SFUSD offers a variety of quality, research-based programs for students who are learning English as a second language and for English-speaking students who are learning a new language. All programs are designed for students to develop proficiency in English in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as grade-level academic content. Programs that teach English Learners in their native language also teach students for part of the day in English. Language and academic outcomes vary according to the program model chosen. A brief description of each model follows below.
JAPANESE BILINGUAL BICULTURAL PROGRAM (JBBP)
JBBP teaches its core curriculum in English enriched with integrated instruction (approximately 1 hour per day) in Japanese language and culture. JBBP is not an immersion program.
NEWCOMER PROGRAMS
The Newcomer Program is a one-year program designed to help recently arrived immigrant students function well in their new language and culture. This program is offered in English and either Cantonese, Mandarin, Filipino or Spanish. The core curriculum is taught in the students’ native language along with a sequential program of English Language Development (ELD). There are three Newcomer centers at the elementary level:
• Mission Education Center (Spanish)
• Chinese Education Center (Cantonese)
• Filipino Education Center (Filipino/Tagalog)
At the middle school level, there are two schools that provide a strand of Newcomer classes in Spanish or Cantonese. One school also services mixed languages.
• Everett (Spanish)
• Francisco (Cantonese, mixed languages)
Newcomer High School serves high school students arriving from any country to help them transition during their first year in the district. After one year, students transition to either a Two-Way Immersion, Bilingual or Intensive English program. Students who speak other languages may transition into an Intensive English Language program.
TOTAL IMMERSION PROGRAMS
Alice Fong Yu (K-8) is the only Total Immersion program in SFUSD. In kindergarten, 90% of the instruction is in Cantonese and the other 10% is in English. The percentages change as the student’s progress through the grades. By the 4th grade, students receive 50% of their instruction in Cantonese and 50% in English. A Mandarin language component is added for upper grade students.
The goal of the program is to teach fluent English speakers Cantonese. Therefore, only fluent English speakers can be assigned to Alice Fong Yu. The sibling priority, however, is maintained for entering kindergartners regardless of their English proficiency.
All children whose native language is not English who apply to Alice Fong Yu for Kindergarten or 1st grade must be tested for fluency in English. Applicants to second grade and above must be tested for fluency in both Cantonese and English. The language tests must be completed before the application can be processed.
Two -Way Immersion Programs
(Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish) Goals: Students in the Two-Way Immersion program develop competency in a second language and in English. The goal is for students to become bilingual and biliterate while accessing the curriculum in two languages.
Student Population: This program is designed for students who are native English speakers and for students who are bilingual or native speakers of Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin or Spanish.
Instruction: In kindergarten, instruction may vary from 50% to 90% in the second language depending on the school and the program design. The percentage of instruction in English increases from year to year. By fifth grade, 50% of instruction is in English and 50% of instruction is in the other language. At the secondary level, students generally take two classes in a language other than English.
Teachers provide instruction in ELD and use Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) strategies to facilitate the development of English in areas of the core curriculum. Similar instructional support is provided for native English-speaking students while learning the core content in a second language.
Language Requirements:
Kindergarten and First Grade
During the student assignment process, 50% of the space at kindergarten and grade 1 is reserved for students who demonstrate proficiency in the target language.
Students with a home language other than English on the Home Language Survey section of the application form must complete a language proficiency assessment in their home language. Please see the Language Assessment section of the Enrollment Guide for more information about the assessment.
Students with English as their home language on the Home Language Survey section of the application form do not have to complete a language proficiency assessment, unless their parents request a target language proficiency assessment.
2nd to 12th Grade
Students in 2nd grade and above who wish to enroll in a two-way immersion program must have a degree of proficiency in the second language that is appropriate to the grade level to which they are applying. All applicants for 2nd grade and above must complete a language proficiency test in the language of instruction.
BILINGUAL PROGRAMS
Maintenance Bilingual Program (Spanish, Cantonese or Filipino)
Goals: Students in the Maintenance Bilingual Program develop competency in English while maintaining their native language. The goal is for students to become bilingual and biliterate while accessing the curriculum in two languages.
Student Population: This program is designed for students who are native speakers of Spanish, Chinese or Filipino and are learning English.
Instruction: In kindergarten, instruction may vary from 50% to 90% in the native language depending on the student’s English language proficiency, the program design and the school.
Instruction in English increases from year to year. For example, by fifth grade, instruction in English may vary from 50% to 80%, with the remainder of the instruction in the other language. At the secondary level, students would generally take two classes in a language other than English.
Teachers provide instruction in ELD and use SDAIE strategies to facilitate the development of English.
Early Exit Bilingual Program (K-3) (Spanish or Cantonese)
Goals: Students in the Early Exit Bilingual program develop English language proficiency and academic competency.
Student Population: This program is designed for students who are native speakers of Spanish or Cantonese and are developing proficiency in English.
Instruction: In kindergarten, instruction in the native language may vary from 50% to 90% depending on the student’s English proficiency level, the program design and the school. The percentage of instruction in English increases from year to year at a quick pace . By the second or third grade, all instruction is in English.
Teachers provide instruction in ELD and use SDAIE strategies to facilitate the development of English and access the core curriculum.
Intensive English Program/ELD
Goals: Students in the Intensive
English / English Language Development program develop English language proficiency and academic competency.
Student Population: This program is designed for students who are native speakers of all languages other than English.
Instruction: From kindergarten through 12th grade, 100% of the instruction is in English. Teachers provide instruction in ELD and use SDAIE strategies to facilitate the development of English and to access the core curriculum.
SFUSD Multilingual Programs at a Glance (2006-2007)
Chinese Cantonese Bilingual
• Daniel Webster Elementary School grades K to 5
• E.R. Taylor Elementary School grades K to 3
• Frank McCoppin Elementary School grades K to 3
• Garfield Elementary School grades K to 3
• George Moscone Elementary School grades K to 3
• Gordon J. Lau Elementary School grades K to 5
• Jean Parker Elementary School grades K to 3
• John Yehall Chin Elementary School grades K to 2
• Jose Ortega Elementary School grades K to 3
• Monroe Elementary School grades K to 5
• Sherman Elementary School grades K to 3
• Spring Valley Elementary School grades K to 3
• Sutro Elementary School grades K to 5
• Ulloa Elementary School grades K to 3
• Visitacion Valley Elementary School grades K to 4
• Francisco Middle School grades 6 to 8
• Galileo High School grades 9 to 12
• Lincoln High School grades 9 to 12
Chinese Cantonese Immersion
• Alice Fong Yu grades K to 8
• West Portal Elementary School grades K to 5
• Herbert Hoover Middle School grades 6 to 8
• Marina Middle School grades 6 to 8
• Galileo High School grades 9 to 12
Chinese Mandarin Immersion
• Starr King Elementary School Kindergarten
Korean Immersion
• Claire Lilienthal Elementary School grades K to 5
Newcomer Programs
• Chinese Education Center grades K to 5
• Mission Education Center grades K to 5
• Everett Middle School grades 6 to 8
(Spanish)
• Francisco Middle School grades 6 to 8
(Cantonese, Mixed Languages)
• Newcomer High School grades 9 to 12
(Mixed languages, Spanish, Cantonese)
• Bessie Carmichael/FEC grades K to 6
Filipino Bilingual
• Bessie Carmichael/FEC grades K to 6
Japanese Enrichment
• Clarendon Elementary School grades K to 5
• JBBP West grades K to 5
Spanish Bilingual
• Bessie Carmichael/FEC grades K to 3
• Bret Harte Elementary School grades K to 3
• Bryant Elementary School grades K to 3
• Cesar Chavez Elementary School grades K to 5
• Cleveland Elementary School grades K to 5
• Daniel Webster Elementary School grades K to 5
• E.R. Taylor Elementary School grades K to 5
• George Moscone Elementary School grades K to 3
• Glen Park Elementary School grades K to 3
• Guadalupe Elementary School grades K to 2
• Gordon J. Lau Elementary School grades K to 5
• Hillcrest Elementary School grades K to 3
• John Muir Elementary School grades K to 5
• Junipero Serra Elementary School grades K to 3
• Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School grades 3 to 5
• Longfellow Elementary School grades K to 3
• Marshall Elementary School grades 4 to 5
• Monroe Elementary School grade 5
• Paul Revere Elementary School grades 2 to 7
• Sanchez Elementary School grades K to 5
• Spring Valley Elementary School grades K to 3
• Starr King Elementary School grades K to 5
• Horace Mann Middle School grades 6 to 8
Spanish Immersion
• Alvarado Elementary School grades K to 5
• Buena Vista Elementary School grades K to 5
• Fairmount Elementary School grades K to 5
• Leonard R.Flynn Elementary School grades K to 2
• Marshall Elementary School grades K to 3
• Monroe Elementary School grades K to 4
• Paul Revere Elementary School grades K to 1
• Herbert Hoover Middle School grades 6 to 8
• James Lick Middle School grades 6 to 8
• Mission High School grade 9
Language Assessment
Whenever the Home Language Survey on the enrollment application indicates that a student speaks a language other than English we are required by State law to assess the child. The language assessments evaluate a child’s level of proficiency in English and in his/her native language. They are not pass/fail assessments. The results help parents identify an appropriate program for their child. Assessments are not timed; students can take as much time as they need to complete the assessments. Students cannot retake the language assessment.
GRADES K & 1
Who is assessed?
Students who speak a language other than English. That is, any student who lists a language other than English on the Home Language Survey section of the Enrollment Application form.
What assessments do they take?
1. The California English Language Development Test (CELDT). The listening/ speaking test results are used to determine what type of instructional support is necessary to meet the language needs of the student.
2. Target language test: SFUSD Chinese Standardized Test (CST) or Pre-LAS-Español. The tests are listening/ speaking primary language tests.
Note: The time a student takes to complete the assessment depends on the individual student. However parents should anticipate that it will take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
How Long?
15 to 30 minutes
approximately
30 to 45 minutes
approximately
GRADES 2 THROUGH 12
Who is assessed?
Students who speak a language other than English. That is, any student who lists a language other than English on the Home Language survey section of the Enrollment Application form.
2nd to 12th grade students who apply to an immersion program who do not currently attend an SFUSD immersion program.**
What assessments do they take?
1. The California English Language Development Test (CELDT).
a. Listening / speaking portion (grades 2 to 12)
b. Reading portion (grades 2 to 12)
c. Writing portion (grades 2 to 12)
2. Target language test: SFUSD Chinese Standardized Test (CST) or
Las-Español.
a. Listening/speaking native language assessment
b. Reading/writing native language assessment
Note: The time a student takes to complete the assessment depends on the individual student. However parents should anticipate that it will take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours.
How Long?
30 to 45 minutes
60+ minutes
60+ minutes
approximately
10 to 15 minutes
60+ minutes
approximately
**Students in 2nd grade and above who wish to enroll in an immersion program must have a degree of proficiency in the target language that is appropriate to the grade level to which they are applying. SFUSD students currently enrolled in immersion programs do not have to take a target language test to move to the next level or to transfer to another program of the same language.
Where Does My Child Take the Test?
If your child is applying for an assignment for the 2005-06 school year, all assessments will be conducted by SFUSD staff at the Educational Placement Center (EPC), Room 100, 555 Franklin Street.
If your child is applying for an assignment for the next school year (2006-07), the target language assessments will be conducted by SFUSD staff at the EPC, and the California English Language Development Test will be conducted at your child’s school in the fall of 2006.
What Happens After the Test?
Once the test is completed and scored, the parents/guardians meet with the staff person who administered the test, the test results are explained to them and they sign the form “ Goals for English Language Learners” (consent form) that indicates the program/ language support that they agree that the student(s) should receive.
