Valley High School has an extensive Newcomer Program that is equipped to work with students who are brand new to the U.S. We provide sheltered instruction in all core subjects including English, Science, Mathematics, and History. Our first year students have two English classes, one core class, and one support class. Our English classes are generally small with anywhere between 15 to 30 students. Most of the instructional materials and technology is provided for our students, including basic materials like paper and pencils. Our staff is comprised of highly qualified and experienced teachers who have a passion for working with newcomer students. These are the people who work tirelessly to make sure our students succeed:
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According to The Glossary of Education Reform, English-Language Learners (ELL) are defined as "students who are unable to communicate fluently or learn effectively in English, who often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in their academic courses" (www.edglossary.org/english-language-learner/). A student is categorized as an English-Language Learner if they begin their primary education as a student who speaks a language other than English at home and/or score below proficiency levels in the English Language Proficiency Assessment, otherwise known as the ELPAC. ELL students must take the ELPAC every year until they score at proficient levels to be reclassified fluent English proficient.
Types of English Learners At Valley High School, we have approximately 32.8% of students who are categorized as English Learners (“School Accountability Report”, 2017). There are two types of English learners that we serve at Valley High School; Long term English Learners are those who have been English Learners since their primary school years and have not been reclassified. Many of these students are native-born students who have simply not achieved full proficiency in the English language. They are typically taught in mainstream classes but often require some modification in instruction and materials. The second type of ELL is our Newcomer English learner. These students attended school in another country and their first language is that of their home country. Many of the Newcomers at Valley come from Latin American countries and speak Spanish, but some of our students also come from Vietnam, India, and Afghanistan. Newcomer students often require additional support in the form of sheltered instruction, instructional aides, and modified curriculum. What do you need to do to be reclassified? In order to become reclassified fluent English proficient, students must fulfill the following criteria:
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Karina Morales is a teacher at Valley High School in the city of Santa Ana. She forms part of the staff and is the lead teacher for the Newcomer Program at Valley. She is also teaching one section of Drama. Karina earned her B.A. in English at California State University of Fullerton and completed her M.ed in ESL and Bilingual Education from American College of Education. |