Brophy Elementary School,

Framingham Public Schools, Massachusetts

The Spanish bilingual program started in September 1994 at Brophy Elementary School. The K-2 TBE program was moved out of its existing school into Brophy School at that time (Grades 3-5 were in another school). Initially, only grades K-3 were housed at Brophy. One of the goals was to create a full K-5 strand, which was accomplished SY 1997-1998 when the first 5th grade was opened.

Two important program changes have taken place since 1994. First, the TBE program design was changed into a late exit/maintenance design, referred to as "general bilingual education" program or GBE. Second, in 1998, the school started the process of transforming the Spanish GBE program into a Two-Way Bilingual Program. After an initial planning year, the Two-Way Bilingual Education Program (TWBE) started in Kindergarten in September 1998. Currently, the TWBE Program is implemented in grades K-2, and the GBE program continues in grades 3-5. Each year, the TWBE program is expanded with one grade level, thus gradually phasing out the GBE program.

Although Brophy has two programs, the achievement results that are presented in this portrait are those of the GBE program in grade 4. The information therefore focuses on the program goals and design of this program and places less emphasis on the TWBE program. The student placement procedures, basic program design, and program goals for the Two-Way Bilingual Education Program at Brophy are the same, however, as our TWBE program at Barbieri school, which received a Portraits of Success Award in Fall 2000.

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Program profile

The school:

Number of students: 522
Grade levels: K to G5

The bilingual program:

Start date: September 1, 1994    
Number of students: 197
Bilingual program grade levels:

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Student outcomes

Languages of assessment:

Standardized Tests
The Stanford Achievement Test in English has been administered to fifth graders who attended the program for three years or more since Spring of 1998. The Aprenda (Spanish achievemnet) has been administered in grade 3 since 1995 to determine grade level reading levels in Spanish.

Second, from 1997 to 1999 the Massachusetts State Department mandated that school districts administer the IOWA Reading Test in third grade. Due to the criteria for the inclusion of students in bilingual programs, the Spanish speakers did not take the IOWA in 1997, but they did participate in 1998 and 1999. The IOWA is no longer administered by the State Department of Education and has been replaced by the MCAS (see below).

Finally, since Spring 1998, students have been required to participate in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) which is based on the state's Curriculum Frameworks. This is a high-stakes test that students must pass in 10th grade in order to graduate from high school as of SY 2001. The MCAS measures whether students are meeting the academic standards set by the state in English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science and Technology, and History and Social Science. For Spanish-speaking students, the regulations stated that students can take the MCAS in Spanish if they have been in a U.S. school less than three years and are literate in Spanish.

Recently, the state has changed the grade levels at which the MCAS is administered. In the Spring of 1998 and 1999 the test was given to 4th, 8th and 10th graders in Language Arts, Math and Science and Technology. Try-outs were given for History and Social Studies in 1999. In 2000, 4th graders took the Language and Literature, Mathematics, and Science and Technology test. The 8th and 10th graders took the Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science and Technology, and the History and Social Studies test. This school year (Spring 2001) students will participate in the following MCAS tests: English Reading (Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 7, Grade 10), English Composition (Grade 4, Grade 8, Grade 10), Mathematics (Grade 4, Grade 6, Grade 8, Grade 10), Science (Grade 5, Grade 8, Grade 10), Social Studies and History (Grade 5, Grade 8, Grade 10).

All Brophy GBE students have taken the MCAS in grade 4: some took the Spanish bilingual version, others took the English version depending on how many years they had been in U.S. schools.

Other English Proficiency Assessment
In compliance with the Massachusetts bilingual education state law, teachers administer additional tests to measure progress in English oral proficiency and English. Oral English proficiency is measured annually at every grade level using an oral language proficiency matrix, the Massachusetts English Language Assessment-Oral (MELA-O). Teachers assess students' second language comprehension and production on a five-point scale. Language production is further divided into four subcategories: fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. The MELA-O is also used as an indicator for L2 proficiency in Spanish for native English speakers in the TWBE.

English reading and writing proficiency are currently measured by the Language Assessment Scale-Reading/Writing (LAS R/W; Duncan & deAvila, 1990). This is a basic reading and writing test and is administered in grades 2 and up to all students who have been in the program since the beginning of the school year, regardless of grade level.

The data below focuses on improvement of achievement patterns of students who are still inthe bilingual program. The new design has not been implemented long enough to consider achievement patterns of students who have left the program. This analysis will be done in the future as another measurement of success.

Do students achieve grade level performance in Spanish by third grade?
Although the bilingual program is not a maintenance program, the program design recognizes the importance of grade level literacy skills to support the development of second language literacy skills. It is therefore expected that students will achieve at grade level by third grade in their native language. The GBE students take the Aprenda in third grade (Table 1).

Table 1 Average NCE for Spanish Bilingual Program Students 1997-2000

Note: The Aprenda was not administered Spring 1999

Table 1 shows that the average NCE has consistently improved for the third graders at Brophy with students now scoring above grade level in Spanish Reading.

How do Brophy GBE LEP students do compared to LEP students statewide on the MCAS?
Before presenting the MCAS data, it is worth mentioning that Brophy School was recognized by the State Department of Education as one of just 19 Massachusetts schools whose third graders scored higher than schools with similar socio-economic student populations in the Iowa Reading Tests for three consecutive years. Administration of the Iowa Test was discontinued in 1999.

However, our data analysis focuses on the results of the current state test, the MCAS. Table 2 shows that Brophy GBE LEP students do slightly better than LEP students statewide on the 4th grade MCAS in Language Arts and Mathematics and significantly better in Science. The table compares the average scaled scores for the MCAS 2000.

Table 2 Comparison of Average Scaled Scores on the MCAS 2000 between Grade 4 Brophy GBE students and all LEP students in Massachusetts

Table 4 shows that the Brophy GBE students currently score above the state average for LEP students, especially in the area of Science.

It is also important to consider whether there are any significant differences in the amount of progress that the program has been able to make over time. This issue will be considered below.

Do Brophy GBE LEP students demonstrate improvement in academic achievement patterns on the MCAS over the past three years? How does this improvement compare to statewide patterns?

Brophy GBE students have made significant gains on the MCAS, which is a difficult test for second language learners. Figures 2a, b, c show how Brophy GBE students have consistently improved in each area tested. They have increased 4-6 scaled points over three years, which is a significant increase. In addition, the figures compare the Brophy GBE average scaled scores from 1998 and 2000 for Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science with those for LEP students in the state. Each figure clearly shows that, whereas LEP students statewide showed little improvement from 1998 to 2000, Brophy GBE students made significant gains and are now scoring above the state average, particularly in science.

Integrating bilingual students, parents and staff.
One of the key components of the bilingual program's effectiveness is its status in the school. The program is an integral part of the school setting and is seen as an equal to the standard curriculum not as a remedial or substandard program. This is indicated by the following outcomes:

• In SY 1999-2000, Brophy reached 100% attendance at Parent-Teacher Conferences, including all bilingual program parents.
• In 1999, for the first time there were 4 bilingual teams in the school's Parent-Student Science Fair.
• The Recorder Club has eight native Spanish-speaking bilingual program students out of a total of 23 students (31%). The bilingual students population represents 25% of the total Brophy school population.
• Bilingual Program Staff is in leadership roles, including mentoring, professional development for the school on rubric assessments.
• School Improvement Plan goals specifically refer to improvement objectives for bilingual program students.
• Bilingual teachers meet with grade level standard curriculum teachers on a bi-weekly basis as grade level teams for joint curriculum planning and assessment.
• Bilingual students and native English-speaking students are integrated through specials (music, art, physical education) but also for social studies and science at all grade levels.
• Signs in the school are in Spanish and English.
• Parent-school communications go home in Spanish and English.
• Bilingualism is promoted as a value for all through Spanish classes for staff, a world language component for standard curriculum students, bilingual displays, translators at all meetings, bilingual communications.

The following programs include the Bilingual Program, though they are geared toward the whole school:

• Reading Recovery (offered in English and Spanish)
• Title I is offered in Spanish and English.
• Special education services are offered in Spanish and English.
• Social competency-Rights and Responsibilities: program to encourage children to be effective and productive school citizens. All staff, including custodians, clerical and lunchroom staff, aides, etc. has been trained in this approach to discipline.
• Computer lab.
• Creative Arts Program with specific focus on multicultural themes.
• Partnerships with MetroWest Bank, Callahan Senior Center (intergenerational projects).
• Fifth graders participate in the Horizons for Youth Outdoor Education program.
• PTO sponsors family events including an annual roller skating party and multicultural festival.

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Community response to the program

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Program funding

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Contact information

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THE EDUCATION ALLIANCE at Brown University
Program: The Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory

222 Richmond Street, Suite 300, Providence, RI 02903-4226
Phone: 401/274-9548 | 800/521-9550 | FAX: 401/421-7650 | TTY: 800/745-5555