English Language Development (ELD) Instruction

English language development (ELD) means instruction designed specifically for English learners to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English.

In accordance with the California Education Code, the Lancaster School District provides Comprehensive ELD to all English learners in grades K-8, including students with disabilities, in all language acquisition programs, and in every school. 

Comprehensive ELD includes both Designated and Integrated ELD, and ensures that English learners have access to the core academic content standards, including the English language development standards, while becoming proficient in English. 

• DESIGNATED ELD is instruction provided during a time set aside in the regular school day for focused instruction on the CA ELD standards to assist English learner students to develop critical English language skills necessary for academic content learning in English.
  
  

• INTEGRATED ELD is provided to throughout the school day and across all subjects by all teachers of ELs. The CA ELD Standards are used in tandem with the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy and other content standards to ensure students strengthen their abilities to use English as they simultaneously learn content through English. Meaningful access to the core curriculum (e.g., reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies) is a key component in ensuring that ELs acquire the tools to succeed in general education classrooms within a reasonable length of  time
  
  

See ELD standards by grade level on the Parent Resource Page

ELD Proficiency Level Descriptors

The Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) provide an overview of stages of English language development. English learners are expected to progress through these stages as they gain increasing proficiency in English as a new language. The PLDs describe student knowledge, skills, and abilities across a continuum, identifying what ELs know and can do at each of the three proficiency levels: Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging. These descriptors are intended to be used as a guide to provide ELs with targeted instruction in English as well as differentiated instruction in academic content areas. However, ELs at all levels of English language proficiency must fully participate in grade level tasks in all content areas with varying degrees of scaffolding in order to develop both content knowledge and English.

EMERGING

Students at this level typically progress very quickly, learning to use English for immediate needs as well as beginning to understand and use academic vocabulary and other features of academic language.

EXPANDING

Students at this level are challenged to increase their English skills in more contexts, and learn a greater variety of vocabulary and linguistic structures, applying their growing language skills in more sophisticated ways appropriate to their age and grade level.

BRIDGING

Students at this level continue to learn and apply a range of high level English language skills in a wide variety of contexts, including comprehension and production of highly technical texts. The “bridge” alluded to is the transition to full engagement in grade level academic tasks and activities in a variety of content areas without the need for specialized ELD instruction.

Designated ELD

Designated ELD is a required and core subject, during the regular day when teachers focus on the specific language learning needs of EL students, based on their ELD proficiency levels, in ways that are directly connected to students’ content learning.

Requirements:

• For all English learners, including students with disabilities

• Using the state & district approved curriculum 

Wonders ELD for elementary schools 

StudySync ELD for middle schools

• CA ELD Standards & data-driven instruction 

• All English learners must show an ELD section on their schedule
  
  

At the elementary schools, Designated ELD is taught in small groups by the student's teacher, or another teacher within the same grade level. Students are grouped by proficiency level according to student need and availability of staff. 

At the middle schools, Designated ELD replaces one of the student's electives. 

Integrated ELD

Integrated ELD is specialized, differentiated instruction in English that is designed to support individual students' learning in a classroom of students with varied backgrounds and needs to ensure that English learners have an opportunity to learn the same rigorous academic content as English only students.

Integrated ELD is meant to occur everyday in all content areas as teachers use the CA ELD Standards in tandem with their content standards to guide their lesson planning, observe students during instruction, and evaluate student work.

The goal of differentiated instruction is to create learning opportunities that make allowances for differences in how individual students learn in order to ensure equal access to important academic content. All students learn the same thing, but in different ways. Differentiating instruction is a matter of presenting the same task in different ways and at different levels, so that all students can approach it in their own ways. Effective differentiation requires ongoing evaluation of students' needs and conscious attention to designing instructional activities and assessment to meet those needs.

Requirements: 

• For all English learners, including students with disabilities

• CCSS & CA ELD standards & data-driven instruction

• Every day, across all subjects

• Primary language (Spanish) curriculum materials may be used