Arizona SEI Bill

I have been tracking an Arizona-based bill (HB 2435), which is currently on track to pass in the next few months.

I've put a tl;dr at the end =P

So one of the lesser known things happening in Arizona Education is a potential MAJOR OVERHAUL to the state's Structured English Immersion program (commonly known as SEI, or ELL programs in other states).

Right now in Arizona, students in the SEI programs are essentially segregated from the rest of the population under a 4-hour block requirement. That means every day, for 4 hours, they are with the same students, same teacher, same classroom. This means that as we try to help them become proficient in English, they are missing on on actual social interaction, limited to their classmates. So they do become proficient in English, but they do not really get much of the practical application or social skills required to succeed in areas where English is the dominate language.

Of course there are benefits to the system in place now, but we have basically rounded up all the students that aren't proficient in English and stuck them in the same classroom for most of the day, away from most every one else on campus. In places along the US/Mexico border (like where I teach), those students are almost 100% Hispanic, so we have segregated Hispanic students away from everyone else just because they aren't fully proficient in English. They do get instruction, and they certainly do improve in English, but they are limited to their classmates and their teacher.

So this bill actually removes that 4-hour block requirement, allowing our students to be more immersed in the school setting. The segregation of students will end, and the students can be exposed to more English and more social situations.

I think its a great change, but in the back of mind I can't ignore the fact that the current system brings forth great improvement in the students English abilities. Without the 4 hour block, the way they gain those skills becomes more difficult to sort out.

In the end, I suspect its a good change, and I think it will greatly help our English-learning students.

TL;DR: SEI students are required to be in 4 hour blocks to learn English. They make great gains in English, but miss out on social interaction and school functions. This bill removes that requirement, and I'm not sure how much of a good thing it will be for the students.

Submitted February 24, 2018 at 10:19AM by ddtmm2 http://ift.tt/2CFMYiw