The vision of Montebello Unified School District English Learner Programs is to create a partnership of students, staff, families and community which works collaboratively to prepare responsible, lifelong learners that contribute positively and function successfully in a changing society, by providing a rigorous academic program characterized by a challenging, meaningful curriculum with attention to the language needs of all students.

Goals:

Every English Language Learner will receive daily English Language Development (ELD) instruction.

Provide professional development and services to support sites in their ongoing efforts to develop and sustain a quality ELD program.
This is accomplished through...

• Administrative trainings in the area of English language development are provided to extend their knowledge and further support English Learners at their school sites
   
• English Learner Program Facilitators (ELPF) attend monthly meetings to facilitate and support the English Learner Programs
   
• Multiple opportunities are extended to teachers, administrators and support staff through week long English Language Development institutes, led by University professors, in which participants expand their knowledge of English Language Development through interactive strategies and professional readings which promote talk, thought and interaction. Follow-up sessions are extended to provide opportunities for teachers to share, deepen, expand and refine their teaching practice.
   
• Annual trainings in the administration of the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) are provided to certify all stakeholders involved in the administration of the state mandated language assessment.
   
• Annual trainings in the administration and scoring of Language Assessment Systems Links (LAS LINKS) are provided to identified personnel who administer this assessment that identifies students’ primary language proficiency.
   
• Ongoing updates in the area of English Language Development are provided to school sites through i.e. conferences, workshops, speakers, forums, etc. 

Facilitate the implementation of English Learner Program through providing support in designing an instructional program that supports the language needs of all students.
This is accomplished through...

•  Trainings designed to build capacity in the delivery of content area instruction with attention to student language needs through Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model (SIOP). SIOP is a model that addresses lesson components necessary to make content area instruction comprehensible for English Learners by addressing both language and content objectives
   
• District wide HM Integrated Writing Unit Roll Outs are offered throughout the year. Participants receive training on making the Core Language Arts Program accessible to English Learners through Talk, Thought and Interaction with attention to vocabulary, functions; forms that build English language fluency.
   
• Spanish Language Institutes “Alza tu voz” are offered throughout the year to primary language teachers and administrators. The primary goal is to raise the academic language and rigor in the primary language settings. This supports research findings that state oral language proficiency in the primary language produces positive transfer to second language literacy skills. Follow-up sessions are extended to provide opportunities for teachers to share, deepen, extend and refine their teaching practice.

Inform and cultivate parent involvement at the district and site levels.
This is accomplished through...

• Working in conjunction with the Parent Involvement Department, the English Learner Program Department provides workshops and informational meetings to a variety of parent committees such as; English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC), District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC), District Advisory Committee (DAC). Topics discussed vary from reclassification, CELDT, Avenues and High Point, ELD vs. SDAIE, Access to Core, Program Evaluation, etc. This partnership establishes a connection between the home and school; whereby parents are empowered to both assist and be part of the decision making process in their children’s education

Analyze data to strategically target areas of student need throughout the district.

This is accomplished through..

• State mandated California English Language Development Test assessment is administered annually to all English Learners. CELDT is a test of English Language Proficiency required in California public schools each year for English Learners. The test is aligned with the English Language Development standards approved by the State Board of Education. CELDT measures a student’s proficiency of English language skills in the domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing
   
• Avenues end of unit assessments are administered to kindergarten -fourth grade English Learners
   
• High Point assessments are administered to English Learners at intermediate schools
   
• EDGE included are embedded assessments that the teacher can use
   
• Department is currently investigating a variety of performance based formative assessments that will provide authentic ongoing information data to monitor student progress and drive instruction