Larkspur School District

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Larkspur School District

• Program for
• English Learners

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• Mission Statement
• The Larkspur School District is fully committed
  to creating equal educational opportunities for
  all students enrolled in the district. All
  students, regardless of ethnicity or language
  background, are entitled to a socially,
  emotionally, and physically safe learning
  environment in which all cultures are recognized
  and appreciated. Our mission is to provide
  opportunities for success in the total school
  program and to assist students in becoming
  productive members of society.

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• Philosophy
• We believe that learning takes place in an
  environment that allows personal growth and
  acquisition of skills to occur in a natural
  developmental order. Such an environment
  promotes trust, self-confidence, and self- esteem
  while allowing for individual and cultural
  differences. The primary language of each
  English Learner is respected throughout the
  school setting. A rich variety of multi-sensory
  experiences must be provided, together with a
  stress-free climate that encourages exploration
  and self- motivation.

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• Goals
• A. The goal of the English Language Development
  program is to assist students in developing
  social and academic language in English while
  maintaining the primary language. Promoting
  self-esteem and cultural understanding are also
  primary goals of the program.
• B. English Learners will develop proficiency in
  understanding, listening, speaking, reading and
  writing English at a level comparable to their
  native English-speaking peers.
• C. English Learners will become academically
  successful in the core curriculum as evidenced by
  classroom performance measures and standardized
  assessments.

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• Initial Identification
• At the time of registration, all parents fill out
  a Home Language Survey (HLS) and indicate which
  language is most often spoken in the home.
  Parents can indicate if they consider their
  childs primary or native language to be English
  or another language. If a language other than
  English is listed on any one of the first three
  lines of the Home Language Survey, the students
  English proficiency is assessed within 30 days of
  enrollment. (Ed. Code). If a parent indicates
  the a language other than English is spoken in
  the home, but only by the adults living in the
  home, then the determination of English
  proficiency is not required, but optional.

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• A students English proficiency is determined by
  the California English Language Development Test
  (CELDT), which is administered by the District
  CELDT Coordinator or designee. If a student has
  transferred from another school in California, an
  attempt is made to contact the previous school to
  determine whether CELDT testing is required. If
  there is no response prior to the end of the
  30-day period, the CELDT Coordinator will
  administer the CELDT as an initial assessment.
  Documentation of CELDT testing is maintained in
  the students Cumulative Record in a blue folder
  along with a student tracking sheet, CELDT score
  sheets, and a copy of a parent notification and
  program placement.

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• Annual Assessment and Parent Notification
• An Initial and Annual Assessment Results and
  Program Placement for English Learners
  notification is sent to all parents informing
  them of the CELDT testing and results, and
  indicating if the student has been identified as
  an English Learner (EL) or as Fluent English
  Proficient (FEP). All students who score at or
  below the Intermediate level of English
  proficiency are considered English Learners. An
  exception is sometimes made for student scoring
  overall at the upper end of the Intermediate
  range with above Intermediate scores in Reading
  and Writing, and they may be considered Possible
  Fluent English Proficient (PFEP.) All students
  are tested annually until they have reached the
  levels of Early Advanced or Advanced English
  Proficient, at which time they may be eligible
  for reclassification to Fluent English Proficient
  status. Reclassification requires both Early
  Advanced or Advanced English proficiency and
  satisfactory academic performance indicators.
  (See Reclassification of English Learners.)

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• Program Placement
• Students with less than Intermediate proficiency
  in English (either Beginning or Early
  Intermediate proficiency) are placed in the
  English Language Development program. They
  receive English instruction up to four times per
  week for 30-45 minutes each day, depending on
  grade level and level of proficiency. This type
  of direct instruction in English is defined as
  English Language Development (ELD) and generally
  occurs outside of the mainstream classroom
  setting by a credentialed teacher possessing a
  Cross Cultural Language Acquisition and
  Development Certificate (CLAD), Language
  Development Specialist (LDS) Certificate, or
  other English as a Second Language (ESL)
  certification. All students are also assigned to
  a mainstream English classroom setting where they
  receive Specially Designed Academic Instruction
  in English (SDAIE) along with native speakers.

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Larkspur School DistrictProgram for English
Learners

• Program Quality Assurance and Compliance
• The Larkspur School District has identified two
  representative groups of parents who act as
  advisory bodies to the LEA and oversee the
  programs, funding and services provided to
  English Learners. School Site Council and
  District Advisory Council consist of parents who
  are either elected representatives of the parent
  population or volunteers.

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• School Site Council (SSC)
• State law requires that each public school site
  have an elected committee, representing school
  staff and the community, responsible for
  developing and reviewing an ongoing School
  Improvement Plan. School site councils conduct an
  annual parent survey, follow-up reports and
  related recommendations review school programs
  and make budget recommendations. Members,
  consisting of six staff members and six parents,
  are elected by their peers and serve for three
  years.
• District Advisory Council (DAC)
• The purpose of the DAC is to provide input and
  recommendations to district staff regarding the
  planning and implementation of district
  categorical programs and curriculum. When
  necessary the DAC will review legal requirements
  of state and federal programs and help ensure
  compliance. The DAC is comprised of members of
  the school site councils, PTAs, Corte Madera
  Larkspur Schools Foundation site certificated
  and classified staff, as well as district and
  site administration. We will ensure a variety of
  diversity and perspectives through outreach and
  communication with our constituent groups.