Brown International Language Policy
Purpose:
This Language Policy outlines the programs that are in place to provide:
● language instruction,
● second-language support,
● additional language instruction
● and mother-tongue language support.
Philosophy Statement
At Brown International, we believe language is central to intellectual, social and emotional development. It is our belief that children who speak more than one language are internationally-minded and better prepared for life in our global community. Our goals are to honor and support the development of mother tongue languages and to facilitate multilingual language development. We focus on the transdisciplinary nature of language learning by teaching language through content. All students study language through English immersion regardless of their mother tongue.
Language of Instruction What else does language instruction look like at Brown?
The language of instruction at Brown International is English. Mastery and application of the language skills – listening, speaking, viewing, presenting, reading and writing – is a critical piece of all learning and is the responsibility of all stakeholders. Wherever possible, language is integrated into authentic contexts through the Program of Inquiry (POI). Current language practices are used for instruction of the Common Core State Standards for English Language http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
Language practices implemented:
● Teachers provide transdisciplinary integration through the use of authentic texts and vocabulary throughout the content areas.
● Students receive targeted instruction on a daily basis via a workshop model that includes individual conferencing and/or small groups, such as guided reading
● Vocabulary-building techniques are used across the curriculum where appropriate – i.e. word walls, anchor charts, Fray’s model, sentence stems, etc.
● Language instruction incorporates a variety of visual avenues to support learning – i.e. websites, videos, graphic organizers, photography,images, etc.
● Students are encouraged to monitor their independent reading through the Accelerated Reader program.
● Instruction promotes the full writing process (planning, drafting, editing, and publishing) in meaningful contexts.
● Students are given opportunities to reflect orally and in writing about their learning and understanding in all content areas.
● Students are encouraged to communicate and present in multiple ways to support different learning styles.
● Students participate in collaborative conversations/discussions by building on each other's talk, asking clarifying questions, listening with care and staying on topic.
● Teachers utilize digital resources to support and extend learning (Promethean Boards, iPads, Chromebooks)
ELA English Language Acquisition
All parents complete a home language questionnaire and if a language other than English is spoken in the home, a parent permission form is submitted. The form gives parents the option to choose the type of English Language Acquisition (ELA) support services their child will receive or to waive services.
Students whose mother tongue is not English receive a minimum of 45 minutes of English Language Development (ELD) daily per a court-ordered mandate. English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers use a variety of methods to meet the needs of all English Language Learners (ELLs). In addition, all teachers school wide are trained in Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) and ELA best practices. Students are pulled out by ESL teachers to work in small groups and/or ELD support is integrated within the regular classroom setting depending on students’ needs. Language is taught through content embedded into the IB units of inquiry.
Annually, students’ levels of speaking, listening, reading and writing are assessed via the ACCESS test.
Support for Language Development
(For more details, please see the Inclusion Policy)
Brown International has several support services available to help students in their language development.
These include:
SPECIAL EDUCATION
● Students who have met the eligibility guidelines to receive Special Education services are supported by the classroom teacher and Special Education department staff. The special education teachers and the classroom teacher work hand in hand to implement the student’s IEP. All services are provided with consideration to the least restrictive environment, considering first providing support within the student's general education classroom if appropriate.
GIFTED AND TALENTED
● Students in grades Kindergarten-5th who have been identified as Gifted and Talented receive services from the classroom teacher and the G/T teacher. Teachers work closely with students to provide depth, complexity and enrichment to math and language lessons.
RESPONSE to INTERVENTION (RtI)
● We are required to use the Response to Instruction (RtI) model as the starting point to identify and serve students who need additional academic or behavioral support to make satisfactory progress towards meeting grade level expectations. Teachers or parents can refer a child who is not making adequate progress. Classroom interventions based on recommendations provided by the school’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are implemented and data collected weekly to determine student progress. Our MTSS provide/brainstorm interventions for teachers to implement in the classroom. To monitor the response to the instructional interventions, progress monitoring must be initiated to check the student’s progress. If the student shows adequate progress with the provided interventions then these interventions will continue. If a student does not show growth after a 12 week intervention, he/she is referred for a special needs evaluation. Evaluations are chosen based on student’s needs. Examples of evaluations that can be done are OT/PT, academic, speech language, behavioral and social emotional.
LIBRARY
● The library has large and growing collection of books, reference materials, and online databases. The IB Coordinator, who assumes librarian duties, regularly with teachers to support the students’ needs. She provides lessons, research support, book selection and acquisition of resources. The library currently operates on a fixed/open split schedule which allows for library check out with a paraprofessional every other week; the library is open for students and classes to use for research.
TECHNOLOGY
● Students have access to a wide range of technology that supports language development. Laptops, cameras, document cameras, smart boards and tablets all help students compose, share and connect ideas.
● Homeroom and Sped teachers may receive assistive technology for students who qualify through the district at http://denver.co.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=666&
Spanish as an Additional Language
The goal of our additional language program is to help our students communicate with a larger percentage of the world’s population. Our students are learning to be more open-minded by exploring different perspectives and cultures. This promotes greater international-mindedness. The Spanish teacher enriches the Primary Years Programme by using the key concepts and learner profile and by supporting the grade level units of inquiry.
Our Spanish program begins in preschool and continues through fifth grade. Students receive 3 week-long blocks of Spanish three times a year. During this rotation, they attend daily Spanish classes that are 45 minutes in length. The Spanish teacher uses a combination of Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS) with a focus on grade level units of inquiry and cultural themes from Spanish speaking countries. Our goal is to give students a positive experience in learning an additional language and to encourage them to be risk-takers and use Spanish whenever possible in other areas of their lives.
The following American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) criteria guides our instruction at Brown:
1. Spanish is used 95% of the time during class instruction
2. The teacher provides comprehensible input that is directed toward communicative goals
3. Meaning is made clear through body language, gestures, and visual and musical support
4. Daily comprehension checks are made to ensure understanding
5. Self-expression and spontaneous use of the language is encouraged
6. Students are self-advocates by making it clear when they don’t understand
Mother Tongue Support
The student profile at Brown is diverse and includes Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, Maay, Czech, Cambodian and Khana; however, Spanish and Vietnamese are the two largest groups of non-English speakers at the school. For Spanish speaking students, Spanish books are available to students to test comprehension through the Accelerated Reader program. Books representing the language profile of the students mentioned above are available for check out in the library.
Parents of all backgrounds participate in the fall and spring festivals by cooking food from their home cultures or participating in an art project that represents their culture.
The school will distribute communication in English and Spanish to support members of the Spanish speaking community. A Spanish-speaking teachers and paraprofessionals translate school-wide parent communications and special requests by teachers. Translation services for other world languages are provided by the district for parent-teacher conferences, school events and written communication, when requested by visiting http://communications.dpsk12.org/translation.html.
In the classroom, strategies for honoring the students whose mother tongue is not English include the following:
● Honor the child as an expert in his language.
● Students teach peers some words or phrases in their mother tongue.
● Invite parents into the classroom to teach mini-lessons.
The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC), led by ESL teacher teacher, meets quarterly to discuss pertinent school related information (scholarships, summer schools, school clubs, etc.) The purpose of the BPAC committe is to create community and equity among our bi- and multi-lingual families.
Assessment
Students are assessed in their development of oral language, written language, and visual language including viewing and presenting. While the end product is often assessed as an indicator of growth, the process is also vitally important and informally assessed. Students are given feedback based on both their growth towards individual learning goals and our state standards using a variety of strategies and tools. (See assessment policy)
Language Committee (IB Committee)
The Brown International Language Policy is reviewed every two years or earlier as needed by the IB Committee. When changes to the policy are implemented, the new policy will be distributed to the entire staff for perusal and discussion. Once the revisions to the policy have been accepted, it will be distributed to the entire staff. The IB Coordinator will ensure electronic posting of the Language Policy on the school website. It will also be included in the Staff Handbook, which is distributed at the beginning of each school year.
Updated May 2016