• Read about barriers and discrimination faced by English Language Learners at a school. English Language Learners are traditionally marginalized - many face barriers associated with being from a non-dominant linguistic and cultural group. These barriers may be even more challenging for recent immigrant families, families fleeing as refugees, or those who are also of non-dominant religious groups.

 

• Note: The case studies presented are amalgamations of various cases reported in the media, observed by educators, or included in training materials. Any similarity to an actual case is coincidental. 

 

The Case:

When analyzing the discipline referrals, the principal noticed that English Language Learners were overrepresented as both targets of bullying and as students receiving disciplinary consequences.

Some disciplinary data showed harassment based on race, ethnicity, and national origin (or perceived national origin). For example, one ELL student was physically assaulted, and the bullying student reported that he was "taking care of the job ICE wouldn't do."

ELL students also were reported for violating the discipline code frequently. Students in their first year in the school received the highest number of referrals.

Additionally, the school's ELLs and former ELL students were performing low in academics as measured by test scores and grades. More than half the students who failed a subject were ELLs.

When teachers set up conferences or call home to discuss remediation, they have not received a response from the parents. The teachers felt unsupported and desired some new strategy to make connections.

What Would You Do?

If you were on the school's leadership team, how would you address the problems in this case?

Consider school-wide and individual disciplinary issues, academic achievement issues, and home-school connections.

The principal assembled a task force to address the problem of ELL underperformance and HIB directed at ELL students. Suggestions from the team included:

Counseling for ELL students 

Translation services

Social-emotional learning, anti-bullying, and character education programs

Applying best practices to create home-school connections.

 

Schoolwide Climate and Discipline Measures

Since ELL students were experiencing problems with violins, the school discipline code, and being targets for discriminatory bullying - multiple procedures were instituted to benefit all students.

The school adopted a PBSIS program that focused on teaching general school behaviors. This helped many of the ELL students who were recent immigrants "on-board" to the norms of their new school. Desired behaviors were modeled in addition to being posted as rules - helping ELLs learn procedures visually.

The school counselors increase character education and anti-bullying lessons to mitigate future discriminatory incidents. Forms to report bullying were produced in Mandarin and Spanish, the most common home languages for ELLs. in the school.

Home-School-Community Connections

The educators enacted several ideas to create stronger connections between the school and the student's families and communities.

The district provided translators in Spanish and Mandarin. The translators created home language notes to send home and were available for conferences and to assist with phone calls.

Staff attended community events and also invited parents for a culture day. Over 60% of ELL parents attended and set up cultural displays representing their home culture.

Analysis:

In addition to aggressive harassment and bullying, ELL students faced several barriers, leaving many ELL and immigrant families marginalized from the school.

Two practices - providing translated materials and inviting the parents into the school- provide a foundation for a more connected relationship.

Schoolwide PBSIS and anti-bullying efforts will likely decrease negative behaviors in the school and provide a climate free of discriminatory harassment.

Additionally, the school should train teachers on including ELL students in general classes to help the students academically.

 

Case Study #4: Lack of Access

A case where some students cannot access the entire curriculum.

Examine the problem of the need for access to the entire curriculum. Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying cases involve physical or verbal threats and aggression.  Conversely, this case highlights another form of unlawful discrimination.

Note: The case studies presented are amalgamations of various cases reported in the media, observed by educators, or included in training materials. Any similarity to an actual case is coincidental.

This case takes place at a large urban/suburban school district with a diverse student population. The district takes pride in its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. School climate is highly positive, with few cases of severe misconduct and few reported cases of harassment, intimidation, or bullying.

The school district takes pride in its programs for special needs students, including a robust ICS instructional program and special programming which keeps moderate to severely disabled students in district schools instead of outside placements. The district properly supports special needs, students.

The superintendent decided to take the next step and analyze student access to the curriculum in more detail. Despite the district's image and commitments, the analysis of the rolls for the gifted and talented program and Advanced Placement courses showed that there might be a problem.

There are no ELL students and only 2 special needs students (with speech-only IEPs) enrolled in any advanced programming in the district. There is a barrier to access to gifted programs and AP courses.

The principals and department leaders stated that special needs students could not be placed in gifted programs because special needs students are not able to keep up with regular work, let alone advanced work. Likewise, the school determined that ELL students need the basics of English before they can complete advanced work. 

One principal stated that it might be okay for some special needs students to enroll in advanced courses or gifted programs - but that the students would, of course, lose access to any special education services.

The district's gifted coordinator reported that special needs and ELL students are not screened or tested for these advanced programs.

What Do You Think?

What do you think? Based on the coursework thus far, is there a problem of discrimination in this case? If so, why? Where do the district employees go wrong in their reasoning?

The School Response:

The Superintendent ordered the school to improve its policies and practices, which led to this access disparity.

A nonverbal test would now be used to help identify gifted students.

Teachers developed guidelines for support for ELLs in AP.

Training is provided for twice exceptional students.

Remove behavioral restrictions on gifted programs.

All students will be screened and tested for advanced classes.

Analysis

The Superintendent did an excellent job of looking deeper into the data. The school community was doing a great job of inclusion in some areas - but had also created systematic barriers in the advanced classes.

Students may not be denied access to advanced courses solely due to protected characteristics such as ethnic/linguistic background or disability.

The school responded appropriately by coming into compliance with laws and regulations. The strategies - such as a non-verbal test and removing unrelated behavioral restrictions - will likely lead to more equitable placements.

Understanding the Nuances

Make sure you do not oversimplify the issue in questions here.  Students may not be precluded from classes they are otherwise qualified for based on discrimination. Consider examples that illustrate the difference:

For example, a student with dyscalculia who struggles with math computation and tests below grade level in math, even with appropriate support - is not entitled to be enrolled in accelerated math classes.

A student has dyslexia but has exceptional scientific reasoning and scores all A's in science with the assistance of text-to-speech technology. The student should be enrolled in AP science and cannot be denied entry because of the disability.

Acts of violence and vicious hate speech may be extremely evident. However, some subtle actions or systems may be much less noticeable unless you are actively looking for areas where your classroom or school can improve. In case studies #3 and #4, you read about how ELLs and their families and students with special needs may not get access to all the benefits of the school and curriculum.

Share two strategies you utilize in your own classroom that help students with special needs and/or ELLs access the grade-level curriculum.

 

 

 

Authentic Task #2

Now that you have reviewed a few case studies, YOU WILL THINK OF YOUR OWN TASK ELL #2. See the Course Materials for details.

YOU WILL PRODUCE  OWN STUDY, which can be utilized when discussing harassment and discrimination with colleagues in professional learning. The case study should give an example of the type of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or discrimination that may occur in your school setting. Explain the incident or practice in question. Then propose possible responses and future preventative measures. Use course materials and your own state and school policies to ground your proposed actions. You can utilize the case studies in the modules as exemplars to guide your work.

The following Checklist can help guide your work. Refer to the course materials for the complete directions and rubric.

• Fabricate a scenario that is realistic to your school setting. The case can be a conglomerate of actual occurrences or simply a plausible scenario. Do not recount an exact event for this assignment in order to protect the confidentiality of students and teachers.
• Describe the practice, incident, or system that caused harassment, bullying, or discrimination.
• Explain how this harmed a student or group of students and prevented them from fully benefiting from the school's social and academic life.
• Describe the preventative and/or responsive measures the teacher and school can take to help restore the victim and to prevent future similar incidents. 
• DiSCUSS MULTIPLE CONNECTIONS TO FEDERAL LAW, DISTRICT POLICY, OR OTHER ESTABLISHED ANTI-BULLY, HIB, AND DISCRIMINATION LAWS

Task 2:  PRODUCE YOUR OWN Case Study Analysis

Directions: Please Provide IN YOUR CASE STUDY the Following Answers. 

share your personal experience with either fiction or nonfiction that pertains to the following bullet points. Please make it sound realistic and genuine. Do not refer to the previous study classes mentioned.  You can use them as a reference but not your main STUDY CASE.

Think of your own case study, which can be utilized when discussing harassment and discrimination with colleagues in professional learning. The case study should give an example of the type of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or discrimination that may occur in your school setting. Explain the incident or practice in question. Then propose possible responses and future preventative measures.  Use course materials and your own state and school policies to ground your proposed actions. You can utilize the case studies in the modules as exemplars to guide your work.

Checklist:

• Create a scenario that is realistic to your school setting. The case can be a conglomerate of actual occurrences or simply a plausible scenario. Do not recount an exact event for this assignment in order to protect the confidentiality of students and teachers.
• Describe the practice, incident, or system that caused harassment, bullying, or discrimination!
• Explain how this harmed a student or group of students and prevented them from fully benefiting from the school's social and academic life.
• Describe the preventative and/or responsive measures the teacher and school can take to help restore the victim and to prevent future similar incidents in the future.
• Discuss multiple connections to federal law, district policy, or other established anti-bully, HIB, and discrimination laws.