IB Standards:

Culture 4.1: The school implements and reviews a language policy that is aligned with IB language policy guidelines. (0301-04-0100)

Culture 4.2: The school describes in its language policy the way that the school recognizes multilingualism as a fact, a right and a resource for learning. (0301- 04-0200)

Culture 4.3: The school identifies in its language policy a variety of physical and virtual resources used to facilitate language development. (0301-04-0300)

Culture 4.4: The school clearly describes in its language policy the rights and responsibilities of all members of the school community and what constitutes good practice within the school context. (0301-04-0400)

School Language Philosophy

At Rosa Parks Elementary, we believe that language learning is interactive and inclusive. All teachers are language instructors and all students are language learners. We believe students must be immersed in a language in order to learn and understand it and language learning involves seeing, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. We strive to create a print-rich environment for our students so they can build background knowledge and connect to prior learning.

Languages of Instruction

The language of instruction is English, and the language of acquisition is Spanish. The language of instruction is taught in all subject areas of the curriculum. Students learn the language of acquisition beginning in Kindergarten. As of 2023 - 2024, our students receive Spanish instruction every six days for 45 minutes. Spanish is differentiated for our native Spanish speakers by offering scaffolded support for all levels..

Home Language Support

The students at Rosa Parks Elementary come from various cultures and cultural backgrounds. Approximately 60 percent of our students speak English as their home language and approximately 40 percent of our students speak Spanish or another language as the home language. Other home languages spoken at our school include Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, Urdu, Amharic, Bengali, Burmese, Dari, Ewe, French, Korean, Kurdish, Nepali, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Tagalog, Twi, and Vietnamese. We believe it is vital to honor and encourage literacy in the home language of our students. We have expanded our resources so that we will have more books, digital media, and texts in many of our students’ home languages. We gather resources and support for home languages other than the languages of instruction and acquisition. Parents are encouraged to celebrate all the home languages represented at Rosa Parks Elementary. Parents are story tellers, presenting and sharing their culture as we celebrate Multicultural Week, as well as throughout grade level Units of Inquiry.

Inclusive Practices

Rosa Parks Elementary School uses an inclusion-based model. Teachers co-plan and co-teach with the specialists (Reading, English to Speakers of Other Languages, Special Education, Gifted Education). A combination of inclusion and pull-out services are provided to help students meet Individual Educational Plan (IEP), ESOL (federal), and Gifted Education (state regulated) goals. Instruction is differentiated based on students’ needs. In addition, ESOL teachers attend IEP and Gifted meetings to ensure best practices for all students. Differentiated (enrichment, extension, and remediation) instruction in curriculum areas includes: small group instruction, one-on-one support, co-teaching with resource teachers, reading resource staff, PALS, and the use of visuals and realia. School enrichment and remediation programs are available for students in math and reading..

Identification of Language Needs of Learners

In the Pre-School program (ages 3-5), teachers administer the Assessment of Basic Language Learning and Skills (ABBLS) and conduct classroom observations to identify and monitor the language needs of learners. PALS Assessment is done three times a year for all kindergarten – second grade students. Students also write to prompts to document writing development. Small group reading instruction is flexible to allow for strategy and/or skill focused lessons based on students’ needs. Teachers conduct classroom observations, hold writing conferences, and administer pre and post assessments to monitor and adjust language instruction. Assessment results are shared with parents at student led conferences and throughout the year. Multi-language learners are screened prior to entering our school. Additionally, Multi-language learners students take the World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) test midyear to measure their proficiency in the four domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking; and to determine their ESOL level for the following school year. The ESOL teachers monitor quarterly goals based on WIDA rubrics, service delivery plans, quarterly progress reports, testing participation and accommodation plans for Multi-language learners.

Language Practices that reflect our beliefs:

Pre-School teachers use the Virginia Foundation Blocks for Early Learners program for language instruction.

· Small groups are conducted in grades K-5.

· Phonics foundational skills instruction in grade K - 5

· Teachers integrate literacy instruction in all content areas.

· Every classroom has a library filled with books of various genres, languages, and cultures.

· The classroom environment is rich in print with labels, signs, anchor charts, and teacher and student writing.

· Student work samples are collected in their digital portfolio.

· Teachers display success criteria to support understanding of content.

· Word walls are used to promote academic vocabulary.

· Sound walls are used to promote phonemic awareness.

· All formal notices and documentation are provided in English and are translated into other home languages as needed.

· Our website and school sponsored communication tools translate in multiple languages

· We have a Parent Liaison who facilitates communication between home and school.

· Student Led conferences take place in the Fall. Students share their work samples, test scores, personal goals, and other information with their parents.

· Article of the Week is used in grades 3 - 5 grades to build skills in reading and responding to text.

· Teachers communicate with parents regularly using parent newsletters, parent conferences (interpreter available if necessary), school sponsored communication tools, and email. Our school deeply values communication with our community members.

Inquiry Based Instruction

Open, Guided, and Structured based inquiry practices are utilized across the curriculum for all students at Rosa Parks Elementary School.

Open, Guided, and Structured based inquiry practices are utilized across the curriculum for all students at Rosa Parks Elementary School.

· Open-ended questions

· “I Wonder” walls

· Realia

· Student-based reflections

· Kagan Model

· Text to Self, Text to Text, and Text to World Connections

· Visual and hands-on Inquiry

· Interactive read-alouds

· Inquiry-based lessons

· Student research projects

· Field trips

· Stem Night

· Multicultural Night

· STEM Lessons

· Fifth Grade Exhibition

· Visual Thinking Strategies

· FOSS Kit Science Materials(Grades 3 - 5)

Rosa Parks Media Center

The Rosa Parks’ Librarian and Instructional Technology Coach help students and teachers with the planning and completion of research projects. Teachers work collaboratively with the media specialist to develop the resources needed for Units of Inquiry in the PYP, student research, and language support. Students can check out books and use the library throughout the school day. We recognize the importance of leisure reading in both the language of instruction and the language of acquisition, and the Rosa Parks Media Center continues to develop a collection of materials that will engage individual student interest. Funding for new books and other resources for the media center has been provided by the school budget, PTO, and parent donations. In addition, we continue to build our curriculum-based materials in our language of acquisition.

Professional Development

Every year, teachers participate in a variety of professional development programs to enhance language development. teachers meet two to three times per week in Collaborative Learning Teams to plan instruction, analyze data, share best practices, and reflect on student data. Collaborative Learning Team discussions also include vertical conversations about language learning, instruction, and peer observations. Prince William County will provide professional development training during the 2023 – 2024 school year on the best practices surrounding the science of reading. First year teachers participate in the Educator Support Program by attending monthly group meetings and weekly meetings with their mentors. Professional development on Second Language Acquisition Training for Educators and Spanish for Educators are offered through our school district’s professional development department. Teachers are required to have at least 60 hours of ESOL training and 18 hours of Gifted Education training. Teachers have all received training in the Seven Steps to a Language Rich Classroom.

Access to Policy and Complaint Procedures

Our IB policies are accessible to the school community on the Rosa Parks Elementary School Website under the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program tab on the site. Our website makes this documentation available in multiple languages. Printed copies will be made available by request in numerous languages.

Revised, May 2023