World Languages in Washington State

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World Languages in Washington State

• Results from the 2004 World Languages Survey
  for Washington State
• Caleb Perkins, OSPI and Michele Anciaux Aoki,
• Washington State Coalition for International
  Education

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What are our goals?
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National Standards
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What role is the state currently playing?
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What is OSPI currently doing?

• Partnerships with Germany, Spain, and Mexico
  (possibly China)
• State Transitional Bilingual Program
• Outreach (e.g. Survey, Voluntary Standards
  Meeting)
• Minimal Part of State Educational Reform
  Legislation (HEC Board, Certification)

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THE SPRING 2004 SURVEY
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How was the data gathered?
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Survey Methodology

• Process
• May-June 2004
• Notices sent out to every school and district
  (via email and letter)
• WAFLT Follow-up
• Disclaimers
• How representative is this sample?
• How accurate are the responses?
• What is missing? (e.g. trend data)

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What did we learn?- Initial Data
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Rate of Return

• 431 responses (19.5 of 2,212 schools)
• 205 Elementary (out of 1,142)
• 118 Middle Schools/Junior Highs (out of 336)
• 180 High Schools (out of 321)
• (413 other schools alternative, complete,
  unclassified)
• 213 reported NO language programs (42)
• 76 Elementary
• 44 Middle School
• 16 High School

Note Some numbers are approximations.
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Missing!

• 108 (of 296) districts did not respond at all
• Most ESDs missing 10-15 district responses
• Low response rate from larger districts (e.g.
  Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane)

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Trends

• High School 81 of Language Courses
• Most Popular Language Spanish
• Spanish in 96 of high schools
• French in 67 of high schools
• German in 42 of high schools
• Japanese in 25 of high schools
• Latin, Chinese, Russian approx 5
• Arabic Native American Languages lt1
• 2-year plan 90 offer both 12
• 70 have level 3 50 have level 4
• American Sign Language 28 of high schools
  typically only levels 12

Note We do not yet know how representative this
sample is
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2-year Plan?
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Sections

• 3,867 sections offered (in approx. 431 schools)
• Spanish 56 of sections
• French 19
• German 11
• ASL 6
• Japanese 5
• Chinese 1
• Latin 1
• Russian 0.6
• Arabic 0.3
• Native American Languages 0.1

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(No Transcript)
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Types of Language Programs

• 38 Traditional Classes
• 14 Advanced Placement/ International
  Baccalaureate courses
• 13 Study or Travel Abroad
• 5 Before or After-School Programs
• 4 FLEX
• 1 Community-Based Language Learning

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Employment

• Number of World Language Teachers 1,106 (in
  approx. 431 schools)
• Number of Teachers with World Language
  Degree/Endorsement 1,003
• Number of Teachers in First 5 Years of Teaching
  255

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Other Information

• Standards
• Approximately 40 of respondents said that their
  school or district had developed world language
  standards
• Technology
• The vast majority of world language classrooms
  have access to a wide variety of technological
  tools (e.g. internet, digital cameras, cassette
  players, CD players, video conferencing 45)

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What were the comments? -Issues Priorities
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Types of Comments

• Professional Development more and more specific
• Diversity of Languages
• Concerns about ASL Dominance of Spanish
• Requirements
• gt2 years
• K-12 Earlier
• Part of Core Curriculum
• Standards
• Advocacy need for voice in Olympia

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Professional Development

• My personal belief is that OSPI should promote
  what is known of language development/brain
  research and promote early elementary world
  language instruction, ideally through immersion
  style approaches
• Provide more opportunities for world language
  teachers to study abroad
• Serve as a clearinghouse for materials and best
  practices
• Come to our schools and give us tangible
  strategies quick, fun, easy to implement

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Professional Development, Part II - Topics

• Curriculum materials how to choose, whats
  available
• Starting a new language or changing languages
  offered
• Brain development / language acquisition research
• Integrating immigrant communities into the
  curriculum
• Proficiency training for teachers and teaching
  methods to use with students
• Culture capsules
• Careers and job opportunities for language
  students
• Technology in instruction
• Trends in state or country regarding world
  languages
• Assessment strategies
• Alignment with university expectations
• State standards
• Special problems of small and rural schools
• Quick, easy-to-use, practical tips

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Professional Development, Part III - Format

• Workshops
• Series of classes, (e.g. UW Spanish Center)
• Serving Rural Areas
• Regional Conferences
• Visiting teaching or cultural experts and
  fluent speakers for rural areas
• Traveling culture units or live presentations for
  remote areas
• Videoconferences for interest groups or
  same-language rural teachers
• Live or internet gathering places for K-16
  teachers to exchange ideas (e.g. listserv)

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Diversity of Languages

• A variety of languages should be taught not
  just Spanish!!!
• Discourage the false belief that Spanish is
  somehow easier than other languages
• Try and convince the HEC Board that Sign
  Language should NOT be considered a world
  language because it lacks the cultural piece
  that is integral to the teaching of world
  languages

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Requirements

• OSPI should support WAFLTs efforts to make
  language instruction an integral part of a high
  school education and language education should
  start at the elementary level as part of every
  students basic education.
• Four-year institutions should require more than
  2 years of a world language for admission.
• I strongly believe in immersion.

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Standards

• OSPI should at least adopt the national
  standards as its own and thereby at least give
  some lip service to supporting World Language
  instruction since money is not likely.
• Create specific standards for the FLEX program.

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Voice in Olympia

• OSPI and WAFLT should play a vital role in
  getting Olympia to consider language study a
  requirement for ALL students. I am not sure how,
  but advocacy needs to be a constant presence
  until language is supported as a requirement.
• Communicate how well foreign language
  instruction helps those who take the WASL.
• Please DO NOT advocate mandates that will not be
  FULLY FUNDED.
• Do this survey on a regular basis and report the
  trends

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What would you like to know?
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What additional queries should we conduct?

• Specific Schools
• Which are able to maintain strong language
  programs and why?
• Specific Districts
• Which have a disproportionately low level of
  language programs?
• Specific Programs
• How are most students receiving world language
  instruction?

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What are some next steps to take?
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Follow-up Interviews

• Contact Elementary Schools With Language
  Programs How are they making it work?
• Contact Schools with Level 4 Language Programs
  How do they maintain consistent enrollment?
• Contact Larger Districts with Low Response Rates

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Voluntary Standards?

• Nebraska K-12 Frameworks
• The document offers school boards and
  administrators a rationale and guidelines for
  planning a fully articulated foreign language
  education program from kindergarten through
  twelfth grade.
• Learning Scenarios Sample Assessments
• New Jersey K-12 Frameworks model language
  programs, teacher resources,

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Future Partnerships

• China Peninsula School District
• ACE OSPI statement on earning credits for
  after-school programs
• Adopting Models from Other States

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What rationale(s) resonate?

• Cultural perspectives, understanding, and respect
  
• Appreciation of responsibilities in the world
  community
• Contribution to businesses economy
• Critical-thinking skills through problem solving,
  conceptualizing, and reasoning
• Connections between the various disciplines by
  incorporating other disciplines into the language
  classroom
• Skill development essential to the learning
  process
• Acquisition of subsequent languages
• Competitive edge in career choices
• Enrichment opportunities for students whose
  heritage language is not English
• Personal satisfaction and enjoyment

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Ideas? Thoughts?

• Contact Information
• CPerkins_at_ospi.wednet.edu [phone]
• OSPI website www.k12.wa.us/curriculuminstruct/soc
  studies/WorldLanguages
• Washington Association For Language Teaching -
  waflt.net
• Washington State Coalition for International
  Education http//internationaledwa.org
• Michele Anciaux Aoki, PhD (206)
  522-0608michele_at_anciauxinternational.com