arizona public schools shall be taught English as rapidly and effectively as possible.

4. Proposition 203 • All children in Arizona public schools shall be taught English by being taught in English and all children shall be placed in English language classrooms. • Children who are English learners shall be educated through Sheltered English Immersion during a temporary transition period not normally intended to exceed one year. • Local schools shall be encouraged to mix together in the same classroom English learners from different native-language groups but with the same degree of English fluency.

5. House Bill 2010* • Addressed the way that we identify, assess, reclassify and monitor English Language Learners (ELL). *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-fifth Legislature Second Special Session 2001

6. House Bill 2010* • The primary or home language for all new pupils who enroll in a school district or charter school shall be identified. • The English language proficiency of all pupils with a primary or home language other than English shall be assessed through the administration of English language proficiency exams. • The process of reassessment of English learners for the purpose of determining English language proficiency shall be conducted. • The evaluation of former English learners shall be conducted. *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-fifth Legislature Second Special Session 2001

7. House Bill 2010* • Formalized a process by which ADE was to develop guidelines for monitoring LEAs to ensure compliance with federal and state laws regarding ELLs. One of those mechanisms is LEA reporting. *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-fifth Legislature Second Special Session 2001

8. House Bill 2010* • The number of pupils who are classified as English learners for the first time. • The total number of pupils classified as English learners. • The number of English learners who achieved English proficiency in the past academic year and who exited the English learner program. • The number of pupils who are enrolled in each type of language acquisition program offered by the school district or charter school. • If requested by the Department of Education, the test date used to determine English proficiency. *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-fifth Legislature Second Special Session 2001

9. House Bill 2064* • This legislation consolidated and expanded state laws with regard to ELLs. • Provides prescriptive approach to educating ELLs while still providing flexibility. *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2006

10. House Bill 2064* • Creation of ELL Task Force • Charged with developing and adopting research based models of SEI programs for use by LEAs • Add the results of AZELLA to AZLEARNS profile (A.R.S. §15-241) • Requires the Superintendent to establish a process to assess English proficiency (A.R.S. §15-756) • ELL Task Force creates SEI Models (A.R.S. §15-756.01) – Adopted September 13, 2007 • Annual review and modification of models (A.R.S. §15-756.01) • Requires annual AZELLA (re)assessment (A.R.S. §15-756.05, §15-756.06) *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2006

11. House Bill 2064* • Created the Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS) (A.R.S. §15-756.07) • Requires compliance and monitoring of all aspects of the Federal and State laws including the SEI Models (A.R.S. §15-756.08) • SEI endorsement for AZ teachers (A.R.S. §15-756.09) • Requires accountability reporting by ADE and LEAs (A.R.S. §15-756.10) *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2006

12. House Bill 2064* • Schools must teach English(A.R.S. §15-752) • Materials and instruction in English(A.R.S. §15-752) • All students may be grouped together by proficiency in a Structured English Immersion (SEI) classroom(A.R.S. §15-752) • Goal is for ELL students to become fluent English proficient in a period “not normally to exceed one year”(A.R.S. §15-756.01 C) • Cost efficient, research based models that meet all Federal and State laws(A.R.S. §15-756.01 D) *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2006

13. House Bill 2064* • Minimum four hours per day for first year ELL students(A.R.S. §15-756.01 C) • “The task force shall identify the minimum amount of English language development per day for all models.”(A.R.S. §15-756.01 C) • “A pupil who has attained English proficiency… shall be transferred to English language mainstream classrooms.”(A.R.S. §15-756.05 C) *State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2006

14. House Bill 2064 Questions?