Integrating ELD and Science – The Exploratorium and Sonoma Valley Unified School District

What Is the Partners in Innovation: Integrating ELD and Science program?

The goal of the Partners in Innovation: Integrating ELD and Science program was to enhance K-5 students’ English Language Development and science learning. Over five years the program promoted the implementation of an integrated ELD and science instructional approach by providing concrete supports to teachers in four critical dimensions: curriculum, professional development, professional learning community, and district backing. With its focus on learning language in the context of hands-on science, the program aimed to establish a robust, districtwide elementary science program as well as to accelerate the language development of its English Language Learners.

This portfolio of reports addresses different aspects of the program, but emphasizes key dimensions in which SVUSD’s K-5 students developed and learned science and language through participating in the program. Each of the reports is deliberately brief and focused, aiming to make them readily accessible to a wide range of readers interested in a project that succeeded in accelerating and enhancing young second language learners’ academic progress.

Partners in Innovation: Integrating ELD and Science
Exploratorium and Sonoma Valley Unified School District
PROJECT PORTFOLIO:

Introduction and Overview – The Innovation and Its Contributions

The Contributions to Teachers – How Teachers Were Empowered to Support Students Learning Science and Developing English Language Fluency

Student Progressions in Science and Language Development:

What follows are five separate and brief reports focusing on various aspects of student progressions in learning science and language. We suggest that reader begin with the first, “Student Progressions in Science and Language Development: An Introduction and Rationale” that describes the idea of student progressions.  The construct of student progressions serves as an alternative to standardized test scores as a way to assess and demonstrate student growth and development.

An Introduction and Rationale

Progress in Developing Positive Attitudes and Confidence

Progress in Learning Science Content

Progress in Developing Science Practices and Thinking Skills

Progress in Developing Language Fluency and Complexity