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55034259
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Diversity
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55034259
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Diversity
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Records of the Office of Speechwriting (Clinton Administration)
Laura Capps' Files
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OCT. 1. 1997 11:56AM
DEPT ED/OFC OF SEC.
NO. 5139 P. 2
Talking Points: High Language-Diverse American School Districts
U.S. Department of Education
October 1, 1997
1
Looking at diversity in schools as measured specifically according to the number of languages
spoken (as opposed to considering other measures of diversity: ethnicity, socio-economic status,
race, gender, disability, age, etc.), *within the U.S., there are five local education agencies which
enroll students speaking over 100 languages. They are:
New York City, NY
140
Prince George's County, MD
128
Montgomery County, MD
119
District of Columbia
110
Fairfax County, VA
over 100.
*This information was retrieved as of June 16, 1997. as reported directly by ench district's Board of Education. Note
that 4-out-of-5 of these examples are clustered in a single metropolitan area. Because of the large presence of
diplomatic staff and international organizations, the D.C. area may have higher numbers of language groups than most
metropolitan arcas.
2
Several other metropolitan areas also serve large numbers of languages (but fewer than 100).
These include:
Chicago
96
San Francisco
79
Los Angeles
79
Miami
74
Detroit
68
Philadelphia
66
Milwaukee
37
Boston
35
3
Understanding these figures in their correct context, it is important to note that:
Nearly 75% (3 out of 4) of students that are limited in English proficiency speak Spanish.
Also, language groups tend to be tightly clustered among neighborhoods.
The result is that even if there is a huge number of languages in a large school district such as
New York City. the actual number of students speaking those languages are small. There are
typically high concentrations of students who speak one or two languages in individual schools
that enroll such students.
4
Of those schools that enroll any students that are limited in their English proficiency:
Only 2% serve 16 or more language groups.
66% serve 4 or less language groups.
33% serve only 1 language group.