It's Different in Arkansas

• In Event: 31.049 - The South Is Different: Preparing Teachers to Work With English Learners in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

Purpose: To highlight characteristics of the school age English Learner (EL) population in Arkansas that require unique responses in policy and public education. Four characteristics to be examined are as follows: 1) Arkansas is one of 31 states with English only laws in place for instruction, 2) Arkansas is a top ten state with regards to a rapidly growing EL population making it a rapidly growing state of emerging diversity, 3) The Marshallese population in Arkansas is the largest in the continental U. S. Their status in the U. S. is not that of an immigrant since they may freely travel and work in the U. S. without visas due to the Marshall Island Compact and, 4) There is a disparity between the ethnicity of the teacher population and the student population.

Theoretical framework: Immigration in Arkansas with a focus on the Hispanic and Marshallese populations. Emerging Diversity theory which describes a community that has experienced rapid growth within a relatively short period of time (10 years or less) with a population that is ethnically, culturally and linguistically different than what had been historically customary (Gonzales Worthen, 2004). This has caused a gap between the cultures represented by students and by the cultures represented by the teachers in the state.

Methods of inquiry: Historical research

Data sources:
Annenberg Institute, (2013). Voices in Urban Education. http://vue.annenberginstitute.org/issues/37/high-ell-growth-states;
Arkansas Department of Education. (2014) Programs for Language Minority Students.
Little Rock, ADE.
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (2013) http://www.ncela.us/files/uploads/20/Arkansas_G_0708.pdf .;
Appold, Stephen J., Randy Capps, Michael Fix, Ying Huang, Rafael A. Jimeno S., James H. Johnson, Jr., John D. Kasarda, and Kristen McCabe. 2013. A Profile of Immigrants in Arkansas: Report Summary. Little Rock, AR: Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
Jimeno, S., Rafael A. 2013. A Profile of the Marshallese Community in Arkansas, Vol. 3. Little Rock, AR, and Fayetteville, AR: Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and University of Arkansas

Substantiated conclusions: From 1997-98 to 2007-08 there was a 287 percent increase in EL in Arkansas public schools. From 2006-07 to 2013-14 the growth rate slowed to a 40 percent increase in language minority students and 50 percent increase in ELs. The Arkansas LEA with the largest population of culturally & linguistically diverse (CLD) students comprises 53 percent of CLD students while 95 percent of the teachers are White. English-only policy prevents teachers from using the native language to support instruction. In-service and pre-service teacher education on teaching ELs needs to be advanced and required for P-12. Administrator training involving working with CLD student populations and CLD parent engagement needs to be designed and implemented. The number and percentage of CLD teachers needs to be more closely aligned with the diversity of the student population. Pathways to citizenship for Marshallese needs to be streamlined.

Scholarly significance of the study: Call for policy changes and funding for professional development of P-12 teachers and administrators, funding for bilingual/bicultural classroom instructional assistants to take coursework needed to obtain a teaching certificates, and for citizenship for Marshallese and other long-time residents.

Authors

• Janet Penner-Williams, University of Arkansas

• Diana Gonzales Worthen, University of Arkansas