EYE ON EDUCATION A Publication of the Paramount Unified School District
15110 CALIFORNIA AVE., PARAMOUNT, CA 90723 • TEL: 562-602-6000 • FAX: 562-634-6029
NOVEMBER 2009
CELDT Testing for K/1 Students Since 1999, all English learners in the state of California have been tested with the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) to assess their English proficiency. The CELDT identifies students who are English learners, determines their level of English proficiency, and annually assesses their progress toward becoming English proficient. The CELDT covers four skill domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing. These domains are combined together to determine an overall proficiency level which are categorized into five levels: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced and Advanced. In previous years, the Kindergarten and First Grade students were only assessed in the listening and speaking domains
of the CELDT. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, Kindergarteners and First grade students will be given the Early Literacy components of the test which include 10 reading and 10 writing questions that address the K-2 English language development standards. Students will be tested individually, by PUSD personnel who have been CELDT trained, for approximately 30-45 minutes. In 2009-10, the Early Literacy reading and writing scores will not be calculated towards the students’ overall proficiency level. They will simply serve as a baseline for comparison to the following year’s performance. Results from the CELDT are used by teachers and administrators to prepare appropriate instruction for English learners. Parents who have questions about how to read the
Instructional Coach Kimberly Triche-Harris testing Kindergartener Nancy Ortiz from Tanner School
CELDT Student Performance Level Report can contact their school sites. Additionally, each school site holds English
Students experience college firsthand at Summer Residential Program Throughout the school year, there are opportunities for students to visit various college campuses. These visits, though, are brief, simply introducing students to the layout of the school. However, this past summer, a dozen Paramount High School Senior Campus Pirates went beyond a quick tour and actually experienced college life. Sponsored by Upward Bound, twelve pirates from grades 9 through 12 attended the Summer Residential Program at Cal State Long Beach in which they spent six weeks living the life of a college student. For over a month, these Pirates attended classes, slept in the dorms, ate in the cafeteria and were only allowed to return home on weekends. Students took elective classes such as Career Planning, SAT II Prep, and Sociology of the Brain. At the end of the student’s chosen course, he/she earned ten elective credits . Students also attended seminars
where they heard from special speakers including Lisa Nichols author of Chicken Soup for the African American Soul and PUSD Superintendent Dr. Verdugo. A highlight of the program, according to senior Georgina Perez, “ ...were the field trips because we got to go to places we never thought of going.” These field trips included visits to the University of California, Irvine, Huntington Beach, an Angels’ baseball game, and Magic Mountain. There was also a talent show and multi cultural potluck in which parents were invited. Georgina also stated, “This
experience was challenging because I had to learn about time management. I had to choose between studying and spending time with friends who I just met. I thought I knew enough about college, but I realized there’s a whole other world out there.” Paramount students attending the Summer Residential Program were Vanessa Castro, 12th; Daniela Ponce, 11th; Jesse Vasquez, 11th ; Jessica Sandoval, 11th;Jose Aguilera, 9th; Antonio Sanchez, 11th; Alfredo Rivera, 11th; Georgina Perez, 12th; Ivan Pulido, 12th; Eric Hernandez, 10th; Stacey Moreno 12th ; Sara Aguilera, 11th.
Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meetings throughout the year to discuss the needs of all English learners. All parents
are invited to attend the ELAC meetings. Please contact your school site for a list of meeting dates and times.
MESA Pirates attend engineering camp at Cal State Long Beach
Paramount High School seniors Andrew Juhasz, Priscilla Figueroa, and sophomore David Velasquez, were selected by MESA (Math Engineering, and Science Achievement ) to participate in the summer Transportation Engineering Camp at Cal State Long Beach. This program, which was sponsored by Caltrans (California Department of Transportation), provided students the opportunity to spend the month of July living on the college campus where they attended classes taught by engineering professors who lectured on the basic fields of engineering including civil, electrical, mechanical, computer, and aerospace.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DATES November 17, 2009 - December 8, 2009 Board of Education meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. in the Boardroom at the District Office, 15110 California Avenue, Paramount, and are open to the public