Course Catalog

The purpose of English language development (ELD) at Portland Public Schools is to advance Multilingual English Learners’ (MLs) language development and promote their academic achievement by integrating both language and content standards. ELD programming provides language instruction in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and prepares students for general education by focusing on the social and academic language required across disciplines leading to a proficiency-based diploma.  Placement and the curriculum is aligned to WIDA’s English Language Development Standards, which capitalizes and builds upon the assets students bring to their learning: their cultural and linguistic practices, skills, and ways of knowing from their homes and communities.

For more information on the proficiencies targeted in each course, see the chart English Language Proficiency (ELP) Performance Definitions below. Note that Intensive ELD (IELD) courses are designated for students of ELP levels 1 and 2. Cognitive Academic Language (CAL) courses are designed for ELP levels 3-5.

 

ELP Performance Definitions Language development is fluid and dynamic. Levels are not static, and can be different in different domains.
ELP 1	ELP 2	ELP 3	ELP 4	ELP 5
Single words, phrases, or language chunks to represent ideas.   Phrase-level patterns and structures   Everyday social, instructional, and content words and expressions	Emerging presentation of ideas in phrases or short sentences   Repetitive, formulaic grammatical structures across specific content areas   General social, instructional, and content words/ expressions, including cognates	A series of extended sentences and related ideas   Repetitive and some complex grammatical structures with patterns characteristic of specific content areas   Some content-specific and academic vocabulary, including cognates	Expanded related ideas in connected discourse with a variety of sentences   A variety of complex grammatical constructions with patterns characteristic of specific content areas.   Content-specific and some technical academic vocabulary.	Multiple complex sentences, presented cohesively and coherently   Multiple phrases and clauses with patterns characteristic of specific content areas   Academic, content-specific, and technical vocabulary

 

 

ELP  Levels (Literacy composite)	English	Science	Social Studies	Math
IELD	ESOL English 1     ESOL Literacy (SLIFE)	Language Acquisition for Science	Language Acquisition for Social Studies	Math Placement  based primarily on Math skills.     The following courses supplement regular high school math classes:   ESOL Numeracy (SLIFE)   Pre-Algebra
IELD (ELP 2-2.9)   (Content Credit awarded) (IELD)   Co-taught classes	ESOL English 2	ESOL Foundations of Science	ESOL Foundations of Social Studies
	ESOL English 3  AND College Prep English 10 (co-taught)	ESOL Biology	College Prep Early US History (co-taught)
CAL (ELP 3-6)	Placement in General Education Classes for English, Math, Social Studies and Science (w/ differentiated instruction)  ELD Course offerings for high intermediate and advanced ELP levels: Multilingual Academic Development

 

ESOL English 1

Course Number:  2811F and 2811S

Prerequisite:  Placement Assessment. Recommendation of MET

Credit: 2 Elective Credits per semester, meets daily

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

 

This course will introduce reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for both social and instructional language acquisition using students’ varied life and educational experiences, strengths, interests, and needs to bridge to academic content of US schooling.

 

ESOL English 2

Course Number:  2812F and 2812S

Prerequisite:  Placement Assessment. Recommendation by MET

Credit: 2 English Credits per semester, meets daily / 1 UP

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

 

This course continues the development of students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for social and instructional language acquisition and introduces key concepts and standards of English Language Arts.  

 

ESOL English 3 Grammar and Composition (Capstone Class)   

Course Number:  2813F and 2813S

Prerequisite:  Placement Assessment, Recommendation by MET

Credit:  2 English Credits per semester, meets daily / 1 UP

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

This course furthers the development of students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for the communication of information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content of English Language Arts. This course supports reading fluency and strategy use with non-fiction genres with increased comprehension, as well as explicit writing instruction of a variety of text types (including summarizing, outlining and argument). Vocabulary and grammar instruction is integrated throughout each unit of study.

 

ESOL Language Acquisition for Social Studies and Science

Course Number:  2821F and 2821S

Prerequisite:  Placement Assessment, Recommendation by MET

Credit: 2 Elective Credit per semester, meets daily

Grades 9-12

This ESOL Level 1 course introduces students to language and concepts necessary to communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in Social Studies classes.  

 

ESOL Literacy

Course Number:  EL 1F EL Literacy Fall, and EL IS EL Literacy Spring

Prerequisite:  Placement Assessment, Recommendation by MET

Credit: 1 Elective Credit per semester

Grades 9-12

Taken in addition to an ESOL 1 class, this course will focus on foundational literacy skills.

Students will build phonemic awareness and comprehension through direct literacy instruction. Students will participate in book groups and develop vocabulary through conversation.

 

ESOL Numeracy

Course Number:  EL 2F EL Literacy Fall, and EL 2S EL Literacy Spring

Prerequisite:  Placement Assessment, Recommendation by MET

Credit: 1 Elective Credit per semester

Grades 9-12

 

Taken in addition to a General Education Math course, Numeracy will focus on essential math skills and concepts. There will be a focus on mathematical academic language to support students in acquiring a deeper understanding of the subject area.

 

ESOL Foundations of Social Studies

Course Number:  2822F and 2822S

Prerequisite:  Placement Testing, Teacher Recommendation

Credit:  1 Social Studies credit per semester /.5 UP

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

This course furthers the development of students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for social and instructional language acquisition and introduces key concepts and standards of Social Studies.   Students will focus on building academic language, critical thinking and global competence skills through real-world investigations of current global issues.

 

ESOL Foundations of Science

Course Number:  2855F and 2855S

Prerequisite:  Placement Testing, Teacher Recommendation

Credit:  1 Science credit per semester/.5 UP

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

 

This course furthers the development of student’s reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for the communication of information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content of science. Students will focus on building academic language and critical thinking skills through the process of scientific inquiry.

 

ESOL Biology (Capstone Class)

Course Number:  2852F and 2852S

Prerequisite:  Completion of 9th grade Science

Credit: 1 Science Credit per semester /.5 UP

Grade 10, 11, 12

This course studies the structure and function of life. The major topics covered are: molecular biology, genetics, microbiology and survey of plant and animal kingdoms. The content is presented through supervised classwork and laboratory experiments, and develops students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and strategies needed for the communication of information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content of biology.

 

Continuing English Language Development Support

 

Multilingual Academic Development

Course Number:  2873F and 2873S

Prerequisite:  Placement Testing, Teacher Recommendation

Credit:  1 elective credit per semester

Grade 9, 10, 11, 12

This course builds upon reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to prepare and support students’ academic success in general education classes.   Students learn to interpret a range of texts and produce a variety of forms of writing commonly assigned in high school, and further develop their oral communication skills across disciplines.  Language functions and forms as well as academic vocabulary essential for attaining proficiency across general education content and disciplinary practices are emphasized. Students’ assignments from their core classes may be used to practice and develop academic language skills.

 

Your College Voice (Capstone Class)

Course Number:  2875

Prerequisite:  Transition from IELD to College Prep level classes

Credit: 1 Elective credit, One Semester Class

Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

This course is designed to prepare students for the listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills they will need across all disciplines in their post-secondary education at a college or university. Students will engage in various strategies and protocols to give them the polish and independence they need in academic vocabulary, grammar, reading strategies, the writing structure, the writing process, as well as ease and comfort in both listening and speaking in an academic register. Students will work on a few larger writing projects and presentations, all with the lens of each of them finding their academic voices. Content will focus on our own lives, self-advocacy, self- determination, and self-celebration, as well as practicing the four domains of English in all disciplines. There will be no homework outside of class assigned unless absent.