And at Columbus, several parents have asked if they can just sign a form, as they have in the past, exempting their children. Alisa Brown, another fifth-grade teacher at Columbus, said most students know the scores won't count against the school and worries they won't take it seriously. Help needed In Flores' grade book, Oklahoma gets low scores for not adopting a strong curriculum for bilingual education and English as a second language programs, she said. Most bilingual education programs teach core academic subjects in the native language while also teaching English-speaking skills. English as a second language programs give students intensive instruction in English.
Some schools have bilingual assistants who can help students individually.
Nationwide, nearly 30 percent of students with limited English receive no extra help, according to the federal office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs. They are not taught how to speak English, nor are they given additional assistance in core academic subjects such as math and science. Eighty percent of schools looking for certified bilingual teachers fail. Fewer than 20 percent of the teachers working with such students are certified in that area, according to the agency. The state needs to do more.