language learning Language Learning | Page 8

Challenge Statement

"Students at Bioscience High School are offered only one foreign language class, limiting their choice of language, and learning about other cultures at school.”

What is causing the problem?

“One of the greatest challenges for a small school is staffing. Our district is funded through taxpayer money, and is accountable to the public for its use of resources, often meaning we have to make difficult choices. Phoenix Union has over 27,000 students in 11 comprehensive high schools and six small schools...We added French to the world languages program because many students were interested in that language. Again, district staffing reduction meant that we had to choose one world language. Spanish, for many reasons, makes the most sense.” ( email response from Deanne Falls, 2018)

“Bioscience High School used to have Chinese and French in their world language program but they had to choose only one of them due to district staffing reduction. Spanish was chosen because “it is one of the most widely spoken languages and one that would provide students living and working in the Southwest a marketable skill” (Deanne Falls, 2018)

CHALLENGE CONSTELLATION