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Overview
The Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) supports effective and compliant instructional programs for English learners (ELs) and World Language learners in grades K-12 across the district. This work includes:
- Designing, coordinating, and providing professional development.
- Providing on-site technical support for second language compliance and procedures.
- Assisting with site English learner program articulation and placement.
- Developing and coordinating programs for acquisition and learning of 16 world languages.
The department also provides assistance to parent committees, including school site-based English Learner Advisory Committees (ELAC), and the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC), a district-level advisory committee made up of representatives from each school's ELAC. The ELD Units build off of familiar topics that surface in grade level curriculum and provide
links for teachers to ensure that students continue to apply and practice the language functions
and forms in meaningful ways throughout the instructional day. Focused English Language Development Focused ELD Lessons
Of the roughly 136,000 students in the district, 27%, approximately 37,000 students, are English learners, with more than 60 languages other than English spoken as a primary home language. Currently, approximately 4,700 of the district's 5,900 core subject matter teachers provide specialized instruction to English learners.
English Learner Programs
San Diego City Schools (SDUSD) offers several programs for students who are English learners. In all of the programs, English learners receive concentrated instruction in the use of the English language that is appropriate for their grade and English language proficiency level. Such instruction must be provided by a teacher with advanced training in special strategies to help students increase their English proficiency and learn academic subjects taught in English.
Any student who lives in a home where a language other than English is spoken must take the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) within 30 days of his/her first date of enrollment in school to determine whether the student is 'fluent English proficient or an English Learner. The CELDT is then administered each year to English learners until they are reclassified as fluent English proficient. CELDT results establish one of five proficiency levels for each student: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, or Advanced. The CELDT enables the district to monitor student progress in learning English and helps teachers diagnose students' instructional needs.
Structured English Immersion (SEI)
SEI is an enriched English program that is designed for English learners at the Beginning, Early Intermediate and Intermediate levels of English proficiency. In most cases, SEI program students are clustered and purposefully placed according to English language proficiency level in grade-level classrooms that include native and fluent speakers of English. In these SEI "clusters," English learners typically make up about a third of the total students in the class. In certain cases, an entire class may be composed of English learners with similar proficiency levels, as long as they qualify for the SEI program. SEI teachers provide daily English language development instruction and Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE). Learn more.
Mainstream English Cluster (MEC)
The MEC program is for English learners at the higher range of English proficiency (Intermediate, Early Advanced or Advanced). Many are simply continuing from a SEI program. English learner students are again clustered together in grade-level classrooms that include native and fluent English speakers. The daily English language development instruction targets high-level English academic skills and SDAIE is provided in all core subject areas.
Biliteracy Program
SDUSD offers a Biliteracy program for Spanish-speaking English learners at a number of schools. Students learn in both English (through SDAIE and English language development instruction) and their primary language, and maintain interaction with students enrolled in other programs. The primary language continues to be used at each grade level, while the percentage of daily instruction in English increases over time. English learners are sometimes grouped in full, grade-level Biliteracy classrooms, or are sometimes grouped within grade-level SEI or MEC classrooms during English instruction.
In order for students to participate in this program, each year parents/guardians must come to school to be provided with full descriptions of all educational opportunities available to them. If they wish to keep their child in the Biliteracy program, they must sign a Parent Election Application (parental exception waiver). An approved Parental Election Applications is required for participation in this program. Parents/guardians of English learners of any primary language group may apply, but classes are only established when a sufficient number of applicants of the same language group and grade level are approved.
View the English Learner Program Fact Sheet: English
| Spanish
Focused ELD Instructional Supports
The ELD Units provide a framework to ensure that Focused ELD is taught in a functional context, with
focus on forms that can be easily transferred into all learning opportunities. We believe that
Focused ELD should serve as one bridge for ELs to access core curriculum and meet grade level
standards, and therefore are creating grade level specific scope and sequences that are
strategically linked to the Literacy Department's revised Units of Inquiry for grades 1, 3, and 5.
English Language Development Standards
The SDUSD English Language Development (ELD) standards contain all of the California ELD standards for each grade level in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. These standards serve as a pathway for ELD instruction and Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE), as English learners increase their English language proficiency levels over time, and, ultimately, are able to meet the California English Languages Arts Content standards - an expectation for all students. English learners should advance approximately one proficiency level per year until they qualify to be reclassified as fluent English proficient.
English Language Development Standards for Grades:
K-2 | 3-5 | 6-8 | 9-12
World Languages
The World Languages program guides students in language acquisition and learning, and provide them opportunities to gain knowledge and an understanding of other cultures. The district offers instruction in nine languages:
American Sign Language (ASL)
Chinese
Filipino
French
German
Japanese
Latin
Spanish
Vietnamese
In addition, the district credits courses offered by other institutions in languages including Arabic, Danish, Hebrew, Italian, Modern Greek, Portuguese and Russian.
The World Language program focuses on five specific goals for language acquisition and learning:
Schools with a World Language focus include:
View the World Language Standards for San Diego City Schools: New Directions in Language Acquisition and Learning
English Learner Support Team
The English learner support team is comprised of central office staff who manage program requirements and compliance, and provide direct classroom assistance to improve teaching and learning.
English Learner Program Requirements Support
This includes program coordination, assessment and compliance issues. Staff work with and support:
English Learner Teaching and Learning Support
This includes curriculum, instructional strategies and classroom support. Staff work with and coach teachers to improve instructional supports to English learners through effective English language development and explicit academic language development.
Related Resources
Contact Information
San Diego Unified School District
Office of Language Acquisition
4100 Normal Street, Room 2011
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 725-7264 - Phone
| Topic | Contact | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
English Learner Program Requirements Support
|
Debra Dougherty Program Manager, Office of Language Acquisition ddougherty@sandi.net (619) 725-7266 Mary Waldron Program Manager, Office of Language Acquisition mwaldron@sandi.net (619) 725-7275 Brenda Barraza Bilstad Resource Teacher, ELAC and DELAC ONLY bbarraza@sandi.net (619) 725-7279 Bonnie Doherty Resource Teacher bdoherty@sandi.net (619) 725-7268 Annette Theaker Resource Teacher atheaker@sandi.net (619) 725-7276 Kathy Velasco Resource Teacher kvelasco@sandi.net (619) 725-7278 Linda Wilson Resource Teacher lwilson1@sandi.net (619) 725-7283 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
English Learner Teaching and Learning Support
|
Sonia Gagnon Resource Teacher (Secondary) sgagnon@sandi.net (619) 725-7255 Kelli McMillan Resource Teacher (Middle School) kmcmillan@sandi.net (619) 725-7287 Elizabeth Pappas Resource Teacher (Elementary) epappas@sandi.net (619) 725-7309 Alan Svidal Resource Teacher asvidal@sanid.net (619) 725-7272 |
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