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English students at an Alabama school succeed with teacher support

English students at an Alabama school succeed with teacher support

Kristy Estes was making handmade piñatas with her class of English language learners on a sunny spring day when she noticed a breakthrough with one of her students.

A student who had just moved from another country to Tuscaloosa County Elementary School has finally started opening up to her classmates.

“I learned a lot about her in that hour,” Estes said, thinking to herself, “I need to provide opportunities like this for all kids to get to know each other better.”

Holt Elementary School teacher Kristy Estes, an ELL specialist, helps children whose first language was not English integrate into English classrooms, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He works with students Leslie (left) and Jeymi before they leave for their next regular class. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]

Estes, who recently took a job as an English teacher at Holt Elementary School, often makes these kinds of mental notes, always thinking about ways to engage her students and make them comfortable enough to learn English at a new school.

And so far, her efforts seem to be working.

The school was recently recognized as one of the state schools most improved schools for an increase in overall test results – mainly due to an increase in the results of English language students. The school held an assembly to honor Estes students.

As AL.com Education Lab reporters discovered in 2024 schools with the best grades from the Alabama School Report Card for the 2022-23 school year and identified local teachers whose outstanding work contributed to the school’s overall academic development.

These “Alabama teachers” demonstrate the effectiveness of evidence-based best practices in the classroom and opportunities from which other schools can learn.

“I learned as I went. But when the results came back, I was amazed.”

Krystyna Estes

Holt is an example of how small schools can support more students with different language abilities. Holt Elementary had 58 English language learners during the 2023-24 school year, almost twice as many as a decade ago.

School districts are seeing a similar trend across the state: About 20,000 English language learners were enrolled in Alabama schools in 2012, up from just over 41,000 in 2022. As populations continue to grow, more schools are thinking about adding staff and support multilingual .

Student coaching

After several years of teaching in elementary schools and preschools, Estes began earning her ESL certification just before the pandemic hit. In 2022, she became the first teacher at the school to work with English language students full-time.

“It was almost like I was building the plane while it was in the air,” Estes said. “I learned as I went. But when the results came back, I was amazed.”

chart visualization

English language support may vary from school to school; some, like Estes, will assign staff to work with students on specific skills, while others may also adapt curriculum and teaching practices to meet language needs in all grades.

One reason for using different approaches is simply that the EL student population is very diverse: English language learners may be native-born Americans or immigrants. They may already speak multiple languages, but they need help becoming fluent in English to progress in school.

Holt takes a small-group coaching approach: Estes works with small groups of students each day on their English language skills, either in her own classroom or in collaboration with other teachers.

Holt Elementary School teacher Kristy Estes, an English language learning specialist, uses visual aids to help children whose first language was not English integrate into English classrooms, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]

For the 2021-22 through 2022-23 school years, the percentage of EL students in Holt who were fluent in English tripled, from 10% to 34%.

That same year, the federal government awarded the school a record score of 82 for English language progress, taking into account students’ individual goals and language background. Some EL scores declined in 2024 but remain higher than pre-2020 levels.

Holt Elementary School teacher Kristy Estes, an English language learning specialist, helps children whose first language was not English integrate into English classrooms, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]

Experts say it’s critical for schools to have full-time, certified teachers who are trained to provide targeted support to multilingual students. But it is even more important that the entire school uses the same teaching practices and strategies. In this way, students receive constant support throughout the school day.

“When you provide English language learning professionals with these opportunities and spaces to talk together, it can increase the capacity of teachers across the school,” said Rebecca Bergey, principal investigator at Center for English language learners at American Research Institutes.

This wall at Holt Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, depicts common words used in the classroom with simple definitions. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]

Last year, Estes enlisted the help of local and state experts to help her develop the curriculum. She uses approved phonics-intensive programs to help her determine what type of support her students need. She also led workshops for other teachers in which she used techniques – such as using related words – to help build confidence in the classroom.

“The best support for EL students is where the system focuses on the question: How can we as a system take responsibility for ELs and what does that look like?” – Bergey said.

But most importantly, Estes said, she strives to create a culture of warmth and belonging in the classroom and beyond.

“I am by no means an expert. I’m just learning what works for my kids and my school,” she said. “I always start with a smile, and a hug is universal.”

Warmth and belonging at school

When a school admits a new student, it assigns them a peer mentor who can help guide them throughout the school day.

Estes is there when students win awards and when they get into trouble. After school, he spends time in the community, doing service or participating in cultural events and celebrations. She added that she answers calls at any time of the day.

The photos hang in the hallway of Holt Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Vasha Hunt | [email protected]

Thanks to these reports, she learned that many of her students were afraid of the end-of-year exam, the so-called ACCESS testwhich measures language skills.

“Some of my kids just got into a rut. They didn’t grow in any way,” she said. “And I found out they didn’t know what the test was about. They had no idea what ACCESS was or why only they needed to use it.”

So she decided to have them tested.

Last year, Estes organized a three-week ACCESS bootcamp to familiarize them with the test. She found that many students were nervous about the speaking part, so she practiced skills such as transition words and creating detailed sentences.

Estes said her student’s scores skyrocketed. One of her students achieved a perfect score and now returns to help her peers.

“I really love this job. I love these children and I will do everything I can to help them succeed,” she said. “And I think if I ever don’t feel like this, I need to get out of here.”