Full Report - Center for Collaborative Education

1 Several terms are used to refer to students whose
verbal, reading and/or writing skills in English are
limited. The terms English Language Learners
(ELLs), English Learners, and students of limited
English proficiency (LEP) are often used interchangeably.
In this report we use the term students
of limited English proficiency (and LEP students) to
refer to those students who are native speakers of a
language other than English and who are unable to
perform ordinary classroom work in English. This is
the definition used by the Massachusetts Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDOE,
2004). We also use the term English language
learners (ELLs) or English learners to refer to these
students, without regard to their program placement
in the Boston Public Schools.
2 Question 2 in Massachusetts was part of the U.S.
English movement that spearheaded successful ballot
referendum initiatives in different states under
the slogan “English for the children.” Referendum
Question 2 was adopted by voters in Massachusetts in
november 2002. It became law as Chapter 386 of the
Acts of 2002 and implemented in September 2003.
In Massachusetts, Transitional Bilingual Education
(TBE) programs were substituted with Sheltered
English Immersion (SEI) programs whose main
purpose is to teach English language acquisition and
content instruction at the same time, and in with the
goal of transitioning English Language Learners into
regular programs after one year.
3 In this report, we use SY as an abbreviation for school
year. SY2009 refers to the school year beginning in
fall 2008 and ending in spring 2009.
4 Boston Public Schools, School Committee launches
task force on English Language Learners. november
5, 2009. http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/
node/3769
4 Improving Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners in Schools and Programs in Boston Public Schools