Res. No. Title Resolution calling upon the appropriate committee of the Council to hold a hearing regarding the soaring drop-out rates of immigrant students in New York City. Body By Council Members Linares and Michels Whereas, According to the New York City Planning Commission, an estimated 33% of the City's population is foreign-born, and an additional 20% are U.S.-born offspring of immigrants; and Whereas, Data of the New York City Planning Commission reveal that immigrants and their children currently comprise a majority of the City's population; and Whereas, The New York City Board of Education recently issued a report, entitled "Chancellor's Report on the Education of English Language Learners," which revealed that there is an escalating immigrant student drop-out rate in the City of New York; and Whereas, According to the report, more than 30% of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the City's Class of 2000 dropped out, representing a number that was greater than the total number of students who graduated; and Whereas, New standards recently implemented by the New York State Board of Regents require all graduates including English Language Learners to pass five Regents exams, including the English Regents Exam; and Whereas, These new graduation standards, intended to improve the education of City students, have instead driven thousands of English Language Learners from the classroom and threaten to push out even more students by the end of this school year; and Whereas, With over 50% of New York City students coming from immigrant families, the high drop-out rate seems to indicate that there is inadequate support for English Language Learners, which places these students at a serious disadvantage when faced with these new standards; and Whereas, The increase in the number of immigrant students, along with their high drop-out rate, should compel both the New York City Board of Education and the New York State Board of Regents to reexamine their current practices in educating English Language Learners; and Whereas, At their last monthly meeting, the New York State Education Commissioner and the New York State Board of Regents did not address issues concerning the soaring drop-out rates among immigrant students; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the appropriate committee of the Council hold a hearing regarding the soaring drop-out rates of immigrant students in New York City. RA LS#4336 6/14/2001 h:/word/resolutions/linares/ls#4336