Berkeley Unified School District’s Master Plan for English Learners is available in draft form and will be reviewed at the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting on May 14th, 6-7:30 p.m. at Longfellow Middle School (1500 Derby St.).
October 2013 English Learner (EL) Master Plan
Background:
This Master Plan was revised to ensure that all English Learners in BUSD attain optimal linguistic and academic success as reflected in the district’s Mission, Vision, Values and Beliefs and the 2020 Vision for Berkeley’s Children and Youth. The mastery of standard and academic English is an issue of access, equity, and social justice. BUSD believes that a student‘s access to quality education should not be determined by his or her race, ethnicity, linguistic background, or socioeconomic status. We acknowledge the role that each of those characteristics plays in making our students who they are, and in BUSD, we see those features as foundational strengths as we build students‘ mastery of standard, academic English and academic content proficiency.
Staff intends that the Master Plan for English Learners both describe and guide our practice to ensure that all English Learners in Berkeley Unified School District achieve parity in academics with their native English speaking peers by the time they graduate from high school. To accomplish these broad goals, district staff must do everything possible to ensure that all English Learners meet criteria for Reclassification as Fluent English Proficient after five years receiving program services in our schools.
Our students must be prepared to address the challenging social and economic issues facing our country. That can be done best when they have the opportunity to learn rigorous linguistic, academic, and sociocultural skills, and work with people who speak or learn differently than they do. These skills are essential to succeed in our complex, globalized, and interconnected world.