'English language learners' succeed in St. Paul, Minn.

Many teachers are frustrated, however, because they feel like "it's become less about developing English language proficiency and more and more about test prep," says John Segota, a spokesman for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages in Alexandria, Va.

Brian Zambreno, the high school ELL liaison in St. Paul, recalls a math test that included a section of questions linked to a picture of a pig. Some Muslim students took offense at the image and skipped the whole section, he says, so their scores did not accurately reflect their math skills.

NCLB also requires schools to ensure that all teachers are rated as "highly qualified," but when it comes to academic subjects, "teachers that can teach a rigorous course with ELL students [are] hard to find," says Melissa Lazarín, senior policy analyst for education reform at the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group in Washington.

Mindful of a range of such criticisms, the Department of Education is working with states to improve assessments for English language learners.

The gaps are harder to close at the high school level, says St. Paul ELL director Silva. After being with American peers for a number of years, immigrants sometimes pick up the attitude that school is boring, she says. Many are in low-income families and have to juggle school and work. For older recent arrivals, there can be too much to learn in the few years before they turn 21 and are too old for the system.

One choice of high schools here is International Academy – LEAP, designed for students who have been in the US less than three years. Because some have never had formal schooling, teachers here have to explain "how to hold a pencil and how to analyze a chart, all within the same week," says Sandy Muellner, who teaches biology and a careers class.

For those who reach 21 before they've mastered enough academic skills for college, Ms. Muellner worries they could be stuck in low-wage jobs for the rest of their lives. Yet some students progress quickly.

Deeq Salad arrived two years ago from Somalia, where he had just two hours of school a day. Aiming for a career in architecture, he has passed two of three proficiency tests needed for technical college.

At Como Park, one of four mainstream high schools here with an English Language Center for newcomers, ELL teachers like Jodie Russell want to close gaps not just in academics, but in extracurricular activities, too. Hmong boys have recently joined several sports teams, and a dozen ELL students took Ms. Russell's suggestion to check out the Sadie Hawkins dance.

Her class today is working in small groups to answer questions on a story about a teenage refugee. Roda Abdullahi, wearing a long teal-green head covering, peers over the work of classmate Lee Hang and smiles sweetly as she corrects his spelling.

The theme of the book, provided by the district, is courage.

"I feel like this is the most exciting job I could possibly have," Ms. Russell says, "These kids, they're amazing. A lot of them have had more than a lifetime of experience in 15 years."

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