DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION PATHWAY We believe classrooms are language-­enriched environments where students can develop trilingualism. Our students languages and cultures are respected, honored, and celebrated through culturally-­responsive literature. Students will demonstrate organizational skills and mastery of content knowledge through writing assignments and oral presentations. We believe speaking, reading, and writing are equally important literacy skills. The goals of the Dual Language Immersion Pathway are as follows: Students will develop high levels of proficiency in their first language All students will develop high levels of proficiency in a second language Academic performance for both Native and English Speakers will be at or above grade level All students will demonstrate positive cross-­cultural attitudes and behaviors ELITE Public Schools instructional program consist of two Foreign Language Pathways: ELITE Dual Immersion Pathway (DIP) for grades Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade. ELITE Foreign Language in Elementary/Secondary Pathway (FLEP or FLSP) for grades Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade ELITE meets the needs of all students including english learners by implementing a Dual Immersion Pathway. ELITE’s Dual Language Pathway allows students to maintain high level of achievement and reach even higher levels through the end of K-­12 schooling. Research findings demonstrate a quality dual language pathway must include all of the following instructional components to reach these results: A socio-­culturally supportive school environment. An incorporation of multiculturalism into instruction and materials, including students values and ways of learning. Students work collaboratively and learn together. An additive bilingual environment. Ensure that all students maintain their home language while acquiring a second. Support of all learners to reach high academic achievement while nurturing and supporting them. Every adult is committed to the belief that all children can learn at high levels. A celebration of diversity in all its forms. ELITE’s Dual Immersion Pathway is one of two instructional strands within the school. The DIP has one dedicated classroom at each grade level through 5th grade. For the 2019-2020 school year, there will be 1 Transitional Kindergarten, 1 Kindergarten, and 1 First Grade. The remaining classrooms Transitional Kindergarten through 5th grade will be a part of the Foreign Language in Elementary Pathway. Foreign Language Elementary/Secondary Pathway At the Secondary level, 6th-­12th, the DIP instructional strand merges into the Foreign Language Secondary Pathway (FLSP) where students take two academic classes in the pathway language. Students in a FLSP develop competency in a second language in addition to becoming fully proficient in English. Within the FLEP and FLSP Pathway, instruction in the target language may vary from 30 to 60 minutes per day, three to five days per week and is delivered by a language-­proficient instructor. The curriculum is standards-­based and reinforces concepts taught in math, science, and or social studies. The curriculum integrates the target language and its cultures to promote meaningful communication. Additional instructional support is provided for students who enter FLEP in the upper elementary grades. California Department of Education commissioned and published the report, Improving Education for English Learners: Research-­Based Approaches (2010) outlining the significant progress in the field of English Learner Education. The report cites the following benefits of a dual language education: Globalization: Educational programs that afford students opportunities to acquire English and other languages and to become familiar with other cultures are better suited to offering graduates a premium in the global village. Neurocognitive Advantages: A bilingual advantage has been demonstrated consistently by individuals competent in completing tasks or solving problems when competing information is available. The Home Language Advantage: English learners with advanced levels of competence in certain aspects of the home language demonstrate superior achievement in English Literacy compared with English learners who lack or have lower levels of competence in these home language abilities. Schooling and Cultural Competence: Dual language programs provide students with communication skills and cultural awareness that facilitate intergroup contact and appreciation. Equal numbers of two groups of students: native English speakers and English language learners. Two languages are used for instruction and two groups of students are involved. The program is integrated. Native English speakers and English language learners are grouped together for core academic instruction (i.e. English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science) for most of the day. The program provides both groups of students with core academic instruction in both languages. ELITE uses the 90/10 program model, 90% of instruction in grades K-­3 is in Spanish and 10% in English. Over the course of the primary grades, the percentage of instruction in the second language decreases, while the percentage of instruction in English gradually increases. Phone number: 707-652-3142 Fax number: 916-265-2274 Email: info@elitepublicschools.org Address: 100 Whitney Avenue, Vallejo, CA, 94589 SUBSCRIBE Sign up to receive news and updates. SIGN UP