Excited and proud students, parents, faculty and staff gathered at Dora Kennedy French Immersion School (DKFI) on Friday, June 7 to celebrate eight students exiting the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program and receiving Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) ESOL medals, and four students showing substantial ESOL growth. The 2023-2024 program had 22 students, of whom eight graduates is a 34 percent graduation rate, the highest ever at DKFI, and almost five times the countywide seven percent rate. The graduation percentage is even more remarkable since DKFI ESOL students do their schoolwork in French while learning English. Students whose home language is not French function in at least three languages, such as Spanish, French and English. One trilingual fourth grader graduated with the highest possible test score of 6.0.
Instruction and testing
Students attend one-on-one instruction with DKFI ESOL teacher Dr. Sonia O’Connell. Most DKFI ESOL students began in kindergarten, when the DKFI lottery admits most students. This means some of today’s ESOL students began French immersion school and ESOL on Zoom in the pandemic. Dr. O, as everyone calls her, said her role is to encourage students to believe they can learn English, and that she will show them how.
States annually test students’ English proficiency per federal requirements. Maryland (and 42 other states, territories and Washington, D.C.) tests ESOL students with the ACCESS test from the Wisconsin-based WIDA consortium for multilanguage learners. ACCESS tests listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, with difficulty increasing by grade. Some skills are tested with pencil and paper and some online, with all testing online from fourth grade forward. DKFI tested in early 2024. WIDA did the scoring and reported results in May, with eight students scoring the 4.5 or better (of 6.0) needed to exit ESOL.
Student Highlights
Students honored Friday come from countries and family backgrounds including Cameroon, France, Guatemala, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo, with home languages including Arabic, French, Spanish and local languages.
Fourth grader Coumba Toure moved with her family from Paris in August 2023, missing Paris friends and family and deciding not to speak English, according to parents Aminata and Yoro Toure and Dr. O. Her parents said, “Now we see [her and kindergartener Omar] speaking and being comfortable with other kids.” Coumba said, “I didn’t talk in English, and now I talk too much.”
Fourth graders Rodayna Atlas and Boambe Kombate talked to the News Review together. Boambe: “We learn English better and we have to pass the test to prove that we’ve learned well.” Rodayna: “I was only 7 when I took the test and thought, hopefully I passed, and I passed.” Boambe: “And you have to write paragraphs [Rodayna inserted: ‘very hard’] It was kinda hard because it has to be three to five sentences, oh my, gosh, it was so hard.” Rodayna: “We both got 4.8, and when [Dr. O] said ‘Pass,’ I started to scream.”
Gratitude
Students, parents and staff treasure how Dr. O helps students succeed. Parent Aminata Toure said, “[Dr. O] tried to make [Coumba] comfortable with the move and come slowly to English.… After that she opened up to other teachers and staff.” Cecilia Perez Ramirez has had four children learn with Dr. O, saying, “I see a lot of growth in my kids. She always pushes them to do better. They say they had ‘an amazing day, she helped us read more books. She inspires us, she always tells us to read, because it’s a way to learn’.” Children and parents showed love and gratitude for Dr. O, with one parent spreading her arms wide to show how welcome Dr. O and DKFI make them feel. Principal James Spence paid tribute to the heart she put into taking DKFI ESOL scholars to the next level. He also recognized parents’ support for the ESOL and French immersion programs, noting their efforts to navigate in multiple languages.
Next Year
Fourth grader Joseph Aguilar’s advice to ESOL students is, “You need to take notes or find clues by using three strategies. The first is reading the title, the second is read the first sentence of each paragraph, and it’s a strategy that you highlight the important words to answer the question.” First grader Giuliana Mejia said, “You should do a great job and try to get everything right. You may know the answer or you may not, but you need to work hard and focus.” That advice will serve DKFI ESOL students well. When Dr. O’Connell warned Principal Spence not to expect similar 34 percent results next year, he agreed: “I don’t. I expect better.”