Who do we serve?
English Language Learners
RCSD serves a population of over 26,000 students with nearly 4,000 students identified as English Language Learners (ELL). RCSD offers bilingual programming with ENL services and ENL only options within its four zones. Over 2,100 ELLs and over 150 Never-ELLs take advantage of bilingual programming at ten different campuses. (2/29/2020)
Bilingual student subgroups
In alignment and agreement with CR Part 154, RCSD serves all bilingual families and students requesting a bilingual program. When bilingual programs started in the country and in Rochester in the late 1960s, they served mostly emergent bilinguals. Our population has shifted to have a significant increase in simultaneous bilinguals and heritage speakers (see below). This Language Allocation Plan is inclusive of the shifting population and seeks to address the needs of the Latino community through quality programming and a welcoming environment for all bilingual students. It is the charge of the district and staff to provide supports and instruction, which result in bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural students. Without access to quality programming within additive bilingual models, students will become receptive bilinguals or monolingual. This model will expand to include other language groups as bilingual programs become available in multiple languages.
Emergent (Sequential) Bilinguals
Children who are exposed to a second language after the age of three.
Simultaneous Bilinguals
Children who are exposed to more than one language prior to the age of three.
Receptive Bilinguals
Children learning two or more languages with few opportunities to speak in one of their languages. Children are not learning languages equally and results in an imbalance favoring of the language used more often. Students may have full auditory understanding of multiple languages but are not able to demonstrate balanced speaking proficiencies in multiple languages.
Heritage Speakers
A student who is part of a familial community that speaks a minority language, but due to insufficient exposure and opportunity to develop the language, the child is not proficient in the language spoken by his or her immediate and extended family.