New York City Council Education Committee Hearing on Restructuring Alternative High
Schools
October 12, 2007
Testimony of Zeyen Wu, Legislative Advocate
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
Hello, my name is Zeyen Wu, and I am here today on behalf of the Coalition for Asian American
Children and Families. CACF is the nation’s only pan-Asian children’s advocacy group, and we
are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American (APA) children
and families in New York City. CACF works with over 35 community and social service
organizations serving a multitude of different ethnic communities in New York City.
I would like to thank Chairwoman Nolan and the members of the Assembly Standing
Commission on Education for having us here today to speak on an issue of particular concern to
our community.
Background: The Asian Pacific American community in New York is a diverse and growing
population.
 According to the 2000 Census, APAs are by percentage the fastest growing group in
New York City. At over 10% of the city’s population, there are more APAs in New York
City than there are total residents in San Francisco.
 In the New York City public schools, more than 13% of the total student population are of
Asian descent.
 25% of these students live below the poverty line.
 78% of APAs in New York City are foreign born, and 28% live in linguistically isolated
households, which is defined as a family where no one over the age of 14 speaks
English fluently.
 Of the top 12 languages spoken by ELLs in New York City, 5 of them are Asian
languages.
 1 in 5 of all ELL students in New York City are of Asian descent.
Issues: While the increased funding for educational initiatives serving at risk populations is a
good first step, the needs of APA ELL students are still being overlooked. In such a diverse
community, APA ELL students who are struggling may not always be recognized, especially
because APA students are often stereotyped as academically successful and not having needs.
Many parents of APA students are unfamiliar with the educational system in New York, and may
not be aware of the educational options for their ELL children. To add to these challenges, APA
staff, faculty, and administrators in New York public schools are underrepresented. Although
APA students make up a significant percentage of ELL students as a whole, they are still a
mostly invisible population. CACF has done original research on APAs, but the SED and NYC
Department of Education must be more responsive to the growing APA population.
Recommendations:
1) Ensure that the New York City Contract for Excellence and guidance memoranda
provide a clear definition of the “predominate” threshold and identify specifically
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
October 12, 2007
State Assembly Hearing on English Language Learners
how funds would meet the needs of ELL and other at risk populations. Districts
that do not meet the standard for ELL populations in their Contract for Excellence should
not be approved.
2) Increase the number of English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers, especially
those who speak Asian languages. Underserved APA communities include Bengali,
Urdu, Korean, and Punjabi speaking populations. APA teachers, faculty, and staff are
underrepresented in New York schools. Having role models who identify with a
student’s background is very important, especially in schools where APA students may
be a minority population. Teachers and other school staff can be a source of support
and guidance for students.
3) Expand the number of Bilingual and Dual Language Programs. Programs should
be established in languages that do not currently have them, such as Urdu and Bengali.
a. Academic Success: Research has shown that bilingual abilities contribute
towards academic success of students, especially younger students.
b. Cognitive Development: Supporting skills in a first language leads to
transferable cognitive skills for students.
c. Community Support: The ability to maintain their first language allows students
access to supports in their communities.
d. Marketability: Fluency in more than one language is a profitable skill in New
York City and in our global marketplace.
4) Provide incentives for the retention of ESL and bilingual teachers. Such incentives
include pay differentials, loan forgiveness, and educational benefits, as well as providing
staff development specifically for bilingual and ESL teachers in order to improve
retention and performance of these important teachers. Teacher quality is a focus of the
Contracts for Excellence, so it is logical that resources should be specifically invested in
educators who serve vulnerable populations.
5) Improve parent access to information regarding their children’s educational
options. Additional staff at the Office of Bilingual Education would improve oversight of
ELL Parent Choice regulations. Funding should be specifically designated for parent
outreach and education. While there are many options for ELL students, if parents are
not aware of their choices, these options will not be fully utilized.
6) Improve data tracking to include ethnic specific statistics on APA students. CACF
and other non-profits cannot be the sole monitors of the success rates of our children.
Disaggregated data is important in identifying the needs of each community. Data on
where large concentrations of APA ELL students of a specific ethnicity attend school will
inform what languages must be targeted for the hiring of teachers and translation and
interpretation. The diversity of the APA community demands an ethnic specific
approach. Without this information, SED and the NYC DOE cannot properly meet the
needs of all their students.
We would like to thank the Assembly Standing Committee on Education for continuing to keep
the needs of ELL students on their agenda. We look forward to working with the State
Assembly, SED, and NYC DOE officials on these issues, which are essential to ensuring the
success of future generations.
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
October 12, 2007
State Assembly Hearing on English Language Learners