Grant Expected To Smooth Learning For Immigrant Students

While Hernando County may have a relatively low immigrant population compared with other Florida counties, immigrant students still often have unique learning needs.

Those needs will soon be addressed with a comprehensive program designed to ease recently arrived immigrants' transition into American society and increase their performance on standardized tests, made possible through a new, $26,000 state grant for local schools.

The grant - the first obtained by the district's new grant writer, Eric Williams - will fund a new parent involvement night and the purchase of new software designed to improve English proficiency for students who are not yet fluent, said Jeff Yungmann, district curriculum specialist.

"We're really excited about this," he said. "Students will be going through proficiency development with a teacher, and then providing a home connection with the software and (family) night to provide a continuation of strategies and technology initiatives."

Hernando County public schools currently serve 122 recently-arrived immigrant students. However, immigrant student registrations have increased significantly since 2000, with the total number of English language learners in Hernando County increasing to 7 percent in 2007, according to Florida School Indicators reports.

"The state has felt this is a trend in the majority of districts, and we feel it's a significant one," Yungmann said. "Our county has continued with the testing of students for ELL (classes), yet I think more of an emphasis now will be on the recently arrived immigrants and providing them with a smoother transition into our schools, with a particular focus on reading and language as a priority."

The new computer software will be used by teachers in ELL classes, and will also include a take-home component that students will use for reading. Officials are also in the process of organizing a "techno-cultural" night, held soon, that will include both technology and cultural recognition from students' native countries.

"I want to be able to help students share strategies and targeted instruction with their parents within their language arts, reading and other content area classes," Yungmann said. "I feel like this is a great opportunity to assist students with the acquisition of language instruction and related components addressing fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development."

Nationally, Hernando County's immigrant population growth mirrors trends of immigrants' native countries and primary languages spoken at home, according to 2007 Hernando County Schools' Home Language Survey data.

Of Hernando County's total recently arrived immigrant student population, Latin Americans comprise 48 percent, Asians comprise 26 percent and Europeans 25 percent, Yungmann said.

Although English is not a second language for all, that number includes 12 students from Mexico, 11 from Germany, eight from the Philippines and nine from Cuba, he added.

The district expects to receive an additional $26,000 grant to fund enhanced programs for immigrant students and parents in January.