Pajaro Valley Unified School District

Instruction in English with differentiated scaffolding according to each student's English proficiency level. In PVUSD, we use the Academic Language and Literacy (ALL) instructional model. English Learner students receive daily English Language Development (ELD), and all academic content is taught with English as the language of instruction. Elementary school sites with ALL instructional model are Amesti, Ann Soldo, Bradley, Calabasas, Freedom, H.A. Hyde, Hall District, Landmark, MacQuiddy, Mar Vista, Mintie White, Ohlone, Radcliff, Rio del Mar, Starlight, and Valencia Elementary. Charter school sites with ALL instructional model are Watsonville Charter School for the Arts, Diamond Tech Institute, Pacific Coast Charter School, and Virtual Academy.

Students in grades 6-12 who are state designated as English Learners (ELs) and who do not demonstrate reading achievement on the NWEA MAP Reading (English) assessment at a minimum of 40th %ile, or else literacy achievement on the ELPAC assessment at a minimum of 3/4  Written (literacy composite) section, are placed into an English Language Development (ELD) course. Designated ELD instruction is state required. It is focused instruction on the English Language Development Standards. During Designated ELD, English Learners develop critical English language skills necessary for accessing  social language plus academic content in English. PVUSD ELD instruction is built around language functions, language forms and buiding fluency across the four domains of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

A program model for English Learner students in which students entering in Kindergarten have oral proficiency in Spanish, or English and Spanish, or Mixteco and Spanish languages. Academic instruction in the classroom is provided in both English and Spanish language from all grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, with the end goal being students who are bilingual, biliterate, culturally competent, and high academic achievement. Instruction begins in Kindergarten with Dual Language program students receiving 90% of their school instruction in Spanish language. By gradualling increasing the instruction of academic content to more English language, by third grade the students receive half of their daily lessons in the English language of instruction and the other half of the daily lessons in the Spanish language of instruction. For a 50/50 Dual Language program model, student participants receive 50% of their instruction in all grades in Spanish language of instruction, and 50% in English language of instruction. The Math, Reading, Writing, Science, Arts, and Social Studies content is the same as English language only classrooms. Scientific research indicates that English Learner students who participate in Dual Language program models in the long-term achieve higher levels of English literacy proficiency in comparison to other English language acquisition models. Elementary school sites with a 90/10 Dual Language One Way program model are Amesti Elementary and H.A. Hyde elementary. One elementary site with a 50/50 Dual Language One Way program mode is Starlight Elementary. 

A program model for English Learner students OR English only OR English proficient emergent bilinguals in which students of all races, ethnicities, and home languages entering into Kindergarten participate in academic instruction through immersion Spanish language with the end goal of the students becoming being bilingual, biliterate, culturally competent, and high academic achievenment. For a 90/10 model, instruction begins in Kindergarten with Dual Language program students receiving 90% of their school instruction in Spanish language. By gradually increasing the instruction of academic content to more English language, by third grade the students receive half of their daily lessons in the English language of instruction and the other half of the daily lessons in the Spanish language of instruction. The Math, Reading, Writing, Science, Arts, and Social Studies content is the same as English language only classrooms. During grades 6-8, students who were participants in the Dual Language Two Way program shift to 1/3 of the instructional day in Spanish language of instruction: Social Studies and Spanish for Spanish Speakers (World Language). Scientific research indicates that of all of the language models available to students designated as English Learners and English only home use, the Dual Language Two Way program model is capable long-term of the highest achievement levels of English literacy proficiency. Dual Language Two Way program model sites: Freedom Elementary, Alianza Charter School, Rolling Hills Middle School (starting August 2023). *** Ohlone Elementary staff and administration has indicated a desire to begin a Two Way Dual Language program model, starting August 2024, with entering Kindergarteners, and advancing one grade level annually.

A program model for students state designated as English Learners. Transitional Bilingual programs are designed for students entering Kindergarten have oral proficiency in Spanish only, or Spanish (plus an additional home language). Academic instruction in the classroom is provided initially 90% Spanish language of instruction in Kindergarten. The Transitional Bilingual program rapidly reduces in First, Second, and Third grade the amount of Spanish language used by teachers and students. By the end of third grade all academic instruction occurs in English language only. The goal of the Transitional Bilingual program model is to utilize the student's first language as a foundation upon which to build English language competency. Long-term, the program model focuses upon academic achievement in an English only classroom environment. Current Transitional Bilingual Early Exit sites are Ann Soldo Elementary, Hall District Elementary, Landmark Elementary, Mintie White Elementary, and Ohlone Elementary.