Top 10 Responsibilities for Successful Foreign Language Immersion Program Administrator, Study Guides, Projects, Research of English Philology

Download Top 10 Responsibilities for Successful Foreign Language Immersion Program Administrator and more Study Guides, Projects, Research English Philology in PDF only on Docsity! May 2007 • ACIE Newsletter • The Bridge Top Ten Responsibilities of a Successful Administrator • Nicole Boudreaux |  The Bridge: From research To PracTice Kindergarten French immersion students from Iberia Parish, Louisiana, prepare for their Mardi Gras Parade. Before program implementation 1. Honestly study district goals and needs. Language goals. (What level of fluency in a foreign language is desired?) Academic achievement goals. (Should immersion students perform as well as non-immersion students or perform better than non-immersion students?) Cultural goals. (Teach a heritage language? Foreign language? What ethnic groups, minorities are in the community? What is the status of the proposed target language in the community?) Political and social goals. (See all above. Is desegregation an important objective? What about school improvement? Foreign trade?) Official and/or hidden agendas. (Consider administrators, elected officials, and the public. Warning: agendas might be different, even opposite!) Reasonable timeline for implementation (18 months minimum). Lessons from research and existing programs. (Go and visit some, if possible!) 2. Inform and involve the public early. Publicize. (Use all media.) Inform (forums, meetings, consultant presentations). Advocate (person to person; advertising campaign; use existing research and literature BUT bring it home). Prevent misconceptions (elitist program vs. program open to all; traditional language learning vs. immersion learning; achievements AND limitations of immersion programs). Be aware of the public’s hidden agenda. (See #1 above.) ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ Top Ten Responsibilities of a Successful Immersion Administrator By Nicole Boudreaux, Foreign Language Immersion Programs Lead Teacher Lafayette Parish School System, Lafayette, LA 2 | Nicole Boudreaux • Top Ten Responsibilities of a Successful Administrator The Bridge • ACIE Newsletter • May 2007 3. Choose a model adapted to the clientele and plan accordingly. Use research and existing immersion programs to make an informed decision about the program model. Select a site to house the immersion program. (Consider size, location, student population, leadership, transportation, existing faculty’s state of mind and abilities. How will they welcome the program? How will they accept necessary modifications to the current set-up? How will the immersion program affect staffing? How motivated is each and every stakeholder to make it work?) Consider staffing for the immersion program (target language teachers: local, foreign certified teachers, native- speaking teaching assistants, Foreign Associate Teachers1: consider their motivation, personalities, knowledge of target language, of the English language; English language arts teachers: motivation, personality, potential knowledge of the target language). Identify support services and locate available funds (websites, parents, grants, district resources, state resources, universities, Chamber of Commerce). Estimate costs for impacted departments (attendance; facilities and maintenance; transportation; human resources; accountability; public relations; instructional services). 4. Establish procedures and follow through. Develop application and registration forms and procedures. Consider individual needs (Special Education, including Gifted and Talented students; students identified with a learning or a behavioral disability under the Office of Civil Rights 504 classification; English learners who speak the target language; English learners who speak another language). Create late entry and exit policies and procedures. Identify principal’s responsibilities. Establish district supervisors’ responsibilities (elementary and foreign languages). Hire a lead teacher or coordinator ( key qualifications: knowledge of the target language; immersion experience). Provide for growth (physical room, feeder school, lateral expansion, other languages, cost previsions). Have a Plan B (and even C if necessary)! During program implementation 5. Follow lessons learned before implementation and involve each district department. Accountability Services: Implement content standards and grade level expectations for all subjects (including target language arts – which might mean writing a new curriculum). Provide translation in the target language when needed. Negotiate necessary accommodations for the immersion setting. Human Resources Services: Hire highly qualified teachers (target language speaking teachers and English teachers). Set up a process to sponsor Foreign Associate Teachers and/or classroom assistants for long term stays (J1 visas, H1B visas, green cards). ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ ˛ = ˛ ˛ ˛ = ˛ ˛