Foundations and Methods of English Language

Literacy Development and Content Instruction

Assignment

Overview of My District
1. Briefly describe your school and district student population including socio-economic aspect. In
your class, how many students do you currently teach? How many are second, third, etc. language
learners and which native languages are represented?
I substitute teach for the El Dorado Union High School district, focusing on English but I also sub for Special
Education, Health and Agriculture. Our district is made up of mostly middle to upper class with a predominantly
Caucasian population (almost 75%) and a Spanish population of 12%. The remaining populations include
Asian, Native American, Filipino, and Pacific Islander. Classroom size varies with approximately 12 in Special
Ed and 32-35 in General Ed. There is not a large population of English Language Learners (ELLs); only 28
Spanish speaking students. The district website does not include second and third language learners and the
schools have been on winter break the last three weeks. Resources for this paper are included under Works
Cited.
2. Explain your district policies regarding primary language support for English Learners. What
measures do you take to ensure these policies are carried out to provide primary language support for
your ELs?
Per my districts policies, the first action provided for an ELL is a Home Language Survey. This form is filled out
at the beginning of each school year. It provides schools with the student country of origin, languages spoken
in the house, and frequency. The district provides a detailed document, assisting teachers in maintaining
online records of their ELL students.
When a students primary language is not English, he/she is required to take the California English Language
Development Test (CELDT) within 30 days of enrollment. This test evaluates the level of English language
proficiency specifically in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing in English. All teachers have
access to these test results. Once a student is identified as an ELL, the parents are notified and continue to
play a part of the students educational success.
The El Dorado County Office of Education offers an English Learner Network that meets January 20th and April
20th of this year. The purpose of these meetings is to provide information on English Learner issues such as
state and federal accountability requirements, effective instructional strategies and resources for assisting
districts to increase English Learner achievement. The district also offers parent enrichment workshops
including homework help and accommodations/modifications.
In addition to these support systems, each ELL is assigned a counselor. That counselor helps with
assessments, offers support to students and provides free lunches in the event this service is needed.
Once the student is proficient in English, he/she is considered Re-classified Fluent-English Proficient (RFEP).
In order to be RFEP, he/she must pass the CELDT; acquire a teacher evaluation; receive parent input; and
student performance of basic skills by a Child Study Team (CST) in English Language Arts (ELA). The CST in
our district is comprised of the childs parents, teachers, and guidance counselor(s). Language Assessment
Scale (LAS) may also be used for scores in reading, writing, listening, speaking and comprehension.

Finally, all students, including ELLs, must pass the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) before
graduation (though I read that this is no longer a requirement as of January, 2016. Due to the change in
academic standards, Senate Bill 172 (Liu) was signed by the Governor to suspend the administration of the
CAHSEE and the requirement that students pass the CAHSEE to receive a high school diploma for the 20152016, 2016-17, and 2017-18 school years.(California Department of Education).
3. What support programs are available for English Language Learners before, during and after school
(i.e ESL Pull-out, ESL Resource Center, classroom aides, parent volunteers, etc.)? How many students
identified for this support?
In researching the El Dorado Union High School district website, I discovered that there are a total of 28 ELLs
in the entire district. The district is comprised of 6,630 students total.
Each ELL student is assigned a counselor who supports the student in several areas including assessments,
and support for the student and his/her family.
There are several support programs available for ELLs including an, Academic Support Class and a
Resource Room where additional time and assistance is provided during the school day in subject areas:
English, Social Studies, Math, Science and Special Education. This course is available to 9-12th grade students
each semester for 5 units. A counselor, who is in charge of assessment, would be the most likely to suggest
this course to his/her ELL. In these classes a teacher and an aide are provided and they generally include 12
students per class. These classes are graded.
There is another opportunity for all college-bound ELL students in our district. It is a program run through one
of the high schools and provides scholarship opportunities, financial aid support and help in filling out
applications.
4. How do teachers monitor the academic progress of these students? Does your school district have
policies regarding grade level academic language instruction?
One of the ways in which teachers monitor the academic progress of ELL students is an observation checklist
provided by the district. It identifies 10 areas in which instruction is based on ELL standards and whether the
content is evident, partially evident, or not evident. Some of the areas on the checklist include a safe and low
anxiety environment for the ELL, a variety of ways in which the ELL can engage in active participation, whether
the lesson taps into the students prior knowledge, and building in ample time and direction for the ELL to
practice the new language skill.
From my research I know ELLs must pass the CELDT; in the past they would also need to pass the CAHSEE.
During the school year if they are enrolled in the support programs, including one English class specific to
ELLs, they must pass the class(es) with a C or higher.
5. Students who are English Learners take the CELDT and or another marker of assessment in private
schools. What are you or your school doing to prepare them to demonstrate proficiency and ultimately
be reclassified? What criteria must an English Learner satisfy before being reclassified as Fluent
English Proficient, R-FEP (also called re-designation in some districts)? List the four criteria.
My school district offers a Reading Improvement class and an English Learners class to prepare ELLs to
demonstrate proficiency.

The four criteria for ELLS to satisfy before being reclassified as R-FEP include the following: passing the
CELDT, comparison of performance in Basic Skills, parental opinion and consultation, teacher evaluation. In
addition, students must demonstrate the following:
Understand and speak English,
Read and comprehend academic English,
Write in English,
Demonstrate English proficiency in other academic subject areas.
6. After reviewing the PowerPoint and resources posted on historical and federal legal implications of
bilingual education, analyze one case or proposition historically that in your opinion are most
significant and impact the needs of students in your district courrently. Explain your opinion.
Williams versus California stood out to me when I read LaQuas PowerPoint, Historical Perspectives Bilingual
Education. With further research I discovered that Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law five bills taking
effect immediately, protecting the rights of students for sufficient textbooks (as one example).
In one Health class in which I substitute teach, there is one set of class books in which multiple students must
share one book to complete an assignment. I was surprised by this and even more so after reading Williams V
California. Per the PowerPoint and the website, Books and Materials are accessible and adequate no
sharing. On our district website there is a complaint form anyone can access and submit, specifically citing
Williams V California. In addition there is a name and number for a contact, specifically for concerns regarding
textbooks and instructional materials.
There is something amiss in this classroom and I can only conclude that; either parents or students are
unaware of this educational code, or the district is unable to supply adequate supplies. Per the website, lowest
performing schools (decile 1-3 on the Academic Performance Index) are monitored annually. Perhaps because
our school is a middle/upper class social economic bracket, we do not get monitored on a regular basis.

Works Cited:
California Department of Education
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/ (CAHSEE)
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/el/cefceldt.asp (CELDT)
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/glossary07g.asp (RFEP)
Accessed January 9, 2016
El Dorado Union High School District website: http://www.eduhsd.k12.ca.us//Quicklinks/Williams-ComplaintProcedure/index.html
https://beehivelywebsites.s3.amazonaws.com/sites/52f1378d1defc52908000002/content_entry536370011defc5e9fd00008b/53
86d9811defc51d6500049e/files/ELDObservationChecklist.pdf
http://www.eduhsd.k12.ca.us/documents/Course%20of%20Study/General%20Courses/NonDepartmental/709_Academic%20Support%20Class.pdf
Accessed January 9, 2016

Historical Perspectives Bilingual Education, PowerPoint

2015, Stephanie LaQua, M. Ed.
Williams V. California: http://www.publicadvocates.org/williams-v-california
Written May 17, 2000; accessed January 9, 2016