We live in a community where families from different countries and cultures are settling into new, more hopeful lives. Children who don’t speak English are benefiting from the Boise School District’s English Language Learners (ELL) mission: to educate each linguistically and culturally diverse student with the academic and social skills needed to succeed based on high standards for English literacy in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

        Over 2,200 students speaking approximately 100 different languages attend Boise schools. Hundreds of these students are learning English in the federally funded ELL program. A variety of sites and services are located in 11 magnet schools and at the Boise Language Academy. Students from kindergarten through grade 12 learn their subjects while also mastering a new language.

        Beyond the reality that our community is becoming enriched with a more diverse population, it’s natural to wonder what it must be like for so many newcomers who left a homeland that may hold a mixture of fond and fearful memories. Because they aren’t yet fluent in English, we wonder how they feel in a new country, what they miss, and what they are relieved to have left behind. Hope for a better future for themselves and their families keeps them focused on learning.

        New enrollees take language assessments that help determine their instructional needs. School placement depends on age and abilities. Visits to two of these sites, Morley Nelson Elementary (grades K–6) and Boise Language Academy (grades 7–12) offered me a glimpse into how ELL students benefit.

Morley Nelson Elementary School

        A large welcome banner, written in several languages, greets me at the front door. I immediately know that this place celebrates cultures and languages from around the world. Principal Lisa Roberts proudly walks me through the school, which currently teaches over 500 students. There are 175 ELL students. She says that many students are late starters, with little or no formal education before arriving in Boise. Top that off with the reality that many of these students witnessed horrific events and suffered poverty most of us have never experienced, and it’s no wonder that Boise educators face unique challenges. Some students require services from psychologists, counselors, or community agencies.

        Young ELL students are part of a pull-out program where they learn in a designated space with an ELL teacher. They meet in small groups once or twice a day to focus on language skills. Teachers use a Sheltered Individual Observation Protocol (SIOP) that adjusts and enhances strategies for learning content by tapping previous learning, making it real, and by looking at multiple approaches or strategies. Students are coached to make connections between past learning and the present.

        The ELL room is intimate and cheerful. A bank of small flags from many countries subtly tells the students that their heritage is important and respected. Even if students come from the same country, their languages or dialects may be quite different. Old rivalries between villages may still conjure up uncomfortable memories, but this school fosters a new community, one where peace and respect are nurtured and expected.

        Back in the regular classroom, students learn subjects with traditional students. Small group work encourages cooperation and a feeling of language immersion. Volunteers are there to help individual students and everything is a buzz of activity.

        As we walk down the hall, students approach their principal and know they will receive a warm greeting and a smile. Clearly, all students are valued and considered equal partners in this upbeat learning environment.

        This school is proud of their JOBS program. ELL students apply for jobs within the school such as flag raiser, BoxTop cutter, or recycler. Once the application and interview process is over, the student receives a laminated identification badge, attends staff meetings, earns respect from peers, and receives recognition for school service.

        Roberts eagerly shows me a large poster in the front hall. It depicts nine quilt squares that students drew, depicting a favorite memory from their home country. Dr. Lisa Sterling, the school psychologist, brought refugee students together to first talk about their cultures. After drawing their memories, volunteers helped students create the fabric art. The art pieces were photographed and made into note cards and posters to help raise money for the International Rescue Committee. Intermountain Gas and Idaho Magazine donated paper and printing for more than 4,500 cards. Demand for the packets of cards was brisk, and the project raised $6,000 for the International Rescue Committee. Roberts believes that these community partnerships among agencies, businesses, and students create an understanding of the power of cooperation and giving.

Boise Language Academy

        Big kids (grades 7–12) have taken over the old Jackson Elementary School. This is their second year here. Space was limited for the 163 and growing students at their previous location at Riverglen Junior High. Students may enter the Academy if they’ve been in the U.S. two years or less as a refugee or immigrant. Language assessments such as the Idaho English Language Assessment (IELA) are crucial for entrance and monitoring progress. Once enrolled, they learn the same subjects required in traditional schools, but with English language added.

        Motivation is high and time is short. Students may only stay at the Academy for four terms before being placed in a traditional school. Teachers who hold content endorsements for the subjects they teach must have two objectives for each lesson: a language objective and a learning objective. Students see the objectives written on the board. Teachers stress all uses of language during a lesson. I observe projected images of human forms labeled with body parts, posters on walls, handouts to read, and I hear oral participation that reinforces concepts. Students sit in pairs or small groups, responding to teacher questions. An atmosphere of friendly competition exists as they earn points for correct responses.

        Grace Dalpiaz is the principal at this site. She’s worked for 12 years with the ELL program and previously was a math teacher. She exudes pride in the students and the school, and she focuses on the positive when she boasts of the 30 languages presently represented at the Academy.

        We visit the library, where a sizable selection of books is organized on shelves by subject. Easy picture books are next to more difficult volumes so that students (hopefully) don’t feel any stigma in choosing any size or difficulty of reading material.

        Two popular electives for students are Newspaper and Yearbook. Dalpiaz shows me the spiral-bound yearbook from the previous year. Students write the copy, organize stories about school activities, and take photos of happenings throughout the year. They apply their language skills and creativity while learning responsibility for producing a finished product that is appreciated by all students.

        A large poster in the main hall advertises an upcoming Art Walk. Students produce creative artwork that can be appreciated by everyone, including parents and community. The idea originated in the Student Leadership Class. The class is much like a student council in a traditional high school, providing direction and options for student body participation.

        Parents of ELL students belong to the Boise Parents of English Learners (BPEL). They attend back-to-school night and parent conferences, often with translators. Dalpiaz says that when parents can meet in language groups and talk with each other, they find shared interests and support for each other. She hopes for expanded parent participation and feels that if they could be a bigger part of the school, it would have value for both their children and the school as a whole. She is looking for ways to make that happen.

        Even with the resources available to this faculty and these students, Dalpiaz says they welcome volunteers. She suggests going online to boiseschools.org/schools/bla.html for more information about applying to be a volunteer at the Academy.

        I leave these English Language Learners, feeling that their giant steps will help them fulfill their educational dreams and ultimately enrich all of our lives.

Judy Ware, Ph.D. is a Boise writer and previous teacher of Psycholinguistics. She appreciates the level of commitment needed to learn a new language and the dedication of teachers who support the English language learner.