English learners: We serve a large number of children with limited language skills

Canyon and Ada counties are home to a growing population of Spanish-language speakers, who have a rich culture and celebrated history in our community. This means that Nampa serves large numbers of students who arrive without the English language skills needed to be successful in school and where the language spoken at home is Spanish.

Serving students with Limited English skills 2009-10
District	# with limited English skills	# of total students	% of students who are LEP
Nampa	1,696	14,730	12%
Boise	1,985	25,205	8%
Caldwell	854	6,294	14%
Kuna	152	4,863	3%
Meridian	1,294	34,125	4%
Vallivue	849	6,707	13%
Source: Idaho State Department of Education Spring 2010 Limited English Proficient student count. Idaho State Department of Education 2009-10 Fall Enrollment.

We welcome students who speak languages other than English in all of our schools and hold them to the same challenging standards set for all students.

We also embrace the goal of working to ensure these students become fluent in English.

Like other districts with large populations of students who do not know English, we are reviewing the latest research to find the best materials, methods, and strategies to help these students find success.

We provide extra attention, translators, research-based instructional materials, textbooks, and other services to help these students.

In 2007-08, we launched a new magnet school called New Horizons that allows Spanish speaking and English speaking children to learn in both languages together. These students will stay together throughout their elementary school career. In 2009-10, New Horizons will move into a brand new building that will accommodate it as it grows into a full K-5 elementary school.

Students who are not fluent in English are required to take state tests. Because the tests are not provided in the student’s native language, the results often can provide a distorted view of the student’s actual achievement.

We are making positive gains both in helping these students become fluent in English and assisting them in catching up to their English-speaking peers. We measure the progress of this effort on state language tests.