ENGLISH PROFICIENCY RESULTS IN LAUSD SHOW NO PROGRESS.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

Nearly half of the LAUSD's English-language learners tested fluent in their adopted language, results released Wednesday show, although some experts worry that students have hit a plateau in their language skills because the outcome is the same as last year.

As they did in 2004-05, an estimated 49 percent of the test-takers in Los Angeles Unified achieved fluency this school year on the California English Language Development Test. Statewide, proficiency totals dipped from 48 percent to 47 percent.

While Los Angeles Unified officials lauded the results, critics of the English-immersion method of teaching said the static results are an indicator of the program's limitations.

``I applaud the kids for their hard work. I applaud the teachers who work with them. This is a step in closing the achievement gap,'' said school board President Marlene Canter, noting that the district did better than most other urban districts across the state and nation.

``This is a good-news story. We're moving in the right direction, but it's not good enough. It's not fast enough. The parents who are complaining want to see accelerated growth and we want to see that.''

The California Department of Education administered the annual CELDT last summer to 1.3 million public school students as part of state and federal requirements to test their proficiency in learning English.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said English-language skills are vital for California to maintain an edge in the global economy.

``California continues to have the greatest number of students whose primary language is not English,'' he said. ``It's important that we persevere to help our English learners.

``I'm pleased to see nearly half - 47 percent - are scoring at the top proficiency levels.''

Schools in the LAUSD essentially replaced bilingual education with English-immersion in 1999 after voters passed Proposition 227, which required the use of English in public schools.

In the LAUSD, the test was given to more than 245,700 students for whom English is not their first language. About half of the district's population are English-language learners - some 315,400 students - who speak 88 different languages. The vast majority - 94 percent - speak Spanish as their primary language.

The LAUSD has made great leaps since the testing began in 2001-2002 - when less than 20 percent of the students tested fluent - although the size of the gains have narrowed in recent years.

``This is an indicator that tells us we need to do something,'' said Maria Quezada, president of the California Association of Bilingual Educators, an advocacy group.

Quezada is not seeking a return to bilingual education, but says that without improved methods of teaching English, LAUSD students will ``get stuck at that intermediate fluency.''

``What is happening at the English-language development level is not appropriate. The instruction they're getting is not what has to happen.''

Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, president of Californians Together, another advocacy organization, points to a January report from the state Legislative Analyst's Office outlining shortcomings in the testing system.

Rowena Lagrosa, the district's executive officer of educational services, said officials will be studying why more students didn't achieve fluency this year.

``Across the board, throughout the state of California, we've hit somewhat of a plateau. We haven't seen the success we've seen in past years,'' she said. ``That calls in mind the need to refine our strategies.''

But O'Connell cautioned against putting too much emphasis on year-to-year results, noting that students are constantly arriving in and testing out of the program. Students are tested once they arrive at a school then no longer take the test once they reach fluency.

But he said he would be working to determine why there are gaps in achievement.

``We've made significant gains, and just to maintain those gains, it's not something we're going to jump up and down about (but) it's something we can be pleased with,'' said school board member Jon Lauritzen.

Ventura County students also made progress, according to the results.

Lisa Mascaro, [phone]

lisa.mascaro(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

chart

Chart:

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

SOURCE: State Department of Education

Gregg Miller/Staff Artist