Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/250321
Learning Lindsey Bird is one of three teachers who helped create the program, which allows students to complete a fifth year of high school and take mainstream classes when they are ready. the program. She and three other Modesto Teachers Association members work at the institute, which allows students to complete a fifth year of high school and take mainstream classes when they are ready. Located at Davis High School, the LI also has a middle school component at Roosevelt Junior High. Surrounded by farmland in the Central Valley, Modesto was made famous decades ago in the film American Graffiti for its culture of cruising. Today, it's a popular destination for those who have made long voyages before arriving on American soil. "We always knew we had a large Spanish-speaking population, but we had not anticipated the large number of war refugees," says Bird. "Our large Assyrian community has led to Modesto becoming a significant resettlement area." Students are taught in sheltered English based on ability rather than age or grade. Some exit the program after just one year; others stay much longer. The immersion classes have four "tiers" of instruction, and teachers are aided by education support professionals who speak Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. Instructors use lots of visuals and dramatic interpretation in class. For example, to show the meaning of the word "exit," MTA member Amelia Herrera-Evans runs out the door repeatedly. "Someday, I'll win an Emmy for best actress," jokes the English language development teacher, who feigned sickness several times during a lesson to demonstrate the difference between healthy foods and unhealthy ones. "They arrive here with zero English, and to see them succeed is really cool." She describes the key to success as "scaffolding instruction like nobody's business" and developing caring relationships with students. The strategies are paying off: Students' California English Language Development Test (CELDT) scores have gone through the roof, and California Standards Test (CST) scores show substantial improvement after a year. Graduation rates have risen dramatically, and most graduates enroll in Modesto Junior College. Five of last year's graduates were accepted at fouryear universities. Davis High staff have hosted visitors from other school districts who are interested in trying out this model. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT BUSCHMAN Educator 02 Feb 2014 v2.1 int.indd 45 A population with high needs "When I first came here, I felt alone," recalls Mirna Esho, 19, who arrived from Iraq three years ago. "I couldn't speak to anybody. But when I came to the Language Institute, it wasn't scary. I learned government, math, biology and English. I made friends." She is now on track to graduate in May and helps other new arrivals feel at home. Adjusting, she says, was a challenge. The needs of LI students can differ from other English learners. For example, many lack a basic comprehension of American culture, so the program's "acculturation component" helps students understand things such as holidays, birthday parties, banking, transportation systems, and how to behave in school, such as being quiet when the teacher is talking. FEBRUARY 2014 www.cta.org 45 1/27/14 3:52 PM