Project Secondary Online Learning: Promoting Bilingual

College Readiness for Immigrant Students

Council of Great City SchoolsMay 19, 2012

UCLA Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles

Rationale 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 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

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

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

Video:

What Does a SOL Classroom Look Like?

https://vimeo.com/42234526Password: proyectosol

SOL Course Enrollment, 2008 to Present

Subject Number of Students

Completed

Percent of Students

Completed Algebra 1 296 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 non-SOL 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

Student Outcomes– 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

Project SOL Students

Project SOL Students

Comparison SchoolNon-SOL EL

Students

Comparison SchoolNon-SOL EL

Students

Non-SOL EL Students

Non-SOL EL Students

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Student Comparison Groups

Student PersistenceEver

IdentifiedEnrolled

2011-2012Percent 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

More SOL Students Now See Themselves as Strong Students 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

Preliminary Pass Rates for SOL Courses

Subject Number of Students Passing

Percent

Math

Algebra 1 92 75%

Geometry 58 66%

Algebra 2 11 79%

Science

Biology 60 62%

Earth Science 21 66%

Chemistry 31 82%

Physics 10 63%

Across the comparison

schools, only 36% of students

passed their math and science

courses

Teacher Outcomes: “ 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

“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

Administrator “outcomes”:Awareness of “right” teachers

Evaluation of Counselor Outcomes

Increased expectations

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

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

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