Foreign language programs -- including a French program at Crofton Woods Elementary School -- will be the focus of a county school board review this week.
"We want to know exactly what is out there in the schools," said Carlesa Finney, board president.
Language coordinator Patti Orndorff will lead the presentation to the board during its meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Northeast Senior High School.
Almost a year ago, a consultant recommended that the French immersion program at Crofton Woods be moved to a magnet school and that standardized tests be given to measure students' progress. The board considered those recommendations but took no action.
Kindergartners through third-graders in the Crofton Woods program, which is voluntary, take all of their classes in French. School officials had planned to hire another teacher every year until there was one for each grade through fifth.
From its start three years ago, the French-only classes polarized parents at the school. Opponents said it would change Crofton Woods from a neighborhood school to a magnet school and that the pupils -- fewer than 10 percent of the more than 600 enrolled -- get privileges others don't.
Last summer, when the board was pressed into making $9 million in budget cuts, it voted to eliminate an $8,000 position, effectively cutting off the program for incoming kindergarten students.
When the board reviewed the consultant's report in April, several members said they were concerned that the project did not seem to have a clear beginning or end or a means to measure achievements of or benefits for pupils.
The board is not scheduled to vote on or make any changes in the French immersion program or any other foreign language instruction tomorrow. Finney said the discussion will give the board a chance to learn what is available in elementary schools other than Crofton Woods and to talk about what needs to be changed or expanded.
"In my opinion, we need to see how we can expand on early language learning," Finney said. "French immersion is only one model. I went to a conference on early language learning, and I could see how we are lagging behind other school districts."
French, Spanish, Latin and Russian are offered in middle and high schools. Foreign languages are available in two elementary schools, Crofton Woods and Davidsonville, where there is a small Spanish class.
"The No. 1 benefit is that when kids learn a second language, they compare it to their own and there is a lot of problem solving going on," Finney said. "And it's a self-esteem issue. When they conquer a foreign language, they feel good about themselves."
Pub Date: 3/16/99