P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 1

2011 SURVEY OF WORLD LANGUAGE ENROLLMENT

Introduction

Accelerating technological advances, a rapidly changing knowledge base, an

interconnected workforce and an increasingly global society have combined to create the need

for students to develop essential 21st Century skills. In response, the Kansas State Board of

Education has supported the 21st Century Partnership initiative. World languages serve an

essential role in developing the communication and collaboration skills this initiative has

identified.

“Learning other languages and understanding the culture of the

people who speak them is a 21st Century skill that is vital to success in the

global environment in which our students will live and work. … America’s

continued global leadership will depend on our students’ abilities to interact

with the world community both inside and outside our borders…. For college

and career readiness, our students need to be proficient in other languages,

regardless of whether they choose to transition directly to the workforce or to

post-secondary education.“1

In 2009 a Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) World Languages Advisory Council

was established to help the Education Program Consultant for World Languages gather

information and provide feedback about improving language programs and instruction. The

Council set a goal: to improve the quality and support the growth of teaching and learning of

world languages in Kansas. Both parts of this goal, the first qualitative and the second

quantitative, should lend themselves to some type of measurement, in order to assess the

effectiveness of KSDE’s efforts. Baseline data is also needed in order to determine the norm in

the state, set goals for improvement, and contribute state data to national surveys.

Qualitative measures include factors such as implementation of standards-based

curriculum, articulation of programs from elementary through secondary grades, levels of

proficiency that students achieve, incidence of immersion instruction (teaching in the target

language), incidence of combined-level or ‘nested’ classes, teacher credentials (National Board

Certification, Oral Proficiency Interview Rater, etc.) and teacher language proficiency levels.

Such qualitative data will be gathered in future surveys and is not included in this report.

1 World Languages 21

st Century Skills Map, Partnership for 21

st Century Skills, 2011.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 2

Quantitative measures are easier to identify, but have not previously been collected on a

regular basis. The most recent KSDE survey in 2006, asked districts what languages were

taught and whether districts provided instruction in elementary schools. To contribute to national

studies, to make decisions based on data, and to meet the goal of the World Languages

Advisory Council, more systemic and complete data is needed. Quantitative questions in the

2011 survey included: how many students (or what percentage) in a district are learning

languages; how that compares to other districts in the state; and how that compares to other

states. Because research shows that learning a language is most effective if begun before high

school2 , how many students are enrolled in languages in elementary or middle schools?

Because research shows that motivation to learn languages is directly tied to the proficiency

one achieves3; and the proficiency one achieves is directly tied to the amount of time one

learns4, what percentage of Kansas students study languages long enough to be expected to

achieve a minimal functional proficiency?

The Survey

Baseline data was compiled by conducting an online survey in February and March of

2011 using enrollment numbers for the 2010-2011 school year. One person for each district was

asked to identify the courses taught at each grade level, and report the number of students “who

are expected to complete the course by the end of the 2010-2011 school year.” In some cases

teachers reported individually and the data was compiled for the district. When enrollment was

supplied for high school only, it was assumed that there was no enrollment in middle or

elementary grades. In the future these numbers will be drawn directly from the Kansas Course

Code Management System (KCCMS) which will an annual survey to focus on the types of

qualitative questions mentioned above.

Survey respondents included 231 of the 293 public districts in Kansas (79%). This

accounted for 428,383 of the state’s 474,000 K-12 students (89.89%). Reasonable efforts were

made to confirm the accuracy of the numbers reported. For example, variations in the way

districts record enrollment, or confusion in interpreting the instructions, led to some

inaccuracies. Inconsistencies occurred in reporting students receiving instruction from a teacher

in another district through Interactive Distance Learning (IDL/ITV). Some were reported with

their attendance district, but others were reported with their teacher’s district. These differences

were not completely resolved.

2 “Do Early Language Programs Improve High School Proficiency?”, report by Center for Applied Second Language

Studies (CASLS), University of Oregon, June 29, 2010. 3 “What Motivates Students to Study Foreign Languages?”, report by Center for Applied Second Language Studies

(CASLS), University of Oregon, March 9, 2011. 4 “What Proficiency Level Do High School Students Achieve?”, report by Center for Applied Second Language

Studies (CASLS), University of Oregon, April 23, 2010.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 3

National Survey

A national survey conducted by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign

Languages (ACTFL)5 reported that “an overall percentage of 18.5% of [US] students enrolled in

language classes at the K-12 level should be of national concern.” Leading states show world

language enrollment ranging from 25 to 30% of their K-12 school populations. Twenty-nine

states and the District of Columbia show higher rates of world language enrollment than Kansas

(Table 1). Compared to neighboring states, Kansas lags behind Nebraska and Missouri and is

essentially on par with Iowa, Oklahoma, and Colorado (Table 2).

Table 1: Top States (by percentage) in the 2008 ACTFL study¹

State Students Enrolled in World Languages

World Language Enrollment in 2007-08

Overall Student Enrollment

Wisconsin 30.66% 256,593 836,860

New York 29.59% 771,767 2,608,408

New Jersey 27.58% 350,622* 1,271,181

Washington, DC 27.29% 6,524 23,904

North Dakota 26.88% 25,688 95,549

Maine 26.78% 50,200* 187,450

Nebraska 25.88% 72,637 280,697

Maryland 25.72% 210,539 818,521

South Carolina 24.86% 174,247 700,824

South Dakota 24.23% 29,338* 121,089

Massachusetts 23.73% 222,173 936,328

Pennsylvania 22.61% 404,185 1,787,501

Alaska 22.46% 29,056* 129,350

West Virginia 21.75% 58,630 269,513

Texas 20.48% 912,054 4,453,772

Minnesota 20.17% 166,346 824,783

Delaware 20.16% 24,872 123,364

Missouri 19.60% 175,103 893,562

Georgia 18.56% 298,795 1,609,681

National mean 18.51%

Connecticut 18.41% 102,431 556,670

Washington 18.22% 186,153* 1,021,834

Ohio 17.97% 349,017 1,941,875

Virginia 17.93% 215,651* 1,202,933

Florida 17.90% 466,414 2,605,738

New Mexico 17.71% 57,313 323,688

Vermont 17.37% 15,540* 89,482

Wyoming 17.28% 14,788* 85,578

Kentucky 17.13% 115,031 671,466

Iowa 16.67% 78,779 472,625

Kansas 16.01%* 77,684* 485,161

* estimated

5 Foreign Language Enrollments in K-12 Public Schools, Are Students Prepared for a Global Society?. American

Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Alexandria, VA. 2010

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 4

Table 2: Kansas and Neighboring States, in the 2008 ACTFL study

State Percent of Students Enrolled in World Languages

World Language Enrollment in 2007-08

Overall Student Enrollment

Nebraska 25.88% 72,637 280,697

Missouri 19.60% 175,103 893,562

National mean 18.51%

Iowa 16.67% 78,779 472,625

Kansas 16.01%* 77,684* 485,161

Oklahoma 15.94% 96,115 602,995

Colorado 15.54% 120,639* 776,339 *estimated.

In order to compare Kansas enrollment to national data, 3,279 students in exploratory

classes (Foreign Language Exploration, or FLEX) have been omitted because the national

study’s data specifications exclude non-specific language courses.

Percentage of students enrolled in world languages

US K-12 (2008), excluding FLEX classes 18.51%

Kansas K-12 (2011) including FLEX 18.34%

Kansas K-12, (2011) excluding FLEX 17.57%

Range of district enrollment 1% to 79%

Enrollment in world languages, categorized by district size

World language enrollment varies widely (1% - 79%) across Kansas districts. The

following tables report world language enrollment by district size. The average world language

enrollment rate for the seven largest school districts in Kansas is 24% (Table 3), which is higher

than both the national and state enrollment rates. However, once the Blue Valley School District

is removed from the sample as a clear outlier, the average enrollment rate for the remaining six

largest school districts drops to 15.75%. This value is below both national and state means.

Table 3: World Language Enrollment for Districts larger than 10,000 students, K-12

USD District Percent (%)

WL enrollment

Total district enrollment

229 Blue Valley 79.46 16,791 21,130

233 Olathe 21.75 6,091 27,999

512 Shawnee Mission 19.93 5,557 27,875

Group mean 24.84 -- --

National mean 18.51 -- --

497 Lawrence 17.47 1,935 11,076

Group mean, Blue Valley excluded 15.75 -- --

259 Wichita 15.01 7,168 47,753

500 Kansas City 10.53 2,071 19,666

501 Topeka 9.79 1,341 13,694

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 5

The average world language enrollment rate for Kansas districts with between 10,000 and 5,001

students is 17.80%, which falls between the national mean and the state mean (Table 4).

Table 4: Districts with 5001-10,000 students, K-12

USD District Percent (%)

WL enrollment

Total district enrollment

232 DeSoto 31.14 1,989 6,388

260 Derby 23.91 1,525 6,377

437 Auburn-Washburn 23.04 1,290 5,598

385 Andover 20.47 1,047 5,115

National mean 18.51

Group mean 17.80

266 Maize 17.02 1,126 6,615

265 Goddard 16.97 879 5,180

383 Manhattan-Ogden 15.37 950 6,181

475 Junction City 14.86 1,136 7,645

457 Garden City 14.85 1,131 7,616

305 Salina 10.33 750 7,260

443 Dodge City 7.87 469 5,961

The average world language enrollment rate for Kansas districts with between 5,000 and 1,001 students is 12.74% (Table 5). This rate is well below the state and national averages, despite ten districts reporting enrollment rates higher than the national average. The following three tables display only districts at or above the group mean. A table containing all districts in the survey is in the Appendix.

Table 5: Districts with 1,001-5,000 students, K-12

USD District Percent (%)

WL enrollment

Total district enrollment

375 Circle 29.74 485 1,631

231 Gardner-Edgerton 29.40 1463 4,977

230 Spring Hill 26.91 584 2,170

458 Basehor-Linwood 25.86 543 2,100

402 Augusta 25.31 591 2,335

450 Shawnee Heights 23.49 814 3,465

413 Chanute 22.42 412 1,838

470 Arkansas City 20.66 578 2,797

453 Leavenworth 19.28 662 3,434

469 Lansing 19.02 480 2,524

National mean 18.51

308 Hutchinson 18.20 851 4,676

345 Seaman 17.49 617 3,527

348 Baldwin City 15.57 218 1,400

204 Bonner Sprgs-Edwardsville 16.08 402 2,500

394 Rose Hill 15.70 272 1,733

253 Emporia 15.45 711 4,601

320 Wamego 15.29 208 1,360

445 Coffeyville 14.63 282 1,928

490 El Dorado 14.55 306 2,103

248 Girard 13.38 135 1,009

Group mean 12.71 -- --

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 6

The average world language enrollment rate for Kansas districts with between 1,000 and 501

students is 11.20% (Table 6). This rate is well below the state and national means, despite

seven districts reporting enrollment rates at or above the national mean.

Table 6: Districts with 501-1000 students, K-12

USD District Percent (%) WL enrollment

Total district enrollment

495 Larned 25.59 240 938

288 Central Heights 25.00 143 572

252 Southern Lyon County 22.85 122 534

389 Eureka 21.20 138 652

289 Wellsville 18.93 162 856

273 Beloit 18.70 141 754

National mean 18.51

249 Frontenac 18.10 162 895

431 Hoisington 16.69 122 731

342 McLouth 16.50 101 612

287 West Franklin 15.95 107 671

377 Atchison County 15.30 103 673

346 Jayhawk 14.74 78 529

325 Phillipsburg 14.67 88 600

206 Remington 14.08 77 547

460 Hesston 13.58 115 847

447 Cherryvale 13.57 95 700

337 Royal Valley 13.12 122 930

258 Humboldt 12.80 70 547

430 Horton 12.38 78 630

504 Oswego 12.08 61 505

357 Belle Plaine 11.99 83 692

378 Riley County 11.69 83 710

Group mean 11.17 -- --

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 7

The average world language enrollment rate for Kansas districts with 500 or less students is

11.60% (Table 7). This rate is well below the state and national averages, despite fourteen

districts reporting enrollment rates higher than the national average.

Table 7: Districts of 500 students or less, K-12

USD District Percent (%)

WL enrollment

Total district enrollment

326 Logan 75.53 142 188

397 Centre 60.34 162 269

215 Lakin 40.61 67 165

111 Doniphan West 40.37 109 270

336 Holton 34.56 113 327

106 Western Plains 35.37 58 164

113 Prairie Hills 31.63 124 392

498 Valley Heights 26.92 98 364

398 Peabody-Burns 26.89 82 305

237 Smith Center 23.04 53 230

200 Greeley County 22.06 45 204

454 Burlingame 21.62 72 333

294 Oberlin, Decatur Co. 21.24 79 372

411 Goessel 20.00 48 240

442 Nemaha Valley 18.75 75 400

National mean 18.51 -- --

386 Madison 15.97 19 119

242 Weskan 15.04 17 113

105 Rawlins County 14.95 45 301

292 Wheatland 14.42 15 104

298 Lincoln 14.14 55 389

299 Sylvan Unified 14.04 33 235

399 Paradise-Natoma-Waldo 14.00 21 150

223 Barnes-Hanover-Linn 13.41 46 343

403 Otis-Bison 13.10 23 175

332 Cunningham 13.09 25 191

509 South Haven 12.99 30 231

270 Plainville 12.81 51 398

311 Pretty Prairie 12.31 33 268

294 Herington 12.26 65 530

448 Inman 12.26 58 473

444 Little River 11.90 40 336

401 Chase/Raymond 11.80 17 144

Group mean 11.55 -- --

Elementary Enrollment

There are two types of elementary instruction identified by the survey: FLES and

Immersion. FLES is the acronym for Foreign Language in the Elementary School, with

instruction scheduled for an hour or less, several times per week. Immersion identifies programs

in which 50% or more of all instruction is conducted in the target language (which includes dual-

language immersion). Both types of program require a certified teacher.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 8

Eight districts report Spanish FLES enrollment, for a total of 9,028 students. The districts

are Western Plains, Doniphan West, Blue Valley 229, Logan, Riley County, Centre, Santa Fe

Trail, and Garden City. Six districts report Chinese FLES, all added since the 2006 elementary

survey, with a total of 460 students. The districts are Erie-Galesburg, Goddard, Maize,

Southeast of Saline, Auburn-Washburn, and Herington. Two districts (Blue Valley 229 and

Centre) report French FLES enrollment with a total of 1,051 students. Only two districts appear

to provide district-wide FLES instruction in all elementary grades. Blue Valley USD 229 has

8,554 in Spanish FLES and 988 in French FLES, which equates to a total of 9,542 out of 9,803

elementary students (97%). Logan USD 326 reports 95 of 111 elementary students (86%) in

Spanish FLES.

Five districts report Spanish Immersion elementary schools, or immersion sections

within a school, for a total of 874 students. These districts are Wichita (471 students), Liberal

(140 students), Topeka (140 students), Emporia (63 students), and Garden City (60 students).

Information about which grade levels are involved was not collected in the survey. Wichita’s

Horace Mann Magnet School includes grades K-8, with 2-3 sections at each grade level, and

uses a Spanish dual language model. The others are newer programs that started with at least

one classroom in Kindergarten and have added a classroom and/or grade level each year.

Enrollment will increase as classrooms are added.

Secondary Enrollment

For the purpose of making comparisons with national data, “secondary” is defined as

middle/junior high and senior high schools. Sixty districts in Kansas (20%) start instruction at the

middle school level with 27.7% (60,959) of Kansas secondary students in grades 6-12, taking

language-specific courses. Language courses reported in middle school were Spanish (15,465

students), French (1,926 students), German (148 students), American Sign Language (118

students), Chinese (46 students), and Japanese (3 students).

Twenty-three districts reported Foreign Language Exploratory, or FLEX enrollment. This

provides an introduction to more than one language along with information about cultural

practices or products attached to each language, generally for part of a school year (i.e.quarter,

trimester, semester.) Because instruction for this type of course is typically in English, rather

than in each target language, it is not deemed a substantial first step into learning a language,

and is therefore not included in the ACTFL survey. However, 3,279 Kansas students did

experience exposure to new languages and unfamiliar cultures, with enrollment ranging from 10

to 496 students per district.

According to the ACTFL national survey in 2008, 32% of secondary students were

enrolled in foreign language courses in the 34 states that provided data (Table 8).

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 9

Table 8: Percentage of Public School Secondary Students enrolled in World Languages,

according to the 2008 ACTFL survey

State Percentage (%)

Connecticut 58.29

Wisconsin 53.86

Iowa 50.63

Pennsylvania 45.92

Maryland 44.46

Nebraska 42.99

North Dakota 42.22

West Virginia 40.01

Georgia 35.52

South Carolina 34.81

Delaware 33.68

North Carolina 33.67

Kentucky 32.08

National Mean 32.00

Utah 31.33

Missouri 32.77

Ohio 30.31

Florida 29.06

Kansas (2011) 27.70

Minnesota 26.42

Oklahoma 26.36

Oregon 26.36

California 26.18

New Mexico 26.11

Hawaii 25.56

Montana 23.82

Louisiana 22.19

Arkansas 21.91

Tennessee 20.63

Mississippi 15.59

Alabama 12.58

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 10

High School Enrollment

The public tends to think of languages as a high school requirement. There is, however,

no world language graduation requirement set by KSDE. Quality Performance Accreditation

(KSDE’s system for accrediting public schools) requires only that districts offer foreign language

instruction at the secondary level (grades 9-12). There is also the perception that world

language credits are required for college admission. In order for a student to be considered a

Qualified Admission candidate (i.e., guaranteed admission to any public post-secondary

institution in the state), the Kansas Board of Regents only strongly encourages college-bound

students to study two years of one language. On the other hand, in order to qualify for specific

scholarships as a Board of Regents Kansas Scholar, a student must study two years of one

language. Once admitted into a college or university, language requirements differ depending

on the field of study. For instance, at the University of Kansas the schools of Education, Law,

and Social Welfare do not require language study. On the other hand the College of Liberal Arts

and the School of Journalism (among others) require at least “proficiency in a second language

through the fourth-semester level.”

Seventy-five percent of Kansas districts start language instruction in high school (grades

9-12). According to this year’s survey, approximately 30% of the state’s 477,193 high school

students were enrolled in world languages, distributed as follows: 14% in Level 1, 10% in Level

2, 5% in Level 3, and 1% in the remaining Levels 4, 5, 6, Honors, Heritage, AP, and IB

combined. One hundred thirty-one districts (57%) reported courses beyond two levels in one or

more languages. It should be noted than in at least 80 districts these upper level classes

(ranging from 1 to 15 students) exist in spite of the fact that the student to teacher ratio is far

below a typical district budget formula. The fact that these classes are offered in spite of the

small number of students enrolled is evidence of considerable effort to sustain language

instruction.

Ten districts reported enrollment in AP language courses, totaling 541 students. Four

districts reported enrollment in International Baccalaureate language courses, totaling 360

students. Thus a total of 901 (00.19%) of the state’s high school students were enrolled in a

nationally or internationally benchmarked level of language study. The 4,386 students who have

studied long enough (Level 4 and higher) to achieve a minimal functional proficiency of

Intermediate Low (Figure 1) is barely 1% of the high school population.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 11

Figure 1: Proficiency Levels6

6 Kansas Model Curricular Standards for World Languages. Kansas State Board of Education. 2008. p. 99.

0

0+

1

1+

2

2+

3

3+

4

4+

5

FSI/ILR

Novice-High

Novice-Mid

Novice-Low

Intermediate-High

Intermediate-Mid

Intermediate-low

Advanced Plus

Advanced

Superior

Distinguished

Novice Low

Novice Mid

Novice High

Intermediate Low

Intermediate Mid

Intermediate High

ACTFL

STATE

Kansas 2008Kansas 2008

Level 5, AP, IB

DISTRICT

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

Slide adapted from STAMP / Language Learning Solutions / http://www.onlinells.com/

Advanced Low*

FSI/ILR: Foreign Service Institute / Interagency Language Roundtable proficiency scales adopted by the

Defense Language Institute, Central Intelligence Agency, and Peace Corp, as well as other government

agencies to rate listening and speaking abilities in a language.

ACTFL: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency levels based on the FSI/ILR

scale to provide a common metric against which to measure performance in speaking, reading, writing, and

listening in a second language. These are incorporated into the national standards.

State: Proficiency level descriptors guided the writing of benchmarks and indicators in the Kansas Model

Curricular Standards for World Languages, 2008.

District: Each district maps out a program and develops curriculum based on at least 120 hours instruction

per level, beginning at any grade and continuing with an articulated curriculum in a continuous,

uninterrupted sequence.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 12

Languages Taught

Spanish is taught by all Kansas districts that have high schools. Seventy-six percent of

the students enrolled in world languages classes are learning Spanish. The other 24% are

studying French, German, Latin, Chinese, ASL, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Italian, Greek, or

‘other’ (Table 11).

Table 11: Languages taught in reporting districts

Language KS students Percentage (%) of state language enrollment

Percentage of national language enrollment (2008)

1 Spanish 59,543 76.0 72.3

2 French 9,927 12.7 14

3 FL Exploratory 3,236 4.1 not available

4 German 2,638 3.3 4.4

5 Latin 1,129 1.4 2.3

6 Chinese 895 1.1 0.67

7 ASL 424 0.5 not available

8 Japanese 285 0.4 0.82

9 Russian 42 0.14

10 Arabic 32 not available

11 Italian 10 not available

12 Greek 9 not available

13 Other 88 5.5

The most significant changes occurred in Chinese enrollment, which increased from a

total of 24 students in one district in 2005-20067, to 895 students in at least 21 districts in 2010-

2011. Most of these students participate in IDL/ITV classrooms provided by three regional

education service centers, Greenbush, Smoky Hill, and Clearwater. Their teachers came from

China through KSDE’s Visiting International Teacher program. In addition, all three centers have

received assistance from Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grants from the US

Department of Education to establish courses in languages essential to national security and

economics.

Figures 2-11 show maps of districts that reported enrollment in languages other than

Spanish, listed in Table 11.

7 Report of the Kansas Task Force on Chinese Language Training, Kansas Committee for International Education in

the Schools, 2006.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 13

Figure 2: Districts reporting French enrollment

Figure 3: Districts reporting German enrollment

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 14

Figure 4: Districts reporting Latin enrollment

Figure 5: Districts reporting Chinese enrollment

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 15

Figure 6: Districts reporting American Sign Language enrollment

Figure 7: Districts reporting Japanese enrollment

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 16

Figure 8: Districts reporting Arabic enrollment

Figure 9: District reporting Greek enrollment

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 17

Figure 10: District reporting Italian enrollment

Figure 11: District reporting Russian enrollment

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 18

Enrollment to foster multilingualism and literacy

Kansas has a rich linguistic heritage, from German, French, Swedish, Czech spoken by

previous generations, to more recent immigrants who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese or

German. Languages reported to Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) for 2010-2011 as

“first language” for the English Language Learners (ELLs) in the state are: Spanish,

Vietnamese, Chinese, German, Lao, Arabic, Korean, Hmong, Russian, Philippine or Tagalog,

Khmer, Urdu, American Sign Languages, Swahili, French, Hindi, Somali, and twelve others

(Table 9.) If the educational system could help maintain and develop multilingual literacy and

cultural skills, rather than eliminate them, students will be better prepared to participate in a

global society. This would be a change of practice from the past and would add value and

marketable skills to a population that is often considered ‘at risk’ of dropping out of school

before graduation. There appears to be little correlation between high incidence of a particular

“first language” and languages taught in a district, with the exception of Spanish. Other than

ELLs, it is not known how many Kansas students have language skills as “heritage” or “native”

speakers of Spanish.

Table 9: “First Language” of English Language Learners in Kansas, 2010-2011

Language Student count

Spanish 43,097

Vietnamese 2,316

Chinese 892

German 681

Lao 664

Arabic 601

Korean 434

Hmong 356

Russian 245

Philippine or Tagalog 232

Khmer 211

Urdu 205

American Sign Language 194

Swahili 151

French 134

Hindi 131

Somali 111

Other 416

Heritage Spanish classes are specifically designed to develop literacy skills in students

who speak Spanish as their home (heritage) or native language. Because students understand

at least the rudimentary structure of the language and have at least a working vocabulary, the

focus of the course emphasizes literary and informational text and writing skills. Such courses

are essential for developing a high level of bilingualism and literacy and to avoid placing these

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 19

students in classes for beginning students. These courses include culture and history of the

people and introduce translation skills.

Nine districts reported offering Native or Heritage Spanish courses at the high school

level, with a total enrollment of 889 students (00.186% of the high school population). Although

there is currently only one course code available for identifying Heritage Spanish, several of

these districts have developed two or three levels, in order to meet the needs of their students

before merging them with Level 4/5, Honors, AP or IB. The Hispanic populations in these high

schools range from 9.6% in Coffeyville to 65% in Dodge City.

Table 10: Heritage Spanish Classes

District Students in Heritage Spanish

% of HS population

Wichita 368 3.0%

Kansas City 237 4.7%

Emporia 113 7.5%

Garden City 60 3.0%

Newton 32 3.0%

Topeka 31 0.7%

Dodge City 19 1.0%

Bonner Springs 16 2.1%

Coffeyville 13 2.3%

Total 889 0.18%

No district reported offering Heritage Spanish courses at the middle school level, due to

a lack of this category on the survey (no course code available). The same is true of elementary

level heritage instruction, except that it can be assumed that approximately 50% of the 874

Spanish dual immersion elementary students are heritage/native speakers.

Enrollment Growth Estimates

The ACTFL has conducted periodic national foreign language enrollment surveys of U.S.

K-12 public schools since 1968. Several government agencies, including the US Department of

Education, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Office of the Director

of National Intelligence, use this information to identify gaps between the current state of foreign

language education and the desired state. Kansas is one of seventeen states previously unable

to supply data to a study. For these studies, the state’s foreign language enrollments have been

carefully estimated* and appear to be reasonably accurate.8

For its two most recent studies, ACTFL estimated Kansas enrollment:

2004-2005 71,759* of 486,725 Kansas students 14.75%

2007-2008 77,684* of 485,171 Kansas students 16.01%

8 Foreign Language Enrollments in K-12 Public Schools, Are Students Prepared for a Global Society?. American

Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Alexandria, VA. 2010

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 20

Results of the KSDE survey:

2010-2011 83,281 of 474,000 Kansas students 17.57%

Assuming ACTFL’s estimates are accurate, the data above shows an enrollment increase in

Kansas of 2.82 percent over a period of six years. According to the ACTFL survey referenced

on page 3, national foreign language enrollment increased 3.1 percent over a period of three

years (2005 to 2008). If the national trend continues, then Kansas, while increasing, is not

making adequate gains to reach national enrollment levels.

International Enrollment Estimates

While international comparative data is not readily available, it is well known that

language study is compulsory in many countries. Twenty-one EU countries require at least nine

years of language study. In many countries where language study is compulsory, instruction

begins in the first few grades of elementary school.9 In such systems, enrollment would range

from 75 to 100 percent of the students. The gap between U.S. students and the countries where

language study is compulsory appears significant – 75 to 100% compared to 18.5%. Our

students are at a disadvantage globally.

Private Schools

Only six private schools responded to the survey, so it is perilous to draw conclusions

from such a small and potentially misrepresentative sample. In general, however, those private

schools that did respond have a high percentage of students learning languages. All six schools

reported enrollments of 50% and higher, including two elementary schools with 100%

enrollment in FLES world language programs.

Table 11: Private School World Language Enrollment

School Percentage WL enrollment

Total students

Central Christian Academy, Wichita, KS 100% 394 394

Corpus Christi Catholic School, Lawrence 100% 256 256

Wellington Christian Academy 100% 51 51

Bishop Carroll Catholic High School 81% 1637 2193

Kansas State School for the Deaf 66% 96 145

Bishop Carroll Catholic High School 64% 721 1125

Thomas More Prep-Marian 54% 119 222

Group mean 75% -- --

9 Foreign Language Teaching, What the United States Can Learn From Other Countries. Ingrid

Pufahl, Nancy c. Rhodes, and Donna Christian, Center for Applied Linguistics. 2000.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 21

Conclusions

The data suggests:

In Kansas 17.57% of K-12 students study a language other than English. In higher

grades the percentage increases to 28% of 6-12 students and 30% of 9-12 students.

This is lower than national enrollment levels.

In spite of budgetary pressures and eliminations of some classes, statewide enrollment

in languages has increased during the past eight years, from14.75% to 17.57%.

Spanish is by far the most common language studied in the state (76% of language

enrollment).

Chinese and Arabic have grown since 2006, especially through use of Interactive

Distance Learning classrooms.

This year, approximately ten percent of high school students met and six percent

exceeded the Kansas Board of Regents 2-year requirement/recommendation.

In spite of budgetary pressures, 57% of the districts manage to offer upper level

language classes even though enrollments may range from 1-15 students.

Sixty districts (20%) provide language instruction at the middle school level.

Sixteen districts (5%) start world language instruction in elementary schools in the form

of Spanish, French, and Chinese FLES.

Two districts, Blue Valley USD 229 and Logan USD 326, have a full-fledged K-12

language program, with FLES K-8 that articulates into high school courses.

Five districts have dual immersion Spanish programs, and one has immersion ASL.

The small number of private schools surveyed is insufficient for data analysis as a group,

although those who responded did report high levels of language enrollment.

Priority Areas for Future Attention

A small percentage (17.57%) of K-12 students study a specific language. Even fewer

students study language long enough to become minimally proficient.

A small percentage of students have the opportunity to start a world language at an early

age and continue it through their entire school career.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate in world languages are

uncommon in Kansas.

Options for studying languages other than Spanish, or more than one language, are

limited. Some districts report eliminating language classes (French, German, Japanese,

and Latin) since the 2006 survey.

This survey required individual responses rather than pulling data from the new

integrated data system, KCCMS.

o It was not clear whether students enrolled in virtual classes or taught by IDL

teachers were under-counted or over-counted.

o The practice of combining multiple levels (commonly called ‘nesting’) of language

courses in one class period remains unidentified.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 22

Recommendations

Provide technical assistance to help districts increase world language instruction in

elementary school or middle school and continue it into high school in an articulated

sequence.

Pull enrollment data from the newly developed KCCMs system for all districts. Add

Common Course Codes and course descriptions to define and identify

o Types of elementary programs

o Differentiation between middle school courses that introduce language for a short

time and those which provide the equivalent of a high school Level One

curriculum distributed across two or three years.

o Additional levels of Heritage Spanish courses; at least one in middle school and

two more in high school

o Multiple levels of a language combined (nested) in one class period.

As an incentive to continue studying a language, consider awarding credit for achieving

specific proficiency levels rather than simply taking a course.

Develop ways to measure program quality, because increasing the quality of elective

classes will lead to increased enrollment. Provide technical assistance for program

improvements.

Summary

In order for Kansas to meet the goal of preparing students to participate fully in the 21st

Century’s global society, a larger percentage of students should be involved in learning world

languages. Kansas, with 17.57% of K-12 students enrolled in world languages, is behind the

Nation and world. In order to be considered a national leader in world language learning in the

US, K-12 enrollment should be 30% or higher. In order to be competitive internationally, Kansas

world language enrollment should be 75% or higher. Efforts to promote world language

enrollment, regardless of whether a student transitions directly to the workforce or to higher

education, helps meet the challenge of preparing all students to become better collaborators,

competitors and compassionate neighbors in this global society.

This 2011 World Language Enrollment Survey establishes a baseline from which the

growth of language learning can be measured. Measures of program quality should also be

determined and surveyed periodically in the future. Analysis of quality and quantity should help

each district and KSDE set goals for improvement.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 23

Bibliography

Data, Reports & Research, AP Central, http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-

research , accessed 11-8-2011.

“The Benefits of Second Language Study.” NEA Research. December 2007.

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/Curriculum/Curriculum_Root_Web_Folder/Benefit

sofSecondLanguage.pdf , retrieved on 8-25-11.

Foreign Language Enrollments in K-12 Public Schools, Are Students Prepared for a Global

Society? American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Alexandria, VA.

2010

Foreign Language Teaching, What the United States Can Learn From Other Countries. Ingrid

Pufahl, Nancy c. Rhodes, and Donna Christian, Center for Applied Linguistics. 2000

Foreign Language Annals. “Foreign Language Learning and SAT Verbal Scores Revisited”.

Thomas C.Cooper, Daniel J. Yanosky II, and Joseph M. Wisenbaker in collaboration

with David Jahner, Elizabeth Webb, and Marcia L. Wilbur. Vol. 41, No. 2, p. 200, 2008

Kansas Model Curricular Standards for World Languages. Kansas State Board of Education. p.

6. 2008.

Report of the Kansas Task Force on Chinese Language Training. Published by the Kansas

Committee for International Education in the Schools. October 2006.

2011 World Language Enrollment survey conducted by Phyllis Farrar, Education Program

Consultant, World Languages and ESOL, Careers, Standards and Assessment

Services, KSDE; pfarrar@ksde.org; 785-296-1891; with assistance from Sarah N.

Meyer, graduate student, Kansas University School of Education.

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 24

Appendix: 2011 Survey of World Language Enrollment in Kansas Public Schools

USD District Percent enrolled

in WL

WL enrollment

Total district

enrollment

229 Blue Valley 79.47% 16,791 21,130

326 Logan 75.53% 142 188

397 Centre 60.34% 162 268.5

215 Lakin 40.61% 67 165

111 Doniphan West 40.37% 109 270

106 Western Plains 35.37% 58 164

336 Holton 34.56% 113 327

113 Prairie Hills 31.63% 124 392

232 De Soto 31.14% 1,989 6,388

375 Circle 29.74% 485 1631

231 Gardner-Edgerton 29.40% 1,463 4,977

498 Valley Heights 26.92% 98 364

230 Spring Hill 26.91% 584 2,170

398 Peabody-Burns 26.89% 82 305

458 Basehor-Linwood 25.86% 543 2,100

495 Larned 25.59% 240 938

402 Augusta 25.31% 591 2,335

288 Central Heights 25.00% 143 572

260 Derby 23.91% 1,525 6,377

450 Shawnee Heights 23.49% 814 3,465

437 Auburn-Washburn 23.04% 1,290 5,598

252 Southern Lyon County 22.85% 122 534

413 Chanute 22.42% 412 1838

200 Greeley County 22.06% 45 204

233 Olathe 21.75% 6,091 27,999

454 Burlingame 21.62% 72 333

294 Decatur Community 21.24% 79 372

389 Eureka 21.17% 138 652

470 Arkansas City 20.66% 578 2,797

385 Andover 20.47% 1,047 5,115

411 Goessel 20.00% 48 240

512 Shawnee Mission 19.94% 5,557 27,875

453 Leavenworth 19.28% 662 3,434

469 Lansing 19.02% 480 2,524

289 Wellsville 18.93% 162 856

442 Nemaha Valley 18.75% 75 400

273 Beloit 18.70% 141 754

National mean 18.51%

308 Hutchinson 18.20% 851 4,676

249 Frontenac 18.10% 162 895

345 Seaman 17.49% 617 3,527

497 Lawrence 17.47% 1,935 11,076

265 Goddard 17.28% 895 5,180

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 25

266 Maize 17.02% 1,126 6,615

431 Hoisington 16.69% 122 731

342 McLouth 16.50% 101 612

204 Bonner Springs-Edwardsville 16.08% 402 2,500

386 Madison 15.97% 19 119

287 West Franklin 15.95% 107 671

416 Louisburg 15.78% 276 1,749

394 Rose Hill 15.70% 272 1,732.5

348 Baldwin City 15.57% 218 1,400

253 Emporia 15.45% 711 4,601

383 Manhattan-Ogden 15.37% 950 6,181

377 Atchison County 15.30% 103 673

320 Wamego 15.29% 208 1,360

242 Weskan 15.04% 17 113

259 Wichita 15.01% 7,168 47,753

105 Rawlins County 14.95% 45 301

475 Junction City 14.86% 1,136 7,645

457 Garden City 14.85% 1,131 7,616

346 Jayhawk 14.74% 78 529

325 Phillipsburg 14.67% 88 600

445 Coffeyville 14.63% 282 1,928

490 El Dorado 14.55% 306 2,103

292 Wheatland 14.42% 15 104

298 Lincoln 14.14% 55 389

206 Remington 14.08% 77 547

299 Sylvan Unified 14.04% 33 235

399 Paradise-Natoma-Waldo 14.00% 21 150

460 Hesston 13.58% 115 847

447 Cherryvale 13.57% 95 700

223 Barnes-Hanover-Linn 13.41% 46 343

248 Girard 13.38% 135 1,009

403 Otis-Bison 13.14% 23 175

337 Royal Valley 13.12% 122 930

332 Cunningham 13.09% 25 191

101 Erie-Galesburg 13.02% 69 530

509 South Haven 12.99% 30 231

270 Plainville 12.81% 51 398

258 Humboldt 12.80% 70 547

373 Newton 12.55% 444 3,539

435 Abilene 12.45% 202 1,623

353 Wellington 12.43% 215 1,730

430 Horton 12.38% 78 630

311 Pretty Prairie 12.31% 33 268

487 Herington 12.26% 65 530

448 Inman 12.26% 58 473

504 Oswego 12.08% 61 505

357 Belle Plaine 11.99% 83 692

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 26

444 Little River 11.90% 40 336

263 Mulvane 11.83% 224 1,893

401 Chase/Raymond 11.81% 17 144

368 Paola 11.78% 245 2,080

378 Riley County 11.69% 83 710

379 Clay Center 11.62% 161 1,386

264 Clearwater 11.44% 141 1,233

347 Kinsley-Offerle 11.43% 24 210

428 Great Bend 11.42% 344 3,011

423 Moundridge 11.39% 46 404

439 Sedgwick 11.11% 62 554

491 Eudora 11.01% 164 1,489

313 Buhler 10.87% 247 2,272

307 Ell-Saline 10.81% 51 472

237 Smith Center 11.80% 53 449

449 Easton 10.80% 74 685

496 Pawnee Heights 10.79% 15 139

417 Council Grove 10.75% 86 800

461 Neodesha 10.61% 80 754

415 Hiawatha 10.57% 89 842

440 Halstead 10.54% 86 816

500 Kansas City 10.53% 2,071 19,666

343 Perry 10.52% 99 941

247 Cherokee 10.51% 74 704

503 Parsons 10.48% 129 1,231

508 Baxter Springs 10.46% 109 1,042

446 Independence 10.46% 198 1,893

305 Salina 10.33% 750 7,260

364 Marysville 10.29% 72 700

203 Piper 10.26% 175 1,706

262 Valley Center 10.13% 259 2,558

404 Riverton 10.09% 79 783

107 Rock 10.03% 31 309

310 Fairfield 10.00% 29 290

286 Sedan 9.92% 39 393

388 Ellis 9.86% 42 426

434 Santa Fe Trail 9.86% 110 1,116

356 Conway Springs 9.80% 49 500

501 Topeka 9.79% 1,341 13,694

217 Rolla 9.76% 20 205

244 Burlington 9.59% 84 876

274 Oakley 9.48% 38 401

372 Silver Lake 9.43% 70 742

477 Ingalls 9.35% 23 246

112 Central Plains 9.32% 58 622

335 North Jackson 9.31% 35 376

333 Concordia 9.29% 100 1,076

246 Northeast 9.27% 52 561

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 27

408 Marion-Florence 9.19% 52 566

108 Washington County 9.14% 32 350

420 Osage City 9.12% 64 702

300 South Central 8.97% 28 312

405 Lyons 8.92% 69 773

283 Elk Valley 8.79% 16 182

358 Oxford 8.79% 29 330

235 Uniontown 8.74% 41 469

256 Marmaton Valley 8.64% 31 359

257 Iola 8.60% 112 1,302

202 Turner 8.39% 355 4,230

400 Smoky Valley 8.38% 78 931

480 Liberal 8.31% 396 4,766

220 Ashland 8.26% 18 218

499 Galena 8.23% 69 838

369 Burrton 8.09% 19 235

366 Woodson 8.05% 38 472

297 St. Francis 8.00% 24 300

489 Hays 8.00% 248 3,100

272 Waconda 7.92% 30 379

505 St. Paul & Chetopa 7.92% 41 518

351 Macksville 7.89% 22 279

327 Ellsworth 7.87% 47 597

443 Dodge City 7.87% 469 5,961

380 Frankfort & Centralia (Vermillion) 7.75% 43 555

275 Triplains 7.69% 6 78

466 Scott Community 7.58% 64 844

334 Southern Cloud Co. 7.57% 19 251

329 Wabaunsee 7.56% 34 450

210 Hugoton 7.54% 84 1,114

341 Oskaloosa 7.46% 42 563

493 Columbus 7.27% 80 1,100

507 Satanta 7.12% 26 365

227 Hodgeman County 7.06% 19 269

418 McPherson 7.04% 164 2,328

339 Jefferson County North 6.94% 35 504

468 Healy 6.94% 5 72

281 Hill City 6.77% 27 399

290 Hamilton 6.73% 7 104

293 Quinter 6.71% 20 298

479 Crest 6.62% 14 212

290 Ottawa 6.60% 160 2,425

331 Kingman - Norwich 6.50% 69 1,062

492 Flinthills 6.40% 16 250

349 Stafford 6.38% 18 282

363 Holcomb 6.36% 59 928

438 Skyline 6.35% 23 362

P. Farrar, KSDE, 12-5-2011 28

359 Argonia 6.35% 12 189

409 Atchison 6.24% 109 1,748

284 Chase County 6.17% 25 405

367 Osawatomie 6.11% 73 1,194

109 Republic County 5.99% 29 484

465 Winfield 5.94% 149 2,508

381 Spearville-Windthorst 5.91% 22 372

306 Southeast of Saline 5.90% 41 695

234 Fort Scott 5.82% 114 1,958

218 Elkhart 5.53% 36 651

285 Cedar Vale 5.44% 8 147

471 Dexter 5.33% 8 150

382 Pratt 5.32% 63 1,185

352 Goodland 5.19% 48 925

483 Southwestern Heights 5.19% 38 732

309 Nickerson 5.10% 63 1,236

282 West Elk 5.06% 17 336

395 La Crosse 4.92% 15 305

511 Attica 4.83% 7 145

506 Labette County 4.56% 73 1,600

251 Northern Heights 4.37% 23 526

103 Cheylin 4.36% 6 137.5

419 Canton-Galva 4.35% 16 368

214 Ulysses 4.14% 71 1,715

271 Stockton 4.13% 13 315

212 Northern Valley 4.03% 8 198.5

462 Central 3.94% 14 355

316 Golden Plains 3.90% 8 205

362 Prairie View 3.53% 34 963

243 Lebo-Waverly 3.48% 18 517

239 North Ottawa County 3.45% 21 609

344 Pleasanton 3.38% 11 325

429 Troy 3.01% 11 366

360 Caldwell 2.96% 7 236.5

226 Meade (some ITV reported with Kiowa County)

2.93% 14 478

102 Cimarron-Ensign 2.90% 19 656

241 Wallace County 2.75% 5 182

494 Syracuse 2.53% 13 513

225 Fowler (some ITV reported with Kiowa County)

2.29% 4 175

110 Thunder Ridge Schools 2.08% 5 240

467 Wichita County-Leoti 1.90% 8 421

245 Leroy 1.18% 3 255

228 Hanston 0.00% 0 37

384 Blue Valley-Randolph 0.00% 0 230