There are over 1 million limited English proficient (LEP) students who speak over 100 different languages in California public school system. And there are many different ways to go about educating these children. It is up to the school District to choose the technique and programs for these students. The only restriction is that the school district must follow the state Language Development Standards. Sonoma Valley School District has chosen to take several different approaches, from Flowery Elementary Immersion program to Dunbar transitional and pull-out programs. These programs provide our local students, whose first language is something other than English, an opportunity to learn English and obtain an education developed for them. Approximately 70 out of the nearly 400 students at Dunbar Elementary are considered to be (LEP) Limited English Proficient students. Most of those 70 students primary and first language is Spanish. There are two main ways in which these students are given assistance at Dunbar. The first being a pull-out program and the second being placed in a bilingual class. A pull-out program is when an LEP student is placed in all English speaking class. The student is pulled out of the class anywhere from 1-5 times a week depending on their need for a short period of time. The students is then given special instruction by an (ELD) English Language Development teacher to help them with English Language development. The second program is a transitional bilingual program which is when the LEP student is placed in a bilingual class. The goal of this program is to educate the students in both English and their native language while readying them for the transition of being placed in a all English speaking class. Dunbar has 2 bilingual classes, one made up of first and second graders and the second of third and fourth grade students.
Web links for more information on bilingual education:
1) http://www.nces.ed.gov/ccdweb/school/schdet.asp?recNumber=1
2) http://www.sonomavly.k12.ca.us/
4)http://www.cde.ca.gov/cilbranch/bien/bien.htm
--Chris Booth