Demographics
Conrad Schools of Science (CSS) is a school in transition, changing into a science and mathematics magnet school serving students in grades 6 – 12. In this upcoming school year, it will finally serve all of these grades and have its first graduating class, making the school population close to 1,000. It is considered an urban school, situated on the outskirts of the largest city in the state of Delaware. CSS students come to our school from all over the county (Delaware has three). This school houses one of the two middle level transitional bilingual programs (Spanish/English) in our district. At CSS, this special program is indeed a "school within a school" serving approximately 85 students in the sixth through eighth grades. They are the only students in the building who do not need to "choice" into the school by completing an application and interview process since this is considered their feeder pattern. This pattern was established before the transition to a magnet school began. Although it is mandatory for our students to attend this school, it is a very positive learning environment for everyone. Throughout the transition, there has been an increase in student achievement by all those in the building and improved student behavior.
This small group of students is comprised of English Language Learners (ELLs) who share Hispanic ethnicity. As recent immigrants from Latin American countries (mostly Mexico) or migrants from Puerto Rico, they are simultaneously acclimating themselves to a new school system, country, culture, and way of life. These students have all of their content area classes (English Language Arts or ELA, social studies, mathematics, and science) with the program's teachers. I am one of these teachers. These native Spanish-speaking ELLs face many challenges as they enter middle school: reading pressures escalate due to more demanding texts, and they must learn the English language in addition to content area information.
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