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English Department

ENGLISH LEARNERS

The English Learner programs at Barack Obama GPA are based on the programs and policies of the LAUSD Multilingual and Multicultural Education Department. The goals of these programs are to:

  • Provide appropriate services to students for whom English is not a native language.
  • Help English Learners meet performance criteria to reach full proficiency in English within 5 years.
  • Help all students, including English Learners, participate fully in college-preparatory (A-G) courses and graduate from high school ready for college  and careers.
  • Provide full access to programs for gifted and talented student or students with disabilities, regardless of language status

Moving from English Leaner (EL) status to English Proficiency (EP) status is called reclassification and reflects a student's readiness to succeed academically without English language development (ELD) support.

Five LAUSD EL programs are available, as shown in the chart below. Counselors and parents work together to identify the best program for each student. Annual evaluations, including the California English Language Development Test and Standards-based Test in Spanish, assess each student's progress toward EP on a scale from ELD 1 to ELD 5. English Language Development Intervention classes are available for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students requiring additional assistance. The English Learner program is directed by the English Learners (EL) Coordinator and the English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC).