Emerging Spanish Dual Programs in NYC’s Brooklyn
By Jacqueline Quiñones
Looking at the Department of Education website, there is a "link" dedicated to English Language Learners. This link introduces us to the options for English Language Learners in New York City Schools. Dual language programs have been introduced by governors of the city for a few years to promote diversity, inclusivity and the many gaps to support ELLS in NYC schools. To back up their choices to open more Dual-Language programs, many studies have been conducted to support that learning in two languages can improve academic performance in Math, Science, Social Studies and Literacy while developing bilingualism, specifically for ELL students. One of these studies is mentioned by writer Kathryn Lindholm-Leary who states “ELL students were as or more likely to be classified by state assessments as proficient in English if they were participating in DLE programs than if they were enrolled in English mainstream programs (for reviews, see Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, 2006; LindholmLeary & Genesee, 2010) (Lindholm-Leary 258).
The Dual language programs in New York City are becoming more popular in schools, in this research I will explore who these Dual language programs have as its student body. New York City known as the “melting pot” is also known for the gentrification spikes of many neighborhoods in recent years. As gentrification takes its toll on many neighborhoods mainly populated by black and latinx, I will focus on Brooklyn, a borough of New York that is currently changing drastically because of gentrification. The population in Brooklyn has dramatically shifted and so are the student demographics in its schools. I will explore the number of Spanish Dual Language programs in some neighborhoods in Brooklyn who have a history of being populated by Latino families such as Williamsburg/Bushwick and Cypress Hills while also looking at other neighborhoods in which population has shifted because of gentrification such as Carroll Gardens and Prospect Heights.
Bilingual Vs Dual Language: The difference
It is important to mention some differences between Bilingual classes and Dual Language. Although both terms may be under the same umbrella and seem like there is no difference at all, there is. Bilingual classes are considered the bridge from a home language to English, with the goal to increase English proficiency (as proficiency starts, students usually transition to an English only class) According to Blog Lectura Books “A transitional bilingual program is where students phase out their native language and adopt English, usually within three years. Because the home language receives little focus or none, it’s sometimes called subtractive bilingualism.". Dual Language classes are classes given in both languages (some schools have a 50/50 or 80/20) but nonetheless it instructs all subjects in both languages and one of the main keys of this program is to have students both native language speakers and native English speakers in one room where they can all learn from each other equally. While also increasing performance for ELL students and maintaining home language.
According to Lectura Books:
"A dual language program, according to the bilingual article, is where approximately 50 percent of the class are native English speakers and the other half speaks a foreign language. Since all students are learning a new language, it goes without saying that this type of program is a big advantage to both.”
The difference between both programs is essential in understanding where are Dual-Language programs emerging and what students are they serving.
Get to know: Brooklyn, New York City
Map of Brooklyn: Link to image https://www.pinterest.com/pin/275212227199739268/
Brooklyn needs to be looked at in terms of the evolution of its population. According to the website Urban research Maps (by the CUNY Graduate Center), their research on plurality states that “Overall, Brooklyn's population grew by 39,000 people. The White population grew by 38,774 while the Asian population increased by 75,838. Blacks lost almost 50,000 people (-49,517).” Looking at the map above, the areas mentioned in my research(highlighted in red) are the closests to Manhattan, because of this and the costs of living constantly increasing Brooklyn’s population has grown and more white middle-income families have become the new Brooklyn. Some statistics given by the Urban research Maps( BY the CUNY Graduate Center) were also as follows:
“Bedford, Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, and Clinton Hill in 2000 straddled the area of central Brooklyn with substantial Black population plurality and the Park Slope/Brooklyn Heights area with substantial White population plurality. By 2010, Black population concentration had declined and White concentration had increased. In Bedford, the White population had the greatest percentage increase of any of the major groups citywide -- 633% (an increase of almost 16,000 people), increasing the White population share in that neighborhood from 4% in 2000 to 25.5% in 2010. In Prospect Heights, the White population share increased from just over one-quarter in 2000 (28.2%) to almost half (47.2%) in 2010 (an increase of 3,818). In Clinton Hill, the White population share more than doubled from 15% in 2000 to just over 35% in 2010 (an increase of 7,419).”
”Similarly, Whites increased their number in what the Planning Department refers to as Williamsburg-North Side/South Side by 10,245 and their share of the population from 34% to 52%. The Latino population declined in this neighborhood by almost 25% (from a population share in 2000 of 57% -- 22,923 people -- to just under 38% in 2010 (17,268). Whites also increase their presence in Williamsburg (5,041) and East Williamsburg (4,444).”
This research shows how drastically the population in Brooklyn has changed and in zones such as Williamsburg, which was very known for its Latino community, yet it’s number of hispanic population has declined. Although this data is from 2010, it is well known that Brooklyn is going through a big change in population and is now the target of many new ads about luxury buildings and is inviting new Middle-Income families to these communities, therefore changing the dynamics of a lot of these schools. Some ads that can be seen around Brooklyn to attract many middle income families to these “up and coming” areas:
The Schools:
In this research, I will be looking at 14 schools within Brooklyn’s New York City public school system. The schools are as follows:
----Brooklyn Community DISTRICT 6 P.S. 112 - Park Slope area P.S. 230- Park Slope P.S. 058- Carroll Gardens P.S. 133 - Park Slope/Gowanus
-------Brooklyn Community DISTRICT 8 P.S. 009 - Prospect Heights P.S. 705 - Prospect heights
------Brooklyn Community DISTRICT 1 P.S. 147 - Williamsburg P.S. 84 - Williamsburg P.S. 110- Williamsburg P.S. 132 - Williamsburg P.S. 319- Williamsburg P.S. 257 - Williamsburg Brooklyn Brownstone School- Bushwick P.S.214- Bushwick Area
My research is based on all the information collected from each school’s individual website as well as their NYC Gov school website. The NYC Gov website will be useful in this research because it has information about students demographics in each schools, while the schools individual website will allow me to confirm if they offer a Spanish Dual-Language program. Two of the schools listed above (P.S. 214 and P.S.257) required me to call into the school and ask if they offered a Spanish-Dual Language program (because little to no information was available on their site) I will use this information to determine if there is a correlation between the growth of mostly white middle-income families into Brooklyn and the sudden growth of Dual-Language programs in the area. The correlation between the two, if any, will give me a small insight on who are these programs really serving, if they are serving ELL students (specifically within the hispanic/latinx community) which are the ones these programs are usually targeted to or if these Dual-language programs are a means of attraction to monolingual middle-income white families. Especially because there is research that backs up the amazing benefits of dual language classes on ELLs, which can lead to ELLs outperforming their monolingual classmates “there is now a sizeable research base in bilingual education, which convincingly shows that emergent bilinguals who have the opportunity to develop and maintain their home languages in school are likely to outperform their peers in English-only programming and succeed academically” (Kate Menken, 6.)
Findings:
This chart will include findings according to data found on the school website and Schools.nyc.gov, school will have direct link to school’s nycgov statistics.
[Image table]
Results:
It is important to see the way the student demographics in these schools reflect the changes these communities have had throughout the years. The Hispanic/Latinx community is growing in New York City and is important to see what is happening with our children and if they are actually getting the benefits as English Language Learners or simply as Spanish- Speakers. One of the main claims of Dual language classes besides being able to help ELLs is to keep the home language and strengthen it. Therefore, it is expected that schools with high Hispanic/Latinx populations will offer Spanish dual language programs. Out of the 14 schools in this research, 9 schools have higher hispanic to white populations. 5 of these schools offered a Spanish language program(some have a catch which will be mentioned) but only 2 schools met the qualifications of high hispanic/latinx population offering a Spanish Dual language program (P.S. 705 in Prospect Heights and P.S.319 in Williamsburg) with no rigid applications or other rules. P.S. 319 currently has a 91% Hispanic population and 37% of these students are English language learners, in this situation it can be implied that students at P.S.319 are getting all the benefits of Dual language learning.
Narrowing down schools to 2 was done based on the following:
P.S.230 located in Park Slope( area in Brooklyn highly populated by white middle income families) has a higher hispanic to white school population but it is part of the gifted and talented application. Which means students must go through a rigid application process, this is problematic because it makes the dual language spanish program as a program for the gifted which is very appealing for middle income families. Alina Adams mom and New York-Times bestselling author mentioned this scenario in her blog Cui Bono: Who Really Benefits From Dual Language Education? Here she mentions:
“In many top-performing public schools, the Dual Language programs are filled with native English speakers whose parents are looking to give them another advantage. Mandarin is definitely the hot ticket, although an administrator at a school which offers both Spanish and Mandarin told me, “white parents want Mandarin, while Asian parents point out it’s only spoken in a few places, places where everyone also does business in English. They want Spanish. They think Spanish is the true global language!”
"At another school with a Dual Language Spanish program, a Kindergarten class didn’t have a single native Spanish speaker. All those parents wanted their kids learning English! Alternately, due to the lack of Gifted & Talented seats, savvy parents are opting for Dual Language programs as a way to make the standard curriculum more challenging in schools they would never attend otherwise.”
P.S. 133 located in Prospect Heights(also a developing area, but at a much slower rate than Park Slope) has a very close white to hispanic population. It can be implied that because of the white 30% to hispanic 33% student body, it is more appleling for the school to offer a Spanish Dual language program.
P.S.84 located in Williamsburg also offers a Spanish Dual language program but it also offers one ESL classroom. This is problematic because if ESL classes are offered for ELLs, they are most likely not the ones being placed in Dual language classes as an english language learner. Therefore not getting the benefits that many researches and even Chancellors have talked about.(link)
BILINGUAL:
As stated in the beginning pages, Bilingual and Dual Language learning are not the same. P.S.257 located in Williamsburg, consists of 76% Hispanic students and they do not offer a Spanish Dual Language program, instead they offer a Bilingual program. Meaning English will be the language students will learn and eventually forget their Spanish instead of further developing it. (It is important to mention this is one of the schools I called to get information and when told they do not offer dual but bilingual, she mentioned that District 1 had dual language… district one is the Williamsburg area district) P.S.214 in the Bushwick area also has a population of 34% hispanic and does not offer Spanish Dual language, but offers a bilingual program.
WHITE POPULATION:
This chart also showcases very important disparities happening in our schools. P.S.009 located in Prospect Heights has a higher white student body yet Spanish Dual language programs are offered in this school. P.S.147 located in Williamsburg shows disparities as well with 61% of its population being Hispanic and no Spanish Dual language programs are offered at this school, but Jappanesse Dual language is offered. As this community is changing, it is to be implied something like a Jappanese Dual Language program at a school with mostly Hispanic students while Asian population is 4% definitely tells us the emerging changes happening to this area of Brooklyn. (click here to see pictures and a blog of their program… the pictures of the students who are part of it, say it all). Another school in a similar position is P.S.112 in Park Slope divides its population having a high of 37% Hispanic, 38% Asian and 25% White yet only Italian Dual Language is offered. In this case this school with such a high number or Hispanic students can benefit of a program also in Spanish.
Conclusions:
It can be implied with the research above that there is definitely some correlations with the amount of Spanish Dual Language programs growing in Brooklyn and the change in population. According to the findings in this research many schools are presenting Spanish Dual language programs as an extra ticket for White middle income and being unfairly distributed. The schools in this research that were highly populated by white students had at least a French Dual language program while the ones with hispanic populations don’t get to benefit from the use of their home language. I believe bilingualism is a strong tool for all students and in recent years it has become a tool that everyone emphasises to be critical specially for success at a job field. Although being bilingual is for everyone, middle income families usually have the resources to pay for the luxury of bilingualism that seems to be offered very strongly at no cost in these areas, while students who may benefit from these classes are immersed in the English language with no focus on developing their home language or first language. As an educator myself I have witnessed dual language programs in Brooklyn have 1 to no english language learners or native Spanish Speakers. This research of 14 schools is a very small representation of the Brooklyn school system but it can definitely be used as a pilot study for a future more in-depth research where perhaps all school in Brooklyn or in other boroughs can be looked at for comparisons or discussions.
Bibliography:
Adams, Alina “Do Dual Language Programs Keep the Language of Privilege from Kids Who Need It Most?”, New York School Talk, July 24 2017, http://newyorkschooltalk.org/2017/07/dual-language-programs-keep-language-privilege-kids-need/
Lectura Books, The Differences Between Bilingual and Dual Language Program https://www.lecturabooks.com/differences-bilingual-dual-language-programs/
Lindholm-Leary, Kathryn. “Success And Challenges In Dual Language Education.” Theory Into Practice, vol. 51, no. 4, 2012, pp. 256–262.
Menken, Kate “No Child Left Bilingual: Accountability and the Elimination of Bilingual Education Programs in New York City Schools” Educational Policy XX(X) 1–30 Nyc Schools, schools.nyc.gov
Urban Research Maps by the CUNY Graduate Center New York City demographic shifts, 2000 to 2010 http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/plurality/