Denver Public Schools is a “melting pot,” rich with diversity and culture with a student population of nearly 90,000 kids who speak 172 different languages. That diversity provides DPS with both significant challenges and wonderful opportunities in that it gives us a chance to foster high-achieving, bilingual, multiliterate graduates who will have a positive impact on our workforce and community.
Our focused, sustained efforts to address the complex educational needs of our English-language learners are paying off. Students who speak a language other than English are now achieving at higher levels in DPS than their peers in other school districts on state assessments. And our students’ year-on-year gains are significantly higher. This year, for example, DPS saw an 8 percentage-point increase on the state’s ACCESS assessments for English-language learners compared to a 4-point gain for the rest of Colorado. Remarkably, our third-graders achieved a 19 percentage-point gain.
As a district where over 40 percent of our students come from homes where English is not the first language spoken, we must focus intensely on the needs of our English-language learners. We have strengthened our training and supports to bolster our teachers’ effectiveness in instructing English-language learners. Our annual English Language Acquisition Academy provides a month of instruction for thousands of our students to help improve their English language skills during the summer. This same program offers a critical training opportunity for new teachers as they are paired in each classroom with a master ELA teacher to learn key instructional practices.
We also are implementing innovative programs, many targeted to students with the highest needs. We are doing a better job of engaging families, parents and guardians in the education of all children through efforts like home visits by teachers and a first-in-the-nation daily Spanish-language radio program aimed at parents.
Another key part of this important work is investing in native language instruction, which research is clear helps students strengthen and deepen their English literacy capabilities. We are expanding our Heritage Spanish courses in secondary school to sustain and build on the native language fluency of our students, because, in the increasingly globalized 21st century, their fluency in multiple languages will give them a vital competitive advantage.
There is still much work to be done in closing achievement gaps, but we are heading in the right direction through thoughtful, comprehensive initiatives.
Tom Boasberg is superintendent of Denver Public Schools.
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