THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015
NORTH COAST
3A
Astoria schools look at multilingual classrooms
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
Astoria School District’s
students often perform better
than the state average, said
Superintendent Craig Hoppes.
But like with other districts
nationwide, there remains an
achievement gap, in Astoria
with Hispanics and low-in-
come students.
“It’s more of an opportu-
nity gap than it is an achieve-
ment gap,” said Hoppes,
updating the Astoria School
Board on the issue Wednes-
day. “We have some kids who
don’t have the opportunities
of other kids.”
Both the district and the
school board have made cre-
ating an equitable environ-
ment for all students a long-
term goal.
Curriculum director Me-
lissa Linder brought forth a
study on the achievement gap
in Astoria, with the help of the
Oregon Department of Edu-
cation’s second-annual Kin-
dergarten Assessment, made
public Wednesday.
“We’re trying to level the
starts at the same point,” said
Linder.
Hispanic and lower-in-
come students have sim-
ilar and sometimes better
rates of attendance to their
piers, said Linder, but they
still start school with few-
er language and mathemat-
ics skills then their peers.
Hispanic-speaking kinder-
gartners in the kindergarten
assessment knew a small
fraction of the letters in their
native language that their
— Craig Hoppes
Astoria School District superintendent
English-speaking peers did.
“We know that the quick-
er they have literacy in their
language, the better they are
at acquiring English,” said
Linder.
Bilingualism
As English as a Second
Language (ESL) students
struggle to learn English, staff
often lack the Spanish skills to
best help them.
The district, which cur-
rently removes ESL students
to a separate class to work on
English, is forming a plan to
Learn to volunteer at The Harbor
Volunteers are needed at
The Harbor (formerly the
Clatsop County Women’s
Resource Center), and vol-
unteer training begins from
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 20.
Participants will be taught
the basics in compassionate
communication, crisis inter-
vention, active listening, the
impact of oppression on in-
dividuals and communities,
domestic violence and the
law and more. The training
includes educators from The
Harbor as well as experi-
enced guest speakers from
the community.
There are volunteer op-
portunities at the shelter and
during community events and
special projects. Some volun-
teers work in the client service
of the language, she said, and
there are students in Hispan-
ic-speaking families doing
‘It’s more of an opportunity gap
than it is an achievement gap.’
center, and as ongoing advo-
cates for individuals access-
ing services.
Al volunteers need to at-
embed bilingual ESL staff in
several targeted multilingual
classrooms including students
learning English. Linder said
the effort wouldn’t take any
good buy-in from existing
employees, who would train
over the summer for the ar-
rangement.
“This could have the big-
gest impact on us as a dis-
trict,” said Hoppes, pointing
toward bilingualism as an in-
creasing priority in hiring.
There’s a broad spectrum
of literacy at home regardless
hopes to provide training in
English for parents and in
Spanish for teachers.
Next steps
create a strategic plan, one of
the school board’s goals from
last year, focusing on equita-
ble — as opposed to identical
— educational approaches for
students facing different chal-
lenges. Hoppes said the dis-
-
gic plan, which will frame its
other efforts, by April.
After the strategic plan is
complete, the district will fo-
cus more on the achievement
compact. The district wants a
Hoppes, but the more realistic
time line is six to 10 years to
address systemic problems
that often leave some many
Hispanic and low-income stu-
dents behind.
According to the Ore-
gon Education Investment
Board’s report “Equity
Lens,” students of color
comprise 30 percent of en-
rollment in Oregon K-12.
Putting the issue into a larger
context, Hoppes referenced a
statement from the report on
the economic impacts of the
issue: “The persistent educa-
tional disparities have cost
Oregon billions of dollars
in lost economic output and
these losses are compounded
every year we choose not to
properly address these in-
equalities.”
Sparring elk
Training requirements vary,
depending on the type of vol-
unteer position.
Call Chris Wright at 503-
325-3426, or stop by the of-
-
ceive a volunteer packet.
Public safety coordinating
council seeks applicants
Clatsop County is seeking
applicants for a citizen mem-
ber on the Public Safety Coor-
dinating Council.
The PSCC is a regional
advisory body to the county
Board of Commissioners. It
develops and recommends
plans for providing effective,
comprehensive corrections
programs for both adults and
juveniles, and works to make
sure there is a continuum of
programs and services that
promote healthy behavior, en-
sure the ability to protect the
community and hold offend-
ers accountable.
The vacant position is
for a three-year term. Ap-
plication forms are avail-
able online at www.co.clat-
sop.or.us under “Committee
Vacancies,” from the office
at 800 Exchange St., Suite
410, or by calling 503-325-
1000.
Garbage Gang to hit the beach
LONG BEACH, Wash.
— The Grass Roots Gar-
bage Gang is holding a beach
cleanup Saturday on the Long
Beach Peninsula. Volunteers
wishing to help out should
come out to any major beach
approach at 9:30 a.m. to sign
in and pick up supplies or to
join an adopt-a-beach group.
The day ends for volun-
teers with a free bowl of hot
soup at the Moose Lodge,
25915 U St. in Ocean Park,
Kim Fields sent The Daily Astorian pictures of a herd of elk of Ridge Road in War-
renton. She said “It was really neat to watch the bull elk sparing with each other
with their antlers.”
Courtesy of Kim Fields
from noon until the pots run
dry, around 1:30 or 2 p.m.
about other ways to help or
donate, email Shelly Pollack
at Shelly@OurBeach.org or
go to http://ourbeach.org
Young entrepreneurs get
taste of Sunday Market
The Astoria Sunday Market
Young Entrepreneur program is
hosting its annual Open House
at 6 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Astoria
Event Center, 255 Ninth St.
Pizza and beverages will be
served, and kids are encour-
aged to bring their ideas and
enthusiasm to share as they
learn how to become a Young
Entrepreneur.
The event kicks off a series
of free workshops to help youth
prepare a product for sale at
Astoria Sunday Market. Work-
shop topics include developing
a product, salesmanship, de-
signing a display and planning
a budget. The program remains
free thanks to underwriting from
Recology Western Oregon,
Wauna Federal Credit Union
and Clatsop Community Bank.
“Whether or not a kid
decides to participate in the
Astoria Sunday Market, the
workshops are a fun and inter-
esting way to explore what it
takes to turn a dream into re-
ality,” noted Market Director
Cyndi Mudge. “We strive to
keep the workshops free, in-
teresting and fun.”
For a brochure email Asto-
riaSundayMarket@charter.net
or call 503-325-1010.
Assistance League seeks
donations for fundraiser
The Assistance League of
the third annual Accessorize
with Assistance League Sales
Event from noon to 4 p.m. Su-
per Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, at
the Holiday Inn Express, 204
Marine Drive.
Before the game starts,
take a break and shop for that
special handbag, scarf, jewel-
ry and much more at bargain
prices. This year’s event will
also include small home and
garden décor, There is no ad-
mission charge, and cash or
checks are accepted.
Donations of new or gen-
tly used accessories for the
sale are needed, and now
being collected at all Clat-
sop County Columbia Bank
locations.
Funds from this event
go to Operation School Bell
(OSB), a signature program of
the Assistance League, which
provides clothes for Clat-
sop County schoolchildren
in need. Last year the league
helped clothe 594 children.
For information about this
event, contact Leslie Long at
503-717-3671 or go to www.
assistanceleaguecp.org
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