There are roughly 2,000 students at FHS, with 405 students who were a part of the FHS English Language Development program last year, according to the California Department of Education. Within FUHSD, FHS has the largest percentage of ELD students, with 18% of the student body being in some form of an ELD class. After a student moves to California from a different country, they take placement tests to determine where they rank in the ELD program or whether they even need an ELD classification at all. Those who fall into ELD categories one, two or three can take the sheltered classes that are offered in many subjects. However, there are still a few required classes that do not have ELD-inclusive options, which create additional challenges for students working to develop their English proficiency.
“There are a few [classes] that you got to take here [to graduate], and the curriculum is just not accessible if you don’t speak enough English,” FHS ELD coordinator and teacher Amy Gibson said.
Gibson’s statement stands true amongst those in the ELD programs. FHS sophomore and ELD learner Sherry Tang shared her personal experiences with switching from learning in Chinese to English.
“I have to translate in my mind to Chinese, then I understand English,” Tang said.
FHS sophomore Ella Santos explained that she had to adjust to the cultural differences at FHS compared to her old school in the Philippines. She highlighted the contrast between the school’s environments, particularly in terms of classroom culture and student interaction.
“[Filipino schools] just seem a lot less social,” Santos said. “People focus on school more and here, it’s like a very social area to be in.”
While students like Santos point out the differences in school culture, adjusting to a new country involves more than social dynamics. Although FHS strives to create an inclusive environment that supports its students, ELD students may face obstacles both inside and outside the classroom. Some of these challenges may extend beyond academics as the broader political and immigration trends influence students’ arrival in the U.S. As immigration rates continue dropping, according to the United States Census Bureau, it is reflecting in the FHS ELD program’s enrollment.
“Normally, we get about 100 students arriving from other countries here and there over the course of the school year,” Gibson said. “That [number] was closer to 30 this year, so it dropped a ton.”
Gibson also shared her thoughts on the reasons why she is seeing a decline in ELD students, sharing that she does not predict a sudden stop in new students arriving to the U.S.
“I don’t think that [immigration] will stop. All that we’ve done in this current political climate is push the line where someone says ‘Okay, this is it. I am so desperate I need to leave my home, leave my community,’” Gibson said. “That line has gotten pushed out a little bit, but it didn’t disappear.”
Despite the challenges that ELD students may face, they continue to make up a large portion of the student body to help shape the FHS community, contributing a wide range of perspectives, languages and cultural experiences and backgrounds.
