Capitol Collegiate Academy

Implementation of those techniques would include:

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   Develop reading skills. Give language learners many opportunities to read and write in meaningful contexts, in their first and second languages. Draw on effective strategies for increasing literacy skills. Integrate technology to support writing instruction and motivate students to use written language to communicate. Encourage students to develop literacy skills in their native language, then transfer these skills to learning English.
   
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   Work from strengths. Build on what students already know. Draw on their background experiences and encourage connections between academic concepts and students' own lives. Help students see the value of being able to communicate in multiple languages.
   
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   Connect with students' families and culture. Use culturally congruent teaching methods. Incorporate culture and native language, introduce multicultural literature, and draw on the expertise of community members. Give ELL students opportunities to teach others about their first language and home culture.
   
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   Use engaging instruction. Use effective strategies such as project-based learning, thematic instruction, and cooperative grouping to engage learners. Give students opportunities to talk about shared learning experiences. Hands-on, experiential learning experiences will develop understanding. Help ELL students connect words with meaning by using nonverbal clues and nonlinguistic representation of ideas, including multimedia, manipulatives, simulations, and modeling.
   
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   Vary assessment strategies. Use wide-ranging assessments, including observations, portfolios, and performance assessments.
   

Some additional instructional strategies that we will use include:

Checking students’ comprehension of the content: Use sentence strips Set up dialogue journals between teacher and student Plan activities using role play and drama Use student reading log Use Cloze exercises Write summaries Encourage students to write headlines Write character diaries Have students present information wit illustrations, comic strips, or other visual representations Allow students to provide answers and explain processes instead of you telling them

Helping ESL students adjust to the classroom: State / display language, content and metacognitive objectives List instructions / process steps and review orally Present information in varied ways (oral, written, demonstrations, with tangible hobjects) Frequently summarize key points Repeat and paraphrase important terms Provide Word Wall with vocabulary for unit/ chapter Have students maintain notebook Have student maintain learning log for metacognitive strategies Allow sufficient response time

Adjusting teaching style: Develop a student centered approach Speak a little more slowly (not louder ), use shorter sentences, and avoid idioms Increase the percentage of inferential and higher order thinking questions Provide correction for language errors by modeling, not overt correction Use cooperative learning Incorporate peer tutoring Use the Writing Process Explicitly connect learning to students’ knowledge and experience Take time to preview and explain new concepts and vocabulary before starting instruction Use questionnaires / interviews

Motivating students and providing background knowledge: Use Semantic Webbing and graphic organizers Use Anticipation Reaction Guides Have students brainstorm, then record responses on overhead before starting lessons Use realia, maps, photos, and manipulatives Do activities where students can interact and move around Have students do hands-on activities Do demonstrations Use CDs, cassettes and videotapes with books Use a variety of groupings so that ESL students can interact with different classmates Provide students with outline of lesson and questions that will be asked beforehand so they have an opportunity to process information and participate more readily Use the overhead projector every day to model highlighting text, identifying main ideas or new vocabulary or to show pictures.

Finally, Capitol Collegiate will comply with all provisions outlined in Title III – Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigration Students. This includes a letter for parent notification (notifying of English proficiency status and program placement) and reporting requirements.

A sample letter might include (from the California Department of Education website):

Dear Parent or Guardian: Capitol Collegiate Academy receives Title III funding from the federal government to help English learners to speak, read, and write in English and to achieve in reading and mathematics. School districts and other agencies that receive Title III funds are reviewed each year, as required under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, to see if they meet the three Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) for their English learners: Progress in learning English Progress in the percentage of students who become proficient in English Academic targets in English-language arts and mathematics For the X-X school year, Capitol Collegiate did not meet one or more of these targets. [Explain which of the objectives were not met.] If you would like more information about how your child is performing on these targets, please contact your child’s teacher or school. Please contact [name of contact person, title, agency name] at [phone number] for more information on the educational program to help English learners become English proficient and meet academic goals. Sincerely, [Administrator’s name]

Finally, the University of Tennessee included the following in their study about the time it takes for English acquisition:

Cummins theorized that there are two kinds of English proficiency that ESL students must learn. The first is basic interpersonal conversational skills (BICS) that ESL students need when they carry on face-to-face conversation in social settings. BICS English is characterized as context-embedded since contextual cues are available to both speaker and listener involved in the conversation, and it is cognitively undemanding. As the vignette illustrates, ESL students can easily recount orally what happened to them personally without difficulty once they attain fluency. According to Cummins, it takes only 2 to 3 years for ESL students to attain BICS English. In other words, BICS English is easy to learn, and can be attained in a rather in a short period of time.

The other proficiency is cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP). CALP English is characterized as context-reduced, as is found in written texts in content areas such as math, science, and social studies. Due to its decontextualized nature, ESL students struggle to comprehend what they read and to express what they know in writing. CALP English used in context-reduced academic learning demands high cognition on the part of the ESL student. Collier & Thomas report that the ESL students who were taught in pull-out ESL settings took the longest time to reach grade level, which is another reason we will use the push-in method.

In traditional ESL classes, the most time is spent on "how-to-says" under imagined situations focusing on social language competency; however, language learning in CBEC (Content Based ESL Curriculum) provides purposeful, meaningful, and authentic opportunities for ESL students (Short, 1993). Thus, the benefits of CBEC are manifold:

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  First of all, ESL students learn age-appropriate content knowledge that reflects the content learning in the mainstream. While there is a significant gap in background knowledge between ESL students and mainstream students, CBEC can provide ESL students with opportunities to catch up with mainstream students' background knowledge. When they learn grade-level content in math, science, and social studies, the background knowledge gained from CBEC will facilitate their learning in mainstream classes. According to Chamot and O'Malley, CBEC is a motivation factor for ESL students. They not only feel that they are being challenged with a high-standards curriculum, but also feel more prepared in mainstream classes because they understand more.
  
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  Second, ESL students read authentic texts, not simplified or contrived text written for ESL students only. Thus, learning is more meaningful and situated.
  
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  Third, language learning becomes more purposeful. That is, ESL students learn the language, not about the language. English learning becomes a means to an end, which can accelerate second language acquisition. They do not just learn how to construct an expository writing, instead they can write about the science experiment result based on the hypothesis they formed.
  
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  Fourth, ESL students learn technical vocabulary, which they critically lack. Vocabulary knowledge has been closely linked with academic success. CBEC provides the most meaningful vocabulary learning opportunities for ESL students because they not only learn technical vocabulary but also use it in context. Thus vocabulary learning is not only facilitated but also enduring.
  

The steps that individual teachers can take are described below.

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  First, the ESL teacher consults with mainstream teachers to find out what units ESL students will be studying in the next marking period or even the next semester (long-term preparation) in various subjects. It should be noted that ESL students' English level is the guiding force in selecting reading materials since they read and write below grade level. Another important factor in deciding content areas is the ESL teachers' comfort level. Teachers should not force upon themselves a content area with which they are extremely uncomfortable. ESL teachers should choose a content area they feel comfortable with and enjoy teaching. They can gradually broaden selections of content areas as they gain more confidence and competence.
  
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  Second, once a content area is selected, the teacher should decide what particular concepts or units from the chosen content area will be explored. Chamot and O'Malley (1991) emphasize depth over breadth. That is, an ESL teacher cannot teach an entire curriculum of 4th grade science or 8th grade social studies. Instead, the teacher should pick one unit or two of great interest to ESL students or of great importance to their content learning. The teacher decides how detailed and specific the content should be. However, it is important that the teacher teaches the core/essential concepts related to the specific content. If the teacher chooses to teach about the rainforest, he/she must teach what it is, where it is, the habitats in the rainforest, its relation to ecological systems, the benefits of the rainforest to humans and nature, and all relevant vocabulary. Just learning rainforest-related vocabulary does not count as CBEC.
  
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  Third, the teacher chooses content-area reading materials according to students' English proficiency. Since content-area reading is loaded with difficult syntax and semantics, it is advised to go below the students' actual grade level. For example, if students are in high school, they can work on middle school social studies--middle school materials are still challenging for high school ESL students. However, the materials should be age-sensitive. For example, a fifth grader with a limited English proficiency should not be taught with books written for kindergartners.
  
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  Fourth, the teacher designs thematic unit lessons. To deal with a specific topic in an in-depth manner, lessons should have a series of related lessons under the same topic. For example, if the teacher teaches about recycling, the first lesson is to learn vocabulary and to build background knowledge on recycling by connecting it to their students' personal lives and reading to learn the major concepts of recycling. The second lesson is about why we need to recycle. The third lesson is to learn the recycling process. The fourth lesson can be an experimental recycling project. The fifth lesson is to write an essay on the importance of recycling to ecological systems, and the sixth lesson can have the students publish their essays in the school newspaper. Although thematic unit lessons in this example consist of six lessons, the teachers might need 10 sessions of class time in real-life, depending on the students' level and the pace of learning.
  

While the teacher is following these procedures, some essential ingredients have to be present in implementing CBEC.

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  First, ESL students must read authentic texts. The teacher should include time for reading texts in every class--the students can repeatedly read the same part.
  
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  Second, there have to be strong language learning components. The teacher has to design lessons in which ESL students must use academic oral English in the context of debates, group projects, or cooperative learning.
  
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  Third, the teacher must integrate writing so that it is purposeful and meaningful in context--writing aids students' conceptual learning. The salient grammar points in a specific unit should be emphasized and reinforced throughout reading, writing, and speaking activities.
  
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  Fourth, higher-order thinking and critical thinking skills should be reinforced through the use of real-life problem solving situations.
  
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  Fifth, scaffolding is critical when ESL students learn abstract concepts. Hands-on activities and visual demonstration are considered part of scaffolding because they facilitate students' concept learning.
  

We will adhere to all state and federal recommendations and guidelines pursuant to English Language Learners.

Special Education
Capitol Collegiate is a tuition-free public school determined to offer a high-quality education to all of our students, including those with identified special needs. In the same way that we research best practices for meeting the needs of our high-achieving, ELL, and low-achieving students, we believe that students with special needs will also benefit from a structured curriculum. We will work closely with the SELPA to ensure the use and implementation of the strongest plans for our students. We will also utilize the strategies as recommended by the National Association for Special Education Teachers within our daily instruction.
Capitol Collegiate will offer special education instruction and designated services, in accordance with an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 Plan, in the same manner as other public schools within the District.
Capitol Collegiate will comply with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and all Office of Civil Rights applicable for students enrolled in the school.
When necessary to screen a student to determine whether a child’s academic, behavioral, or other difficulties may be related to a disability, the student shall first be referred to the SST and parents shall be notified. If the Student Study Team (SST) process determines that general education services are not sufficient for meeting the needs of the child, the team shall make a referral for special education evaluation.¹¹⁹
If the evaluation confirms the student is eligible for special education services, an IEP will be created (with parental input and, when appropriate, student input) to identify the needs, annual goals, objectives, accommodations, modifications, and services to maximize student learning. These services will then be provided by qualified school staff or a service provider in accordance with the student’s IEP, with every effort made to engage students in grade-level standards within the general education classroom or alternative environment, as specified by the IEP. Instructional materials and methods will be selected based on each student’s specific learning needs.
IEPs and student progress shall be reviewed annually, or more often, as necessary.
Professional development for teachers will include annual special education compliance trainings, as well as additional trainings to maximize teacher effectiveness in working with special needs students.
Charter School Special Education Responsibilities

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  Capitol Collegiate will adhere to the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state special education laws and regulations to assure that all students with disabilities are accorded a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). Capitol Collegiate will also ensure that no student otherwise eligible to enroll in their charter school will be denied enrollment.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will comply with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and all Office of Civil Rights mandates for students enrolled in the Charter School.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will adhere to all Sacramento City Unified School District policies and procedures regarding special education.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will adhere to the requirements of the Chanda Smith Modified Consent Decree and court orders imposed upon SCUSD pertaining to special education and will submit documents and information, participate in reviews, and attend informational sessions and meetings.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will use District forms to develop, maintain, and review assessments and IEPs in the format required by the District and will enter accurate assessment and IEP data into the District’s designated data system in accordance with SCUSD polices and procedures. The charter will maintain copies of assessments and IEP materials for district review. The Charter School will submit to the District all required reports, including but not limited to CASEMIS, SESAC and IEPs, in a timely manner as necessary to comply with state and federal and Modified Consent Decree requirements.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will participate in the state quality assurance process for special education (i.e. verification reviews, coordinated compliance self-reviews, complaints monitoring, procedural safeguards, and the local plan). We will participate in internal validation review (DVR).
  
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  Capitol Collegiate is responsible for the management of its special education budgets, personnel, programs and services. The Charter School will ensure that its special education personnel or contracted personnel is appropriately credentialed, licensed or on waiver consistent with California laws and regulations.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will implement the programs and services, including providing related services, required by the IEPs of the students enrolled at the school, and working closely with the SELPA in order to determine and allocate those resources.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will use the District’s SELPA for special education purposes in year one, with the option of becoming its own LEA or SELPA or choosing another SELPA thereafter, per Education Code Section 47641(b).
  
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  For students transferring to Capitol Collegiate from District schools or District affiliated charter schools, Capitol Collegiate will provide those related services required by the students’ IEPs upon the students’ enrollment. Capitol Collegiate will fund the nonpublic service and review it within 30 days of the student’s enrollment to determine whether the service should be continued or terminated.
  
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  For students transferring to Capitol Collegiate from other school districts, the school shall provide related services required by the students’ IEPs upon the students’ enrollment regardless of the type of service provider (school, NPA or private). IEP team meetings for such students will be held within thirty (30) days of the student’s enrollment in accordance with state and federal law.
  
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  The referral process shall include Student Success Team meetings to review prior interventions, accommodations and modifications and to recommend further interventions as appropriate. Capitol Collegiate will identify and refer students with disabilities who demonstrate early signs of academic, social or behavioral difficulty that may require assessment for special education eligibility and placement in a special education program.
  
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  Upon parents’ request for assessment, Capitol Collegiate will be responsible for the development of assessment plans for students with suspected disabilities. The assessment plan will describe the types of assessments that may be used to determine the eligibility of students for special education instruction and services. Assessments will be conducted, within legal timelines, after receiving the parents’ written consent. Capitol Collegiate shall conduct an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting that includes required team members within mandated timelines for each student assessed to discuss results, determine eligibility, and (if eligible) specify special education instruction and services. Capitol Collegiate will make decisions regarding eligibility, goals, program, placement, and exit from special education through the IEP process according to federal, state and District timelines.
  
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  In the event that Capitol Collegiate is unable to provide an appropriate placement or services for a student with special needs, the school will contact the District to discuss placement and service alternatives. Capitol Collegiate IEP teams will ensure participation of a District special education representative at an IEP team meeting whenever it is anticipated that special education programs outside of Capitol Collegiate, including but not limited to placement at a District school or at a non-public or private school, will be considered. If an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team that includes Capitol Collegiate personnel places a student in a special education program provided by another entity without District representation on the IEP team, Capitol Collegiate will be fully responsible for the quality of the program and for any costs incurred for such a placement.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will support movement of students with disabilities into less restrictive environments and increase interactions of students with disabilities with non-disabled students. Capitol Collegiate’s general program of instruction for students with disabilities shall be responsive to the required sequence of courses and related curricular activities provided for all students in the school. Assessment and standardized testing procedures shall be implemented, including guidelines for modifications and adaptations, to monitor student progress.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will provide planned staff development activities and participate in available appropriate District trainings to support access by students with disabilities to the general education classroom, general education curriculum, integration of instructional strategies and curriculum adaptations to address the diverse learner, and interaction with non-disabled peers.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will ensure that the teachers and other persons who provide services to a student with disabilities are knowledgeable of the content of the student’s IEP. The school will maintain responsibility for monitoring progress toward IEP goals for the student with special needs. Capitol Collegiate will assess and develop Individual Transition Plans to help students with disabilities transition to adult living in accordance with District policies and procedures.
  
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  Capitol Collegiate will ensure that it makes the necessary adjustments to comply with the mandates of state and federal laws, including the IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, regarding discipline of students with disabilities. Discipline procedures will include positive behavioral interventions. Prior to recommending expulsion for a student with disabilities, the charter school will convene a manifestation determination IEP. Capitol Collegiate will collect data pertaining to the number of special education students suspended or expelled.
  

Procedural Safeguards/Due Process Hearings
The District may invoke dispute resolution provisions set out in a charter, initiate due process hearings, and/or utilize other procedures applicable to the Charter School if the District determines that such action is legally necessary to ensure compliance with federal and state special education laws and regulations or the Modified Consent Decree.
In the event that a parent or guardian of a student attending Capitol Collegiate initiates due process proceedings, both the Charter School and the District will be named as respondents. Whenever possible, the District and Capitol Collegiate shall work together in an attempt to resolve the matter at an early stage (informal settlement or mediation).

During due process proceedings and any other legal proceedings or actions involving special education, Capitol Collegiate will be responsible for its own representation. If the school retains legal representation for a due process proceeding or other legal proceeding or action, Capitol Collegiate will be responsible for the cost of such representation.

Capitol Collegiate will work closely with the District’s SELPA to meet our students’ needs. The District’s SELPA will be involved in special education decisions at the Capitol Collegiiate.

Complaints
The District will investigate and respond to all special education complaints the District receives pertaining to Capitol Collegiate, including the District’s Uniform Complaint Procedures, Office for Civil Rights and California Department of Education Special Education Compliance Complaints. Capitol Collegiate will cooperate with the District in any such investigations and provide the District with any and all documentation that is needed to respond to complaints.

Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
The District is approved to operate as a single-district SELPA under the provisions of the California Education Code, Section 56195.1(a). Charter schools authorized by the District are deemed to be public schools within the District for purposes of special education. The District will determine the policies and procedures necessary to ensure that the protections of special education law extend to students in the charter schools in the same manner as students in all District schools.
Funding for Special Education
Capitol Collegiate will receive its allocated share of AB602 special education funds and shall be fiscally responsible for the provision of special education services and instruction to the students they serve. The allocated amount shall be calculated using a funding model based on student population (average daily attendance). Capitol Collegiate will keep daily attendance for each student which shall be reported and certified according to District policies and procedures. The school may request specific related services from the District on a fee basis if the District has availability.
The District will collect a fair share contribution from independent charter schools for district-wide costs for special education instruction and services. District-wide costs include but are not limited to: 1) maintaining a full continuum of program options; 2) professional development and training; 3) consultation and technical support for programs; 4) administration of due process proceedings, excluding any legal representation; 5) investigation of complaints; 6) assistance/participation at IEP team meetings and other opportunities from special education support units; and 7) implementation of the Modified Consent Decree.
The fair share contribution will be reviewed annually by the Budget Division, the Charter Schools Office, and the Division of Special Education and may be adjusted to reflect changes in expenditure patterns or in federal or State special education revenue streams. The calculation of the fair share contribution shall be based upon a rationale designed by the District's Budget Services Office with consideration of the District’s encroachment and other factors.
District Responsibilities Relating to Charter School Special Education Program
As long as charter schools operate as public schools within the District, the District shall provide information to the school regarding District special education decisions, policies, and procedures to the same extent as they are provided to other schools within the District.
To the extent that the District provides training opportunities and/or information regarding special education to other school site staff, such opportunities and/or information shall be made available to Capitol Collegiate staff.
Modifications to Special Education Responsibilities and Funding
The special education responsibilities of the Charter School and the District, and the special education funding model may be modified, supplemented or clarified through a mutually agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”). If such an MOU is executed its provisions shall be incorporated by reference into this Charter and shall, to the extent necessary to carry out the intent of the MOU, supersede the provisions on special education responsibilities and funding set forth above.
Accommodation Strategies for Teaching Special Education

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  Always ask questions in a clarifying manner, then have the students with learning disabilities describe his or her understanding of the questions.
  
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  Use an overhead projector with an outline of the lesson or unit.
  
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  Reduce course load for student with learning disabilities.
  
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  Provide clear photocopies of your notes and overhead transparencies, if the student benefits from such strategies.
  
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  Provide students with chapter outlines or study guides that cue them to key points in their readings.
  
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  Provide a detailed course syllabus before class begins.
  
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  Ask questions in a way that helps the student gain confidence.
  
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  Keep oral instructions logical and concise. Reinforce them with a brief cue words.
  
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  Repeat or re-word complicated directions.
  
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  Frequently verbalize what is being written on the chalkboard.
  
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  Eliminate classroom distractions such as, excessive noise, flickering lights, etc.
  
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  Outline class presentations on the chalkboard or on an overhead transparency.
  
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  Outline material to be covered during each class period unit. (At the end of class, summarize the important segments of each presentation.)
  
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  Establish the clarity of understanding that the student has about class assignments.
  
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  Give assignments both in written and oral form.
  
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  Have practice exercises available for lessons, in case the student has problems.
  
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  Have students with learning disabilities underline key words or directions on activity sheets (then review the sheets with them).
  
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  Pace instruction carefully to ensure clarity.
  
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  Present new and or technical vocabulary on the chalkboard or overhead.
  
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  Provide and teach memory associations (mnemonic strategies).
  
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  Support one modality of presentation by following it with instruction and then use another modality.
  
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  Talk distinctly and at a rate that the student with a learning disability can be follow.
  
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  Technical content should be presented in small incremental steps.
  
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  Use plenty of examples, oral or otherwise, in order to make topics more applied.
  
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  Use straight forward instructions with step-by-step unambiguous terms. (Preferably, presented one at a time).
  
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  Write legibly, use large type; do not clutter the blackboard with non-current / non-relevant information.
  
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  Use props to make narrative situations more vivid and clear.
  
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  Assist the student, if necessary, in borrowing classmates' notes.
  
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  Clearly label equipment, tools, and materials. Color code them for enhanced visual recognition.
  
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  Consider alternate activities/exercises that can be utilized with less difficulty for the student, but has the same or similar learning objectives.
  
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  Announce readings as well as assignments well in advance.
  
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  Offer to read written material aloud, when necessary.
  
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  Read aloud material that is written on the chalkboard and on the overhead transparencies.
  
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  Review relevant material, preview the material to be presented, present the new material then summarize the material just presented.
  
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  Suggest that the students use both visual and auditory senses when reading the text.
  
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  Spend more time on building background for the reading selections and creating a mental scheme for the organization of the text.
  
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  Encourage students to practice using technical words in exchanges among peers.