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L.A. Welcomes Civil Rights Probe of Schools
- 03-12-2010
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By UCLA IDEA Staff
Themes in the News for the week of March 8-12, 2010
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the focus of a federal investigation to determine whether English language learners receive the educational resources they need to succeed. LAUSD is the first district targeted in a new push by the U.S. Department of Education to enforce civil rights laws.
“‘I believe this review could have a tremendous impact not only in Los Angeles, but across the nation,’” said Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights with the department (Los Angeles Daily News).
One third, or 220,000, of LAUSD students are English learners (Los Angeles Times). Three percent are proficient in English and math (KPCC). Many students who enter school designated as English learners do not develop English fluency in Elementary school and are placed in separate classes for English learners when they reach middle school and high school. (California Watch). These separate classes stress language learning—often at the expense of students’ keeping up with their English speaking peers who are learning the standards-based content required of all students. This denial of “access to core courses …often leaves kids unmotivated about school and causes them to drop out,” according to LAUSD Board Member Yolie Flores (Los Angeles Daily Breeze). In fact, a recent study shows that English learners who are placed in regular classes in LAUSD have better academic outcomes than those in English learner classes (California Watch, Tomas Rivera Policy Institute).
“‘We have some schools who do well with English-learner students, but for the most part this district has failed these students,’” said Veronica Melvin, director of the non-profit Alliance for Better Communities (Los Angeles Daily Breeze).
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights hopes its investigation will provide data and insights to improve English learners’ academic results and close the achievement gap in LAUSD. The federal department will examine how the district identifies English learners, how they are evaluated, the quality of their teachers, how they are taught math and science, and the extent of their parents’ inclusion in decisions (Los Angeles Times, Daily Breeze). Focused on schools in the San Fernando Valley and Southeast Los Angeles, the probe “seeks to uncover policies and practices that result in a ‘disparate outcome’” for English learners (Los Angeles Times). If LAUSD is found to be out of compliance with civil rights laws, the Department of Education has the option of withholding federal funds. However, Superintendent Ramon Cortines said he will comply with recommendations.
The LAUSD investigation is one of 38 reviews of school districts across the nation (Los Angeles Daily Breeze, USA Today). Contrasting nearly a decade of little activity in the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office (New York Times, Education Week), the new push is an effort to “‘reinvigorate civil rights enforcement,’” said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan (New York Times). Overall, the investigations will look at racial differences in access to college preparatory courses, advanced curricula, and science and math courses (Education Week).
Education advocates see the new investigations as an opportunity to highlight educational inequality issues and collect more data about disparities. Also, Cortines said that the probe “‘will find best practices that need to be spread’” (Los Angeles Daily News).
“‘We haven’t seen anything yet. But I can tell you there’s a lot of hope in the civil rights community that we are going to get some really good enforcement around a variety of issues, including education,’” said Raul Gonzalez, of the National Council of La Raza (USA Today).
For more information about the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the complaint process go here.
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