Heritage Elementary
Details
Where: Woodburn, Oregon
Type: Suburban
District: Woodburn SD 103
Grade Level: K-5
Demographics: 70% Hispanic, 18% White, 11% Russian
60% English Language Learners
87% Free or Reduced-Price Lunch
(Oregon Department of Education, data from 2005-06 school year)
Contact: Irene Novichihin, Principal
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Highlights
Serving a trilingual student population comprised of Spanish-speakers, Russian Orthodox Old Believers, and English speakers, Heritage Elementary School illustrates:
- Continuous, systemic improvement
- Academic language instruction throughout the day
- Coordination across teachers and classes, with intervention teams at each grade level
- Focus on writing and the development of language forms and functions
- Sustained professional development for all teachers in sheltered instruction and vocabulary development
- Peer sharing integrated throughout instruction
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Summary of Approach
Practices covered:
- Develop Academic English
- Schedule Peer Learning
Students meet in ELD classes for 40 minutes each day, with instruction focused on the forms and functions of language, a part of the state standards. This ELD instruction is coordinated with core academic instruction. When students start a unit of study in science or social studies, for example, essential vocabulary is taught and reinforced both places.
Students also spend time weekly in specialist classes. These teachers have both a content and a language objective for each lesson. Teachers across the district worked together to develop these lesson plans, which can be adapted for the mix of language levels in a class.
All teachers have been trained in a variety of instructional approaches. They have learned both sheltered instruction techniques to make content accessible and ways to teach language in content areas. One staff member is trained as a trainer in use of a sheltered instruction observation protocol. All training and instructional strategies are applied schoolwide.
Download further details | WORD | 132 KB
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Achievement Data
Made AYP in 2006-07. Featured at the OELA Summit in 2006. (Oregon Department of Education, data from 2006-07 AYP Report)