English Language Development (ELD)
In the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) we understand the success of our Multilingual Learners is the collective responsibility of all educators in partnership with our families and communities. SMUHSD is committed to providing our Multilingual Learners a rigorous and relevant academic education and the socio-emotional support they need to be engaged in our schools and graduate college and career ready. We value the rich cultural and linguistic diversity Multilingual Learners bring to our schools and community, and believe in using culturally responsive practices to respect and affirm the language and culture of each student. We are proud of the diversity that our Multilingual Learners (MLs) add to our school communities.
We have students from a vast number of countries that speak a diverse number of languages. Their cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds enrich our school communities. We are committed to fully integrating and educating our Multilingual Learners and their families in our schools.
Multilingual / English Language Development Courses of Study
SMUHSD Multilingual Language Development courses are aligned to reflect the 2012 California adopted English Language Development standards and 2014 California adopted English Language Arts/English Language Development framework. We offer three levels of English Language Development: English Language Development 1 for Emerging English Learners, English Language Development 2 for Expanding English Learners, and English Language Development 3 for Bridging English learners. All students in English Language Development 1 to 3 take one period of English Language Development which meets the Designated English Language Development requirement. and one period of Multilingual Learner English, for which they receive English credit. The San Mateo Union High School District uses common placement and semester assessments across our sites to validate a student’s placement and assess their readiness for advancement to the next course.
Designated ELD
Designated ELD I (Newcomer Program)
- Grade Level: 9-12
- Credits: 5 elective credits per semester, does not meet UC/CSU “a-g”
- Prerequisites: Any Multilingual Learner with less than 3 years of education in the USA will be assessed for language proficiency to determine if an ELD placement is appropriate.
Students in ELD I are at the emerging stages of English development. The course is designed to introduce students to English via the four domains of reading, writing, listening and speaking/by Interacting in Meaningful Ways (Part I of ELD standards) and Learning How English Works (Part II of ELD standards) in order to demonstrate language proficiency at the expanding level based on the ELD II descriptors. The ELD standards are part of the new ELA/ELD framework which was designed with the CCCS standards as an anchor.
Designated ELD II (Newcomer Program)
- Grade Level: 9-12
- Credits: 5 elective credits per semester, does not meet UC/CSU “a-g”
- Prerequisites: Any Multilingual Learner with less than 3 years of education in the USA will be assessed for language proficiency to determine if an ELD placement is appropriate.
Students in ELD II are at the expanding stages of English development. Throughout the year, students will develop and/or improve their understanding of the English language with a specific focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking/by Interacting in Meaningful Ways (Part I of ELD standards) and Learning How English Works (Part II of ELD standards) in order to demonstrate language proficiency at the bridging level based on our ELD III descriptors. ELD standards are part of the new ELA/ELD framework which was designed with the CCSS standards as an anchor.
Designated ELD III (Newcomer and Standard Program)
- Grade Level: 9-12
- Credits: 5 elective credits per semester, does not meet UC/CSU “a-g”
- Newcomer Program Prerequisites: Any Multilingual Learner with less than 3 years of education in the USA will be assessed for language proficiency to determine if an ELD placement is appropriate.
- Standard Program Prerequisites: Any Multilingual Learner with less than 6 years of education in the USA will be assessed for language proficiency to determine if an ELD placement is appropriate.
Students in ELD III are at the bridging stages of English development. Throughout the year, students will improve their understanding of the English language with a specific focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking by Interacting in Meaningful Ways (Part I of ELD standards) and Learning How English Works (Part II of ELD standards) in order to demonstrate language proficiency at the mainstream level based on our Mainstream descriptors. The ELD standards are part of the new ELA/ELD framework which was designed with the CCCS standards as an anchor.
Community and Literacy In Action (CLA) (Standard Program)
- Grades: 9-12
- Credits: 5 credits per semester, UC/CSU “a-g” Subject Area: g
- Prerequisite: Any Multilingual Learner who is a Long-Term Multilingual Learner 6+ years of education in the USA and has not been Reclassified as Fluent. Exceptions could be a Newcomer Advanced or Multilingual Learner with 4-5 years of education in the USA. This meets the required Designated ELD course for all Multilingual Learners.
This course is designed for multilingual scholars to develop leadership & literacy skills to connect and communicate their identities so that they are able to contribute to their school communities and beyond. Using Yosso’s Community & Cultural Wealth Model, students will work collaboratively and draw upon their home languages and cultures as resources in order to enhance their multilingual communication skills. This course will utilize asset based and humanizing pedagogy to provide students with opportunities to explore and develop their identities and leadership skills in order to understand their potential to be agents of change in their communities. This course, anchored in the ELD standards, is intended to support our multilingual scholars in improving their abilities to read, write, listen and speak across all content areas in order to demonstrate their leadership skills. Students focus on academic vocabulary development, language, syntax, grammar and writing structures through close reading of grade level informational and literary texts. Students learn how text structure, language features, and vocabulary vary depending upon purpose and audience and they develop academic language proficiency to recognize the various purposes, audiences and text types.
AVID I, II, III with AVID Emerge Embedded (for Multilingual Learners only) - (Standard Program)
*Need prior approval from District AVID Coordinator / Manager of Multilingual Learners to offer this course
- Grades: 9-12
- Credits: 5 credits per semester, does not meet UC/CSU “a-g”
- Prerequisite: Any Multilingual Learner who is in the Standard Program and has not been Reclassified as Fluent. This meets the required Designated ELD course for all Multilingual Learners. Must complete any application process the AVID site team requires.
AVID elective courses at all grade levels are designed to prepare, in an academic context, disadvantaged students for entrance into four year colleges, with emphasis on analytical writing, preparation for college entrance and placement exams, college study skills and test taking, note taking and research. This elective provides explicit instruction in English language development and academic language through reading, writing, oral language, academic vocabulary, and college readiness skills by implementing AVID Emerge and maintaining fidelity to the WICOR cornerstone of the AVID program. AVID Emerge is tailored for all language proficiencies in secondary English Language Development (ELD) classrooms to enable students to accelerate their academic language acquisition, by purposefully weaving the four language domains into every facet of instructional practice.
English for Multilingual Learners (ML)
ML English (I, II, III/IV) - (Newcomer Program)
- Grades: 9-12
- Duration: Year
- Credits: 10 elective credits, I-II do not meet UC/CSU “a-g”; III UC/CSU “a-g” Subject Area: b
- Prerequisites: Any Multilingual Learner with less that 6 years of education in the USA will be assessed for language proficiency to determine if an ELD placement is appropriate.
This course develops academic English, grammar and language to provide full access, engage with, and achieve in academic content, with particular alignment to the knowledge, skills, and abilities for achieving college and career readiness described in the Common Core State Standards for ELA. With a focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking students will progress in demonstrating language proficiency aligned with English in the Standard Program.
The ML Council vision is to prepare Multilingual Learners for both high school and post-high school success through the development of English literacy , academic identity, and critical thinking skills.
The DELAC vision is that English Multilingual Learner students are loved, supported, understood, and successful in our schools.
Curriculum Framework
ELA/ELD Framework