Educator Spotlight | Student Enrollment and English Learners
Despite New York’s Student Enrollment Decline, the Number of English Learners Spikes
By Stephanie Clagnaz, Ed.D. | www.led-better.org
Enrollment in public schools has been declining in New York and there is seemingly no end to this trend. Further, while school districts consider school closures to be inevitable due to lower enrollment, another alarming shift is emerging. While the state’s school-age population is decreasing, the number of English Language learners is growing significantly. Compounding the issue is that there are not enough qualified, certified teachers to meet their needs.
District leaders in Rochester, New York recently voted to close 11 of 45 schools due to budget constraints and enrollment declines despite outcries from parents and community members indicating that the move would hurt vulnerable student groups, such as English learners and students with disabilities, more than others. In New York City, the school-age population has decreased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the number of English learners increased from 135,000 in 2022-23 to 148,000 in 2023-24.
Complicating the issue of increasing numbers of English learners, schools throughout New York state are struggling to find qualified teaching staff with the knowledge and background to meet the needs of the growing numbers of ENL students. On Long Island, the number of English learners has risen by 60% in the past decade, yet certified teachers with thorough knowledge of how to best serve these students are continually harder to find. Results of a recent audit conducted in New York State reveal that the dropout rate for English learners was 16% higher than that of the New York state average for the general population. Some attribute the higher dropout rate to the lack of qualified teachers available to serve English learners.
What can schools do to ensure that an equitable education is provided to all English learners? How can districts increase teacher knowledge about how to best meet the needs of ELLs?
Consider the experts at LEDbetter for teacher training in best practices, strategies, and professional development for teachers and staff. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your needs and how our experienced trainers can help.
Specific ENL supports that LEDbetter offers through our Excelerator include :
ENL Consortium: provides access to Title III eligible coaching and professional development that is fully customized to your school or district’s specific instructional needs. We cater especially to school districts and charter schools who are ineligible to access their funds on their own because of funding minimums. Schools and districts can also opt to sign on without Title III funds as well!
Holding Space: our program designed as our response to the growing attrition and stress levels of teachers, and stagnating student proficiency, through bimonthly sessions with teacher and our resident expert.
empowerED: our online community and low-cost teacher membership program that can be fully subsidized by schools or districts as a retention tool. Currently, we have nearly 20 hours of courses dedicated specifically to ENL populations, with a plan to create 20 hours of CTLE clock eligible courses each year.
Student recruitment and marketing strategy: our team shares over a century’s worth of experience working as leaders in school districts, charter school networks, the NYC Department of Education, and most importantly, district and charter schools. We can help create a robust strategy and community outreach map that are aligned to your school or district’s strengths in serving your community’s population.
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