Course Catalog

The purpose of English language development (ELD) at Portland Public Schools is to advance Multilingual Learners’ (MLs) language development and promote their academic achievement by integrating both language and content standards. ELD programming provides language instruction in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and prepares students for general education by focusing on the social and academic language required across disciplines leading to a proficiency-based diploma.   Placement and the curriculum is aligned to WIDA’s English Language Development Standards, which capitalizes and builds upon the assets students bring to their learning: their cultural and linguistic practices, skills, and ways of knowing from their homes and communities.

For more information on the proficiencies targeted in each course, see the chart English Language Proficiency (ELP)  Performance Definitions below. Note that Intensive ELD (IELD) courses are designated for students of ELP levels 1 and 2. Cognitive Academic Language (CAL) courses are designed for ELP levels 3-5.

 

ELD Performance Definitions Language development is fluid and dynamic. Levels are not static, and can be different in different domains
ELP 1	ELP 2	ELP 3	ELP 4	ELP 5
§ Single words, phrases, or language chunks to represent ideas § Phrase-level patterns and structures § Everyday social, instructional, and content words and expressions	§ Emerging presentation of ideas in phrases or short sentences § Repetitive, formulaic grammatical structures across specific content areas § General social, instructional, and content words/ expressions, including cognates	§ A series of extended sentences and related ideas § Repetitive and some complex grammatical structures with patterns characteristic of specific content areas § Some content-specific and academic vocabulary, including cognates	§ Expanded related ideas in connected discourse with a variety of sentences § A variety of complex grammatical constructions with patterns characteristic of specific content areas. § Content-specific and some technical academic vocabulary	§ Multiple complex sentences, presented cohesively and coherently § Multiple phrases and clauses with patterns characteristic of specific content areas § Academic, content-specific, and technical vocabulary

Adopted from Massachusetts Department of Education Next Gen ELL Project 2016

 

All ELD courses prepare students for proficiency-based graduation requirements by focusing on :

• Supporting development of academic language proficiency through speaking and listening.
• Supporting development of academic language proficiency through attention to syntax and academic vocabulary in complex text and speech.
• Ensuring that students have opportunities to grow academic vocabulary through word study, close reading, and a volume of reading.
• Providing opportunities for students to read complex text closely and analytically on a regular basis, gradually developing students’ ability to learn from complex text independently.
• Increasing the volume and range of reading and address fluency for those students who need it.
• Helping students use evidence to inform, argue, and analyze (write and speak with support from sources).
• Providing regular opportunities for short, focused research

To succeed, MLs must engage with well-designed curricula that are aligned to WIDA English Language Development Standards, and the Maine Learning Results.   MLs at all proficiency levels have the same ability as native and proficient speakers to engage in cognitively complex tasks.

When MLs receive appropriate support to access ideas, texts, and concepts expressed in English, we can strategically work toward the simultaneous development of language, analytical practices, skills, and knowledge expected at the student's particular grade levels.

 

English Learner Program

 

Placement in ML classes is done in consultation with the student, their family and the Language Acquisition Committee (LAC) which includes ESOL and school counseling staff along with content area teachers. Each students’ language background is considered along with their prior educational experience and English language learning. Since placement is based on English Language Proficiency rather than prerequisites, ongoing formative assessment by ESOL teachers informs individual student placement and progression  in IELD courses. The following chart outlines the typical alignment of ELP levels with the IELD and CALS programming.

ELP Levels	English	Social Studies	Science	Math	Elective Options
ELP 1	English I for MLs	Language Acquisition of Social Studies	Language Acquisition of Science	Language Acquisition of Math     ML Pre-Algebra   Algebra 1a	Phys.Ed. Personal Fitness Art Foundations Ceramics Chorus Intro. to Digital Music Comp Sci Fundamentals
ELP 2	English II for MLs by LAC decision: ML Foundations of Literacy (Beginner or Intermediate)	ML Human Geography (2 or 3)         ML Government and Politics (3 +)	ML Environmental Science (2 or 3)       ML Biology (3+)		Phys.Ed. Personal Fitness Art Foundations Ceramics Chorus Intro. To Digital Music Comp Sci Fundamentals            All electives
				Algebra 1 Geometry Algebra 2   All Math Courses
ELP 3	English III MLs     by LAC decision: ML Foundations of Literacy (Beginner or Intermediate)
ELP 3+ (sem 1 out of IELD)	Academic Language and *English 2, 3, or 4	Early U.S. U.S. & Modern       All Social Studies courses	All Science Courses
				All Math Courses
ELP 3 - 5	*English 1 *English 2 English 3 English 4

Bold = Taught by ESOL Staff

 

Courses Descriptions

 

Course Title: English I for MLs, A & B

Course Number: 1151A, 1151B

Prerequisites: Placement testing, Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 Elective credits per semester

Open to: All Grades

Description: This course will introduce reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for both social and instructional language acquisition using students’ varied life and educational experiences, strengths, interests, and needs to bridge to academic content of US schooling. (IELD)

 

Course Title: English II for MLs, A & B

Course Number:1152A, 1152B

Prerequisite: Placement Testing,  Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 Elective Credits and 2 English Credits for the year

Open To: All Grades

Description: This course continues the development of students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for social and instructional language acquisition and introduces key concepts and standards of English Language Arts.  (IELD)

 

Course Title: English III for MLs, A & B

Course Number: 1153A, 1153B

Prerequisites: Placement Testing,  Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 Elective* credits per semester

Open to:  All Grades

Description: This course furthers the development of students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for the communication of information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content of English Language Arts.  This course supports reading fluency and strategy use with multiple genres with increased comprehension, as well as explicit writing instruction of a variety of text types (including summarizing, outlining and argument). Vocabulary and grammar instruction is integrated throughout each unit of study. (IELD)

 

Course Title: Language Acquisition for Social Studies

Course Number: 1203

Prerequisites: Placement testing,  Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 elective credits

Open to: All Grades

Description: This ML Level 1 course introduces students to language and concepts necessary to communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in social studies. The topics of study will include geography and world history, and draw from the cultural backgrounds of the students. (IELD)

 

Course Title: Language Acquisition for Math

Course Number: 1404

Prerequisites: Placement testing, LAC recommendation

Credit: 2 elective credits

Open to: All Grades

Description: This English language development course introduces students to the language and concepts necessary to communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in math. The primary focus of this course is to help students build their foundational numeracy skills. The course includes such topics as: multiplication & division, fractions, exponents, introduction to variables, coordinate plane and plotting points. Topics will also include those that will be further examined in pre-algebra and other grade level math classes. 

 

Course Title: Language Acquisition for Science

Course Number: 1506

Prerequisites: Placement testing,  Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 Elective credits

Open to: All Grades

Description: This ML Level 1 course introduces students to language and concepts necessary to communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in Science and health classes. Topics will include those that will be further examined in physical and life sciences. (IELD)

 

Course Title: Academic Language (Semester 1 or Semester 2)

Course Number: 1171 and 1172

Prerequisites: Placement testing, Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 Elective* credits

Open to: All Grades

Description: This course supplements bridging multilingual students who are taking a mainstream English course. It is added as a required language development course for students who have not yet passed the ACCESS test with a 4.5 or higher composite score. 

*English credit may be retroactively awarded after passing English 1, 2, 3, or 4.

 

Course Title: ML Foundations of Literacy - Beginning

Course Number: 1148A, 1148B

Prerequisites: Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 Elective credits per semester

Open to: All Grades

Description: This two-semester class is for students working on foundational literacy skills at the phonetic level. This course is primarily for students with significant interruptions or limited formal education (SLIFE) who are at the beginning stages of acquiring English. Students must be specifically recommended by the Language Acquisition Committee. (IELD)

 

Course Title: ML Foundations of Literacy - Intermediate

Course Number: 1148IntA, 1148IntB

Prerequisites: Language Acquisition Committee Recommendation

Credit: 2 Elective credits per semester

Open to: All Grades

Description: This  two-semester class is for students working on foundational literacy skills at the phonetic level. This course is primarily for students with significant interruptions or limited formal education (SLIFE) who also have developed conversational or possibly academic level oral English skills. Students must be specifically recommended by the Language Acquisition Committee. (IELD)