Charter schools show progress for English-limited students

PHARR – Administrators for Hidalgo County’s Premier charter schools cited enrollment caps and self-guided instruction as keys to closing their “achievement gap” for Limited English Proficiency students.

The alternative education campuses report student performance differently than traditional schools, but the charter district’s testing data suggest notable progress for students who struggle with the English language.

The Texas Education Agency recently ranked Premier’s Pharr campus as second among all alternative education campuses, and Principal Rosie Zamora said that’s a direct result of allowing students to pace themselves in troublesome subjects.

“This program is an alternative, almost last hope to make sure (students) don’t become dropouts,” Zamora said. “Students here know they need self-discipline and responsibility, and self-esteem grows quickly here when they are in charge of their own progress.”

Across the state, a wide achievement gap separates LEP students and “all student” populations on proficiency exams. Texas averages show LEP students trail other students’ pass rates on exams by 5 to 29 percent in various subjects.

At Zamora’s campus, she has trimmed that gap down to 1 to 3 percent ranges.

Premier’s other campuses also beat the state gap: Palmview’s campus had a 0 to 3 percent range, San Juan’s campus had 2 to 7 percent and Mission’s campus had 2 to 12 percent.

Lupe A. González, regional superintendent for the schools, said this closing of the gap comes from a “small by size” design. Each campus caps student enrollment to around 200, and he said this offers strong teacher support that is easily neglected at larger schools.

“In this sector, that size is extremely impractical,” González said. “But it really works (for us). We have a staff and principal at every campus that knows every kid, allowing a personal connection.”

González said most kids succeed in traditional schools but the few looking to either go beyond or take their time with the curriculum needed the hyper-individualized approach at his campuses.

“Some students just want to sit there and take a test when the teacher says, hoping for the best,” he said. “But we don’t follow an orthodox path. Some kids take off and want to get on their way alone…We simply supplement their motivation.”

Like Premier’s other students, LEP students largely choose what and how quickly they will study each day, with multiple teachers available at any time to hold breakout sessions for extra assistance. Instructors trained for English as a Second Language also hold LEP students to a high bar with rigorous writing, reading and group exercises, Zamora said.

Chief Academic Officer Rosalinda González said public schools are now copying their methods and creating small programs like Premier within the districts.

But she said it takes a lot of dedication and patience to mold a school that can adjust to students’ preferences and needs instead of students adjusting to the school.

“It didn’t just happen overnight,” she said. “But now these students are reading for the love of reading like they have never done before…If you don’t read, you aren’t going anywhere.”

Neal Morton covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956)683-4472.