Copyright 2001 The Miami HeraldAll Rights Reserved
The Miami Herald
February 18, 2001 Sunday FINAL EDITION
The Miami Herald
February 18, 2001 Sunday FINAL EDITION
SECTION: FOCUS; Pg. 1L
HEADLINE: WITH THE STATE'S HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS, EDISON HIGH SCHOOL FACES AN UPHILL BATTLE
BYLINE: ANALISA NAZARENO
BODY:
Edison High School is like no other high school in Florida.
Nestled between Liberty City and Little Haiti, it has the state's highest percentage of students still learning English, the lowest math and reading test scores, and quite possibly, the greatest number of students living in poverty.
Teachers and researchers have found some innovative ways to reduce the negative effects of poverty on learning. But they struggle to find ways to help non-English speaking students learn the language more quickly.
About one-fourth of the students at Edison High School - a little more than 600 - are learning English in intensive language classes in a program called ESOL: "English for speakers of other languages."
About 22 of the ESOL students who have recently arrived from Haiti don't know how to read or write in any language. They're in a program called "New Beginnings," which goes over basic literacy skills, such as how to read and write letters and sound them out.
In the face of these challenges, students, teachers and the school's principal are fighting to meet the state's standards for passing rates on the tough Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Saturday school, after-school tutoring, intensive English language courses, an emphasis on training and preparing for the test, tightened security - and sometimes outright prayer - are all part of the effort to do better.
"Edison is a place unto itself," said Allene Grognet, the director of the Sunbelt office for the Center for Applied Linguistics, a national nonprofit organization that works at improving language instruction through research and study.
HEADLINE: WITH THE STATE'S HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS, EDISON HIGH SCHOOL FACES AN UPHILL BATTLE
BYLINE: ANALISA NAZARENO
BODY:
Edison High School is like no other high school in Florida.
Nestled between Liberty City and Little Haiti, it has the state's highest percentage of students still learning English, the lowest math and reading test scores, and quite possibly, the greatest number of students living in poverty.
Teachers and researchers have found some innovative ways to reduce the negative effects of poverty on learning. But they struggle to find ways to help non-English speaking students learn the language more quickly.
About one-fourth of the students at Edison High School - a little more than 600 - are learning English in intensive language classes in a program called ESOL: "English for speakers of other languages."
About 22 of the ESOL students who have recently arrived from Haiti don't know how to read or write in any language. They're in a program called "New Beginnings," which goes over basic literacy skills, such as how to read and write letters and sound them out.
In the face of these challenges, students, teachers and the school's principal are fighting to meet the state's standards for passing rates on the tough Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Saturday school, after-school tutoring, intensive English language courses, an emphasis on training and preparing for the test, tightened security - and sometimes outright prayer - are all part of the effort to do better.
"Edison is a place unto itself," said Allene Grognet, the director of the Sunbelt office for the Center for Applied Linguistics, a national nonprofit organization that works at improving language instruction through research and study.
◊
It's Tuesday night at Traz Powell Stadium.
Steven Niad, the coach for Edison's girls soccer team, stands near the team's goal line, resting his hands on his considerable hips and yelling: "Cassandra, watch that player!"
About 20 feet away, Aelina Milhomme, the team's other coach, cups her hands and yells the same thing in Haitian Creole: "Cassandra, make jwe sa!"
The girls are playing Miami Springs High School. If they win, they move on to district finals. If they lose, that's the end of the Edison Red Raiders' season.
The girls get an early lead when Jesula Phedor, the team's leading defender, scores the first goal.
"It's a long shot, but I'd love it if we could pull it off," Principal Santiago Corrada says, rubbing his hands. "I love it when we beat money."
In the second half of the game, defender Naomie Petit-Homme, No. 13, gets kicked in the shin, falls to the ground and must be lifted off the field.
Ice on her head, leg fractured, eyes red and welled-up, Naomie stares blankly as Corrada crouches beside her and asks: "Are you OK? How are you feeling?"
A 16-year-old sophomore, Naomie has been in this country for six months. She answers only after Milhomme asks her the questions in Haitian Creole.
"Most of the girls have been in the country for less than three years," Milhomme explains. "They hired me because of the language situation. Because I speak Creole and played soccer, they thought I could help out."
Throughout the night, Niad yells commands. Milhomme translates. Corrada watches.
And the girls pass the ball, attempt goals, get frustrated.
In the end, they lose.
Goalie Queteline St. Jean - the 19-year-old senior who blocked at least 10 goals this night - is in tears, her hands covering her face.
Niad tells her on the bus heading back to Edison: "You played your best and I'm happy with that."
Sitting in the back, the goalie answers: "I am not. It wasn't good enough."
Steven Niad, the coach for Edison's girls soccer team, stands near the team's goal line, resting his hands on his considerable hips and yelling: "Cassandra, watch that player!"
About 20 feet away, Aelina Milhomme, the team's other coach, cups her hands and yells the same thing in Haitian Creole: "Cassandra, make jwe sa!"
The girls are playing Miami Springs High School. If they win, they move on to district finals. If they lose, that's the end of the Edison Red Raiders' season.
The girls get an early lead when Jesula Phedor, the team's leading defender, scores the first goal.
"It's a long shot, but I'd love it if we could pull it off," Principal Santiago Corrada says, rubbing his hands. "I love it when we beat money."
In the second half of the game, defender Naomie Petit-Homme, No. 13, gets kicked in the shin, falls to the ground and must be lifted off the field.
Ice on her head, leg fractured, eyes red and welled-up, Naomie stares blankly as Corrada crouches beside her and asks: "Are you OK? How are you feeling?"
A 16-year-old sophomore, Naomie has been in this country for six months. She answers only after Milhomme asks her the questions in Haitian Creole.
"Most of the girls have been in the country for less than three years," Milhomme explains. "They hired me because of the language situation. Because I speak Creole and played soccer, they thought I could help out."
Throughout the night, Niad yells commands. Milhomme translates. Corrada watches.
And the girls pass the ball, attempt goals, get frustrated.
In the end, they lose.
Goalie Queteline St. Jean - the 19-year-old senior who blocked at least 10 goals this night - is in tears, her hands covering her face.
Niad tells her on the bus heading back to Edison: "You played your best and I'm happy with that."
Sitting in the back, the goalie answers: "I am not. It wasn't good enough."
◊
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