ing offerings of the students. One of our greatest problems was obtaining proper materials to use with the Vietnamese youngsters. We used standard texts and supplementary materials, paper and pencil, all contained within the district and further purchased additional useful materials. We were very fortunate to have a number of local volunteers come forth and offer their services, including certificated personnel. Each student's cumulative and health records were completed. As Superintendent of the Placer Hills Union School District, and having had the past sixteen years of my school experience, as both teacher and administrator, I have never been associated with any minority group who has integrated and performed academically as well as the Southeast Asian refugee children. My past sixteen years, all spent in California, have been in high minority impact areas, primarily Mexican-American youngsters who typically cluster together and maintain their Spanish language dominance. Contrary to their polarization, the Southeast Asian students we have encountered to date have elected to integrate. This further has expanded their language skills. Our relationship with Hope Village, the Southeast Asian refugee center, and its leaders Dr. Larry Ward, Col. Jack Baily, and Mrs. Ruth Alexander was excellent. I feel we were able to work out any and all of the administrative problems encountered along the way. At the end of August, Hope Village presented an award assembly for those who assisted during the year. It was very exciting to witness the glee and appreciation exhibited by both parents and children when our staff was introduced. A large portion of my Doctorate was done in the area of educating non-English speaking students. My studies, research, and project gave me a fair degree of reliability in evaluating our program and in reality played a strong influence in the final direction our summer program took. I feel quite confident the program was as successful as could be expected under the circumstances (unfamiliar minority, materials difficulty, lack of planning time, and questionable time parameters). However, it was the most successful E.S.L. program I have ever encountered. As mentioned previously, virtually every student who spent any time in our program learned English and was on a conversational level by the end of the summer. Those students who did not leave obviously were at a greater potential at the resumption of school in the fall than those new incoming students who did not receive our summer program. We, the Placer Joint Union High School District and Placer Hills Elementary School District, were encouraged by both the state and county to provide services. We made an extensive effort above and beyond what we are led to believe was offered anywhere else in the United States. We began the education of the refugee youngsters as soon as possible. This was done in the face of very strong local opposition. This opposition came in the form of opposition to the government's allowing these people into the United States, opposition to the war, and the opposition to spend local funds and school funds during this time of our school districts being in a "very precarious financial state." As an educator, I feel our request should be dealt with on an individual basis, on its merits, especially since it was a productive venture, the same as we in education must deal with each child on an individual basis. Sincerely, Dr. GEORGE E. DUNHAM, О DEPOSIT DEC 16 1975 SHIPPED |