Emerging: Students at this level typically progress very quickly, learn to use English for immediate needs, and begin to understand and use academic language for the grade level, with substantial language support provided. 

Expanding: Students at this level use their growing language skills in more advanced ways that are appropriate to their age and grade level, with moderate language support provided. 

Bridging: Students at this level can independently use a variety of high-level English language skills and fully participate in grade-level academic activities in all content areas, with light language support provided.

Expectations of English Learners and of Teachers 

The CA ELD Standards are organized into three parts. The first two describe specific expectations of ELs as they build on existing language skills and knowledge and progress toward full engagement with grade-level material in all content areas. The third part guides teachers to support students who may need basic reading and writing instruction. 

Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways. English learners participate in meaningful and intellectually challenging tasks in three ways: Collaboratively, by communicating with others about social and academic topics Interpretively, by understanding written and spoken information Productively, by writing or presenting to explain ideas and information 

Part II: Learning About How English Works. English learners comprehend and produce academic texts in various content areas. English learners use language to create organized texts, expand and enrich ideas, and connect and condense ideas. 

Part III: Using Foundational Literacy Skills. This section emphasizes how all teachers play a crucial role in developing the literacy of ELs. English learners at all grades require specialized instruction to learn foundational literacy skills, based on their age, previous literacy, and educational experiences. For ELs new to California schools in grades six through twelve, teachers also need to provide learning activities and materials to help students achieve all language skills, including literacy in English, as quickly as possible. 

My Pledge to my Exemplary Learners (i.e. EL students)

• Help students to make connections to content by tapping into their background knowledge and look for opportunities to make associations between things that students have experienced in their own lives, as well as ways to make your instruction more culturally responsive.

• Show students that they can use the skills they already possess and tap into their knowledge and experience to gain valuable confidence in their capabilities to be successful in their academic endeavors. 

• Leverage Students' home languages and cultures as a valuable resource to support instruction. For that purpose I plan to use:

  • • bilingual glossaries

    • providing background information in students' home languages

    • peer work in students' home languages

    • explicit instruction in how to use cognates (words that are related across languages such as English and Spanish) or build on their own skills in their home language