Mission

We exist in partnership with students and families who have the richness of more than one language and culture, ensuring that every student is an empowered and valued member of our inclusive and collaborative school learning communities. 

Vision

We are a courageous and innovative community that advances equitable and sustainable systems with asset-based practices that foster and nurture our shared humanity. 

We serve by providing two essential components for equitable access to learning. The first component provides English Language Development (ELD) in an accelerated, asset-based model. ELD instruction focuses on the 4 domains of language (speaking, listing, reading, writing) that support students with meeting academic language goals The second component supports students, so they engage in rigorous grade level academic content. This engagement and learning occur in the classroom with their peers.

The Dual Language Program is focused on the development of biliteracy, bilingualism, and cross-cultural competence as students learn in both Spanish and English. Our program is designed to empower a bilingual and biliterate community of global citizens and scholars with a vision of commitment to academic excellence through the power of languages and cultures. This includes engagement and learning of rigorous grade-level academic content and the development of both academic Spanish and English language development and literacy. 

Provide English Language Development 

K-12 English Language Development is provided to students who qualify. This is accomplished through an integrated array of services to meet students who are multilingual's spectrum of linguistic needs. Multilingual Education (MLE) teachers support students and classroom teachers in all learning contexts to leverage students' linguistic assets and target academic language goals.

Meaningful Access to Rigorous Grade-Level Content 

Students who receive services and support from the Multilingual Education Department are general education students first and have the civil right to engage in meaningful rigorous grade level academic content with their peers. Through co-planning, collaboration, and/or co-teaching with trained MLE teachers, the classroom becomes a space of engagement where multilingual scholars leverage assets from their linguistic repertoires. 

Bilingualism, Biliteracy, and Intercultural Competence 

Partner teachers supporting Spanish language and English language development collaborate and teach students in partnership of allocated content areas. They create intentional metalinguistic opportunities for students to bridge and leverage their linguist assets to build biliteracy and bilingualism through learning academic content. Learning languages in their authentic cultural contexts develops an empathetic and cross-cultural classroom community.  

Transitional Bilingual Instructional Programs (TBIP) and Title III Program Coordination and Implementation 

We are staying current in research-based trends in Transitional Bilingual Instructional Programs (TBIP). This entails coordination and intentional collaboration with KSD Communities that support the successful implementation of KSD and state initiatives. This drives state and federal funding to provide equitable and asset-based multilingual student supports. 

Ensure Compliance to Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Policies and Procedures

We look to our state governing body on guidance for ensuring equitable access and service to our students who are multilingual. They are our partners in our pursuit for doing what is right by our students.

English Language Development (ELD) is:

• The explicit and systematic teaching of 

  • English language Structures, Vocabulary, and Functions

• Necessary for social and academic language proficiency

• A comprehensive and integrated approach to language development that is designed to support the academic success of multilingual learners

Integrated & Designated ELD

Integrated ELD (often co-teaching)

• Within content instruction to unpack academic language

• Within all core instruction and consistently embedded 

• Essential for multilingual learners, will benefit all students 

• Often focuses on content specific vocabulary and language functions

• Includes instructional strategies to support successful engagement with content learning

Designated (often small group)

• Designed, focused and directed towards individual or small group by language proficiency levels within the classroom

• Targeted academic language addresses ELD goals

• It is aligned to grade level content by explicitly teaching the academic language functions and structures that students need to successfully demonstrate knowledge of classroom content

WIDA ELD Standards Framework

• Adopted by Washington State in 2022 to be implemented in all public schools

• Ensures that eligible MLs have equal access to learning in all contexts

• It is the MLE ELD curricular resource that supports teachers use to align the ELD standards, language expectations, and demands with all content learning

• It is imperative for multilingual learner's successful school experience in WA state for all ELD staff and core content teachers to become familiar with these standards

• Collaborative instructional practices are a crucial factor in MTSS framework as well as supporting the progress of students who are multilingual

  • Co-teaching, Co-planning, Co-reflection, Co-assessment

What Makes WIDA a Different ELD Framework to Effectively Integrate Language and Content Learning?