Judy Eastman has been leading the English Second Language (ESL) program at Solon High School for the last six years. Below, she talks about how the class has changed over the years.
Q:How long have you been teaching at Solon High School?
A:Six years, only [teaching] ESL here.
Q:Why did you choose to teach ESL?
A: I was a Language Arts teacher at Orange, and previously I was [a] first grade, second grade and fourth grade [teacher]. I really love the Language Arts department and teaching reading and writing. I decided to go back to school for 12 extra hours to get my ESL certification so I can work with kids that come in as immigrants from other countries.
Q:Why is ESL important in our school systems?
Students come in from other countries from all over the world, we probably represent 25 different languages right now. They need extra support. They are learning a brand new language– they are coming into a new atmosphere and environment that they are not used to. The schools are a lot larger than they normally would come from in their home country. They just need an advocate. They need someone to teach them in the areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing. Just to have a go to person to help them with any other needs they may have while they are adapting.
Q:What is the first step a student takes in the ESL program?
A:The first step is to get them acclimated to the high school–where things are, what supplies they need and any other support they need from home and school. Really just getting them comfortable and to help build their confidence. In a week or so, we give them an English screener to see how proficient they are in English or what level they are speaking and reading in the language of English.
Q:What does the path to graduation look like for a student in the ESL program?
A:They have to hit all the criterias. They have to have the credits, seals. We really help them get through that. It really is the same criteria [as a regular student]. Some kids will take five years if they really need to. With the transition from where they are moving from to school, they sometimes miss quite a bit of school. So we just put them through a program at their pace.
Q:Does Solon have a good ESL program compared to other districts?
A:I think we are doing really well. Our graduation rate is 100%.
Q:How has the increase in immigration to America affected the ESL programs in our country?
A:They’ve grown. My case load has tripled since I was hired here. Depending on what is going on in other countries–war and refugees–we get people coming over for education and job occupations. I really feel that it is going to continue to grow.
Q:What is the OELPA?
A:The Ohio [Language] Proficiency Test. We take it every year in March to see what the students have learned in English to check their proficiency, to check their success with the language. If students pass the OLEPA that certain year, then they no longer need the program. A lot of times it takes students several years of rhythm to become proficient. They start as emerging students in a language and progress. When they reach proficiency, they exit out of the ESL program and are mainstreamed right into regular classes.
Q:What is on the OLEPA?
A:There are four domains that we test over four different days. [It] takes a couple weeks because we don’t like to test them day after day. So, they take a listening domain [and] a reading domain, [to see] how proficient they are in just reading the language and answering questions. A speaking domain, where they actually speak into a microphone and they get recorded. Then, the State Department grades this assessment. Then they do a writing portion. Oftentimes, they may pass three of the four domains, and they need to stay in the program till they pass all four. Writing is usually the most difficult one.
Q:What is the most important thing you want people to know when they read this article?
A:That we should put ourselves out there and greet the students that come from other places. They are just like any other teenage boy or girl. They just want to fit in, make friends and be social. It takes quite a few years for them to feel that confidence. So, to really embrace them what they might need. Maybe they need just a friend to sit with at lunch.
