The Palos Verdes High School English Language program is based upon a belief that English learning students are best served by supplemental support in general education classes. Because PVHS is a relatively new school, the English Language program has evolved based on the needs of the PVHS student population. Currently, PVHS serves the (30) students with limited English fluency and (100) that have been re-designated as fluent in the English language by following a model based upon Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies.
College Preparatory Coursework
PVHS students with limited English fluency are scheduled in general education, mostly College preparatory classes. (93%) of our EL students took and passed a College preparatory math, English and science course in 2009-10. In addition to this rigorous academic course load, EL students are also given the option of taking a Guided Study class in which they receive academic assistance from a credentialed teacher, time to do their assignments as well as credit for taking the class. There are two part time instructional aides that also help support EL students in their regular academics.
Monitoring
Throughout their College preparatory coursework, EL students are monitored for reading fluency and comprehension and compared to their grade level peers. These short, five minute reading tests called ‘probes’ are given to EL students once a month to ensure that they are at or above their grade level reading ability. EL students that fall behind their peers in reading fluency or comprehension receive intervention strategies designed to reinforce English language basics.
Interventions
EL students that fall behind their grade level peers on a monthly reading probe are called into the Learning Center (room 203) from one of their non-academic courses, such as Guided Study, Art or PE. The Learning Center staff, composed of two instructional assistants and a credentialed teacher, then performs additional reading tests upon the student to identify which areas of reading, writing and speaking that the student is not at grade level.
Students are then assigned to one of three research-based reading intervention programs that specifically meet the needs of English language learners. The research-based reading intervention programs that PVHS has had privately donated as well as purchased with categorical funds include:
- Reading Horizons – Addresses basics, phonics and fluency
- READ 180 by Scholastic – Comprehensive reading program designed to support grade level curriculum
- Read Naturally – Shown to increase reading speed, fluency and comprehension
Students receiving intervention are monitored on a weekly basis to track fluency and comprehension improvement. It is ideal to give students three to five hours of intervention instruction per week.
Once students reach the level of their grade level peers, the interventions stop and students return to monthly monitoring.
More Information
For more information regarding the English Language program at PVHS, please contact
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