You walk into the testing room, filled with the knowledge you’ve learned throughout the school year. You’ve studied literature, math, and science, and this test will show colleges that you know your stuff. But then you sit down and look at the test. All of your excitement and confidence dissolves… the test is in another language. One you’re maybe familiar with, and maybe have even studied, but aren’t fluent in. Could you still pass this test?
For many students in the United States, and at Franklin High School, this isn’t a nightmare scenario that you can wake up from. This is real life.
Spanish speaking students aren’t offered an alternate test in their language. For North Carolina EOCs and other standardized tests, like the ACT, the only aid English learners can receive is a Spanish to English dictionary.
“I think it’s not really fair for them, especially if they have to do it under the same amount of time,” says Arlene Perez-Guzman, Grade 12. “They’re still going to have to go back and look through the dictionary to even try and translate it.”
The average ACT in 2024 was 19.4. That same year, the average score for Hispanic students was 17.4. This difference is the achievement gap. Hispanic students aren’t given the same opportunities for excellence, since many of them are not taking this test in their native language.
Alisson Balderas-Rubio, Grade 11, has dealt with this inequality in testing.
“English wasn’t my first language. I would struggle, and a dictionary wasn’t there for me,” she says.
ESL programs played a part in working through that struggle, but also hindered her progress in some ways.
“I was learning the language little by little. Growing up, I would always get pulled out of class [for ESL] and miss things. I could go learn English, which was nice, but I would get behind on my tests and homework so I would fall behind.”
Kimberly Rios-Sanchez, Grade 10, and Priscila Sanchez, Grade 10, suggest a solution: “They should translate tests to help [students] better understand the material.”
Perez-Guzman says, “[Standardized test coordinators] could try and find any type of solution for [English learners] because it is kind of unfair for them, especially if they’re trying to get to the same place at the end of the day or achieve the same goal as other students who know English well.”
“I just wish there were more things we could do to help people who don’t know the language of English,” says Rios-Sanchez.
