Transcript Project SOL

Project Secondary Online
Learning: Promoting Bilingual
College Readiness for
Immigrant Students
Council of Great City Schools
May 19, 2012
UCLA Civil Rights Project/Proyecto
Derechos Civiles
Rationale
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120,000- 150,000 high
school age immigrant
students in California alone
Extremely high drop out,
and fail to drop in, rates
In large part because there
is nothing offered for
students in most schools;
most would not have
access to college prep
These are the easiest
students to retain and send
to college
Students Describe Being
Denied Access

“The ESL students, they kept us, in a
way, separate. We couldn’t take some
classes until we could do a little more
in English. I remember that my first
semester, all of the courses I took
except for two were electives. So, I
was practically not advancing.”
Goals
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Retain more Spanish dominant
immigrant students in high school
Provide college prep curriculum in
Spanish
Support & motivate students to
graduate and go to college
Assist parents to support students
Support Bilingual development
Components
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Online STEM courses in Spanish;
standards aligned based on Colegio de
Bachilleres
Mexican online tutors
PD for teachers & counselors
PIQE support for parents
SOL Club for students– including
college field trips
Sites
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Over 4 years: 5 high schools:
3 Los Angeles; 1 San Diego; 1
Imperial Valley
Currently: 4 schools; 4 principals; 9
teachers; 4 counselors
SOL Enrollment Increased
Steadily Each Year
451 Students Have Participated in Project SOL, with an
average of 113 new students each year
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
451
313
213
98
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
Video:
What Does a SOL Classroom Look Like?
https://vimeo.com/42234526
Password: proyectosol
SOL Course Enrollment,
2008 to Present
Subject
Algebra 1
Number of
Students
Completed
296
Percent of
Students
Completed
67%
Geometry
162
37%
Algebra 2
40
9%
Biology
240
54%
Earth Science
63
14%
Chemistry
51
12%
Physics
17
4%
Raising Expectations:
“I don’t do anything and I still pass [in nonSOL classes]….There are many teachers
who think that because you are ESL you
don’t have the ability to do the work.”
But in SOL:
“Mr. Cuevas, each time when I was in class
he would approach me and he would tell
me to work hard, that here it is a country
with many opportunities, that all the time I
should be vigilant of my work and
everything.”
It’s More Than Language

When I started Project SOL, it was like I felt
more…free to express myself because when
I came there weren’t any [SOL classes]…all
my teachers spoke only English. And some
of them spoke Spanish, but you feel like it’s
difficult to talk to them, because you’re
always thinking they won’t understand you
very well or won’t listen to you. And when I
entered Project SOL, it was more like, ‘Okay,
I can express myself well.’
Evaluation of Student
Outcomes
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Student Outcomes
–
–
–
–
–
–
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Courses taken and passed
Grades
Test scores
Retention and graduation
College enrollment
Self-concept as learner
2 Student Comparison Groups
– Matched student comparisons
– Comparison cohorts from previous years and similar school
Student Comparison Groups
2006
2007
2008
Non-SOL EL
Students
2009
2010
2011
Project SOL
Students
Comparison School
Non-SOL EL
Students
Student Persistence
Ever
Identified
Enrolled
2011-2012
Percent
Change
Brawley SOL
125
90
-28.0
Chula Vista
SOL
101
58
-42.6
Comparison
School
60
30
-50.0
Franklin SOL
97
40
-58.7
Cohort
Comparison
57
30
-47.4
Sylmar SOL
127
70
-44.9
SOL is a Safety Net
Pues, cuando llegué, si [SOL] no hubiera estado el
aquí yo pienso que, como todo los estudiantes de
ESL, se pasan como haciendo, como echando
relajo nada más. Pues yo también hubiera entrado
en eso y cuando hubiera estudiado. No hubiera
estudiado ya, nada.
***************
Well, when I arrived, if it [SOL] hadn’t been here I
think that, like all the ESL students, they spend their
time doing, like just messing around. Well I would
also be into that and I would not have studied. I
would not have studied anymore, anything.
SOL Creates Access to Courses
for Graduation
Con el Proyecto SOL tengo química y
matemáticas. Son clases que se necesitan
para graduarse y si no las hubiera tenido el
Proyecto SOL estuvieran en inglés y tal vez
no las estuviera pasando ahorita.
************
With Project SOL I have chemistry and
mathematics. These are classes that are
needed to graduate and if I had not had Project
SOL, those classes would have been in English
and I probably would not be passing them now.
More SOL Students Now See
Themselves as Strong Students
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In 2008, only 1 out of 10 SOL students
saw themselves as better than average
students. Today, 1 in four describe
themselves as “better than average”
The proportion of students expecting to
go to community college has more than
doubled, from 17% to 37%
Greater Numbers of SOL Students
Now Aspire to Go to College
60
SOL Student Goals (n=86)
56
50
40
37
37
30
22
20
10
16
17
9
5
0
Learn enough
Graduate HS and Community college
English to get a job
get a job
Fall '08 or '09
Spring '11
University
Preliminary Pass Rates for
SOL Courses
Subject
Number of
Students
Passing
Percent
Algebra 1
92
75%
Geometry
58
66%
Algebra 2
11
79%
Biology
60
62%
Earth Science
21
66%
Chemistry
31
82%
Physics
10
63%
Math
Science
Across the
comparison
schools, only 36%
of students
passed their math
and science
courses
Teacher Outcomes:
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“ Project Sol helps me to keep in mind
that my objective is to prepare my
students to go straight to the university.”
– Mr. Alvarez
“I feel more comfortable trying new
techniques, and supplementing my
instruction with different things, and
activities. I'm not all by the book
anymore!” – Ms. Estrada
“I now feel more comfortable using
technology to teach off the internet,
something I didn't really resort to
before.” – Ms. Donlucas
“My science vocabulary in Spanish has
improved. Overall, my academic
Spanish has improved which makes me
sound much more professional when
speaking to parents. It has helped me
become more culturally aware of my
students and their lives, how they see
school, the every-day problems they
face, their interest as immigrant
students.” – Ms. A. Lopez
Administrator “outcomes”:
Awareness of “right” teachers

“That teacher wouldn’t fit with our
Project SOL and what we are doing.
We are not going to put our kids in that
classroom with that teacher.”
– Principal of one SOL school
Evaluation of Counselor
Outcomes
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Increased
expectations
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Nearly doubled the
proportion of
Spanish dominant
students expected to
graduate prepared
for college, from 48%
to 82%
Increased expected
college matriculation
from 53% to 70%
Unforeseen Challenges
– Impact of anti-immigrant activity
– Recession hit hardest in this community
– Budget cuts affecting our teachers &
counselors --constantly
– Inability to always select “right” teachers
and counselors (expertise & attitude)
– Time needed to establish the program
– Each school has different challenges
Real Benefits
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Schools refocusing on immigrants
Some increase in persistence
Real access to graduation and college
prep courses
Greater sense belonging, engagement
Remarkable growth in teachers’ skills,
confidence, commitment
Likely impact on teacher retention
Sponsors
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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Carnegie Corporation
Irvine Foundation
Instituto de Mexicanos en el Exterior,
Secretary of Foreign Relations, Mexico
Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos
Civiles