• by Roy Johnson, M.S. and Josie Danini Supik, M.A. • IDRA Newsletter • September 1999
This summer, the Texas Education Agency released the latest data on limited English proficiency of Texas students. The Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) conducted a trend analysis of the data for the school years 1996-97 to 1998-99. The following is an outline of the key trends.
There was a 3.8 percent increase in the number of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in Texas. The greatest increases (15 percent or more) of LEP students by region were found in Education Service Center Regions: 2 (Corpus Christi), 5 (Beaumont), 7 (Kilgore), 8 (Mount Pleasant), 10 (Richardson) and 11 (Fort Worth). The greatest decreases of LEP students by region were found in Education Service Center Regions: 17 (Lubbock) and 19 (El Paso).
There was a 6.17 percent increase in the number of students served in bilingual education and a 8.26 percent increase in the number served in English as a second language (ESL) programs from 1996-97 to 1998-99. It would be expected that the increase in LEP students would be proportional to an increase of students being served in bilingual education or ESL programs. This was usually the case except for Region 5 (Beaumont) where there was a decrease in the percentage of students served by such programs.
The increase in students served in bilingual education and ESL programs is consistent with a decrease in parent denials (parents requesting their children not participate in these programs) from 1996-97 to 1998-99. Parent denials have consistently decreased over time and by region, ranging from less than 1 percent in Region 2 (Corpus Christi) to 74 percent in Region 14 (Abilene). Two increases are notable: Region 10 (Richardson) had a 101 percent increase in parent denials, and Region 5 (Beaumont) had a 1,863 percent increase in parent denials.
Of greatest concern is the increase and over-representation of LEP students in special education programs. There was a 11.7 percent increase in the number of LEP students assigned to such programs from 1996-97 to 1998-99. The increases range from 4 percent in Regions 16 (Amarillo) and 20 (San Antonio) to 53 percent in Region 8 (Mount Pleasant).
Only two of the 20 regions in Texas reported a decrease of LEP students in special education programs: Regions 4 (Houston) and 13 (Austin). Two regions reported less than a 1 percent increase: Regions 17 (Lubbock) and 19 (El Paso).
IDRA will continue to monitor the trends in bilingual education in Texas and across the nation and will continue its work to ensure that children who speak a language other than English benefit from quality instructional programs that capitalize on their language and culture.
| LEP Students Served in Texas by Region, Percent Change 1996-97 to 1998-99 |
|||||
|
Texas |
LEP |
Bilingual |
ESL |
Parent |
Special |
| 1 |
-0.26% |
3.68% |
-9.10% |
-8.56% |
13.47% |
| 2 |
18.28% |
20.52% |
29.83% |
-0.26% |
34.52% |
| 3 |
5.53% |
28.46% |
1.47% |
-19.19% |
7.65% |
| 4 |
1.86% |
9.26% |
5.66% |
-32.47% |
-6.63% |
| 5 |
34.81% |
-6.22% |
5.42% |
1863.41% |
50.67% |
| 6 |
13.61% |
12.96% |
14.95% |
24.78% |
41.14% |
| 7 |
15.60% |
21.92% |
10.85% |
50.35% |
37.43% |
| 8 |
24.49% |
94.33% |
4.54% |
75.00% |
52.54% |
| 9 |
6.37% |
21.00% |
13.68% |
-31.11% |
24.00% |
| 10 |
15.47% |
14.05% |
17.55% |
100.92% |
45.30% |
| 11 |
21.31% |
-2.98% |
29.39% |
56.91% |
43.57% |
| 12 |
11.73% |
10.61% |
16.23% |
-5.48% |
47.47% |
| 13 |
-0.02% |
14.57% |
13.86% |
-70.23% |
-13.00% |
| 14 |
-1.12% |
-7.65% |
5.00% |
-73.91% |
26.95% |
| 15 |
3.18% |
2.10% |
9.78% |
-15.25% |
19.86% |
| 16 |
-0.28% |
-7.45% |
-1.95% |
26.08% |
3.73% |
| 17 |
-6.76% |
-4.37% |
-0.55% |
-18.06% |
0.61% |
| 18 |
-4.40% |
0.93% |
-5.12% |
-13.69% |
12.31% |
| 19 |
-6.39% |
3.88% |
-1.22% |
19.70% |
0.23% |
| 20 |
-4.37% |
-4.15% |
2.04% |
-2.12% |
3.51% |
|
Total
|
3.80%
|
6.17%
|
8.26%
|
-3.70%
|
11.70%
|
| Source: Texas Education Agency, 1999. | |||||
| LEP Students in Bilingual Education Programs by Grade in Texas, 1996-97 to 1998-99 |
||||
|
Grade |
1996-97 |
1997-98 |
1998-99 |
Percent |
| EE |
194 |
224 |
155 |
-20.10% |
| PK |
31,762 |
32,733 |
34,115 |
7.41% |
| KG |
44,283 |
45,595 |
49,876 |
12.63% |
| 1st |
45,418 |
46,730 |
49,080 |
8.06% |
| 2nd |
39,882 |
42,027 |
43,937 |
10.17% |
| 3rd |
35,929 |
36,216 |
38,336 |
6.70% |
| 4th |
27,586 |
28,808 |
28,108 |
1.89% |
| 6th |
5,892 |
6,065 |
5,496 |
-6.72% |
| 7th |
582 |
412 |
439 |
-24.57% |
| 8th |
267 |
232 |
203 |
-23.97% |
| 9th |
160 |
148 |
115 |
-28.13% |
| 11th |
10 |
12 |
25 |
150.00% |
| 12th |
8 |
6 |
17 |
112.50% |
|
Total
|
253,388 |
261,685 |
269,025 |
6.17% |
| Source: Texas Education Agency, 1999. | ||||
| LEP Students Identified by Region in Texas, 1996-97 to 1998-99 |
||||
|
Region |
1996-97 |
1997-98 |
1998-99 |
Percent
|
| 1 |
115,890 |
115,842 |
115,586 |
-0.26% |
| 2 |
6,493 |
6,608 |
7,680 |
18.28% |
| 3 |
2,530 |
2,696 |
2,670 |
5.53% |
| 4 |
125,567 |
129,715 |
127,908 |
1.86% |
| 5 |
2,255 |
2,567 |
3,040 |
34.81% |
| 6 |
6,424 |
6,650 |
7,298 |
13.61% |
| 7 |
7,476 |
7,998 |
8,642 |
15.60% |
| 8 |
1,752 |
2,075 |
2,181 |
24.49% |
| 9 |
1,084 |
1,142 |
1,153 |
6.37% |
| 10 |
74,315 |
78,431 |
85,809 |
15.47% |
| 11 |
29,674 |
32,463 |
35,998 |
21.31% |
| 12 |
5,602 |
5,853 |
6,259 |
11.73% |
| 13 |
19,638 |
17,952 |
19,635 |
-0.02% |
| 14 |
1,425 |
1,465 |
1,409 |
-1.12% |
| 15 |
3,809 |
3,695 |
3,930 |
3.18% |
| 16 |
6,762 |
6,599 |
6,743 |
-0.28% |
| 17 |
4,926 |
4,873 |
4,593 |
-6.76% |
| 19 |
52,255 |
48,267 |
48,914 |
-6.39% |
| 20 |
35,759 |
34,515 |
34,198 |
-4.37% |
|
Total
|
514,263 |
519,921 |
533,805 |
3.80% |
| Source: Texas Education Agency, 1999. | ||||
Roy Johnson, M.S., is a senior research associate in the IDRA Division of Research and Evaluation. Josie Danini Supik, M.A., directs the IDRA Division of Research and Evaluation. Comments and questions may be directed to them via e-mail at feedback@idra.org.
[©1999, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the September 1999 IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]
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