Published by: California School for the Deaf, Fremont
California News Volume Volume124 124• •Number Number312 • October • March24, 6, 2009 2008
In this issue: • Western Region Academic Bowl Competition • Character Counts
Academic
champs
Bowl
• Parent chooses CSD for her daughter • Family Math Corner • Cottage Students of the Month • Test Dates • Star Program FAQ
Bravo CSD Smarties for winning
Western Regionals Academic Bowl photos courtesy of CSD Web Team
CSD Smarties
Amelia Bernstein, Brittany Farr, Valerie Farr, Dylan Hinks, and Alyssa Romano
Coaches
David Call, Stace Gough, and Sulghi Hong
Savor Cold Stone treats in their trophy bowls!
Amelia Bernstein wins most valuable player award.
CSD high school English teacher Michael Boucher runs the projector with the questions and answers during the match.
CSD hosts Western Region Academic Bowl and wins championship
CSD students volunteer to lead activities.
Site coordinator Ethan Bernstein and assistant site coordinator Rona Hunt participate in the awards ceremony.
Superintendent Hank Klopping accepts award on behalf of CSD hosting this year’s regionals.
Student volunteers help distribute pizzas to visiting students from the western states.
2 October 24, 2 March 6, 2009 2008 | California News
“I would never trade the experiences, or the bond, or the chemistry that I’ve had with my teammates. Truth to be told, winning the championship game was an extraordinary feeling, and I am vying to experience that feeling once more at the nationals before I bid my farewell to CSD.” -Ally Romano, senior “The academic bowl was a very different, yet thrilling, new experience.” -Brittany Farr, freshman “Honestly, my experiences on the academic bowl couldn’t be replaced! I wouldn’t trade my team for the world, considering how close we are. In my opinion, the way we all are not only as teammates but as good friends, makes our chemistry so wonderful. I’ve enjoyed every moment with my team, and I’ll miss them when academic bowl season is over.” -Dylan Hinks, senior “‘Veni, Vidi, Vici!’ ‘We came, we saw, we conquered!’ On Friday, we ruled California; on Saturday, we ruled the west; now we will rule the nation. Wish us good luck at the nationals.” -Valerie Farr, junior “I don’t think there is anything that could make my academic bowl experience greater this year. I’ve had a brilliant, quirky team that has really came together, and the chemistry is impeccable. We hosted the competition on our home turf, and took advantage of the benefits it had to offer. We practiced long and hard, and the results were a fantastic undefeated regional season! The championship game was a real nail-biter. Thank goodness the nationals are weeks away, because I don’t know if my nails can take much more abuse! Victory came for us at the regional competition, and it was sweet. I don’t think I could ask for more—I now have a champion bowl to add to my shelf. The memories in that bowl will last forever, no matter how this year might end.” -Amelia Bernstein, junior
January 26, 2009 CSD Fremont won the very first Academic Bowl League Championship! February 14, 2009 CSD Fremont is crowned as Champion of the 2009 Western Regional Academic Bowl! April 23 – 29, 2009 Another Championship trophy to add to our collection at the National Competiton?
N e x t S t e p f o r CSD S m a rt i e s N at i o na l A c a d e m i c B ow l C o m p e t i t i o n “The last time that CSD won the national academic bowl championship was in 1999. We are hoping that, this year, we can end the drought and win for our school,” said David Call, one of three coaches for the CSD Smarties— CSD’s academic bowl team. In 2001, CSD won the western regional competition but could not pull it off at the nationals. Then in 2007, CSD took 2nd place at the western regional competition, losing the final round and the right to compete at the nationals to Colorado School for the Deaf. This year, all of the stars are in CSD’s favor. The team of CSD Smarties is committed to their vision. The team has a goal of coming in first in the western states, and to compete at the nationals, resulting in a record of 9 wins, 0 losses. The CSD Smarties were ‘just too anxious’ to get started, so they joined a newly formed Academic Bowl League with five other schools: Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, California School for the Deaf – Riverside, Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, New Mexico School for the Deaf, and University High School. The schools challenged each other via video phone, in much the same way that the middle school did with their Battle of the Books competition. The CSD Smarties ended up winning the first-ever league championship! It was CSD’s year to host the Western Region Academic Bowl Competition. February 12-14, teams representing 16 deaf schools from the western states competed for the title
California News | March October 6,24, 2009 2008
at the CSD campus in Fremont. The schools were: • Arizona School for the Deaf • California School for the Deaf (Fremont) • California School for the Deaf (Riverside) • Colorado School for the Deaf • Edmonds-Woodway High School • Gardena High School • Hawaii Center for the Deaf • San Diego Unified • Marlton School for the Deaf • Montana School for the Deaf • Oregon School for the Deaf • South Hills High School • University High School • Utah School for the Deaf • Wheat Ridge High School • Wyoming Department Education Outreach Several CSD students volunteered throughout the weekend, handling the hospitality for the teams and coaches from all of the different deaf schools; setting up tables; hooking up equipment; and basically taking care of all of the details to make the weekend run smoothly. “Our volunteer students really made the school look good. The other schools not only were impressed with our five players, but were also impressed with the many student volunteers, which reflected in what a great school we have,” said Stace Gough, one of the Smarties coaches. “The Gallaudet staff who came here couldn’t stop remarking on how impressed they were with our school and our student volunteers! I have to 3
Continued from page 3 concur. All weekend, student volunteers really shone and gave everybody—from other Academic Bowl team players to parents to Gallaudet staff to visitors— a very warm welcome and courteous service,” said David Eberwein, high school instructional principal. CSD Smarties shown mightily during the western regional competition. On Friday, CSD beat rival school Riverside. Then on Saturday, Smarties coach David Call said, “Yesterday we owned California; today we own the Western States; and tomorrow we’ll own the Nation!” Amelia Bernstein was the most important player for the first round with the toss-up questions. During the second round, all the players contributed equally. “A strength that CSD had was that all of the teams took turns answering the questions; whereas, some of the teams from other states depended on one player,” said Stace Gough. “Amelia won the Most Valuable Player award, but each player on our team was truly
considered a most valuable player.” During the competition, CSD went into the championship match against Colorado undefeated, with a record of 9 wins, 0 losses. As David Eberwein put it, “The team basically cruised throughout the entire bracket and semi-finals, until hitting speed bumps during the championship game. Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind sure gave us a run for our money. We tied not once, not twice, but THRICE! Yes, we had to go into TWO overtime matches. Whew!” CSD finally won the championship by 6 points. Superintendent Hank Klopping put it this way, “Congratulations to a victorious CSD Academic Bowl Team who captured the Western Regional Academic Bowl Competition, beating Colorado School for the Deaf in a double overtime clash.” Stace Gough said, “The win was especially sweet for us since Colorado had blocked us from getting to the nationals several times. It was our turn to win this time.”
What’s next for the CSD Smarties? The team will be competing against CSD staff every Wednesday and Thursday to get ready for the National Academic Bowl tournament held at Gallaudet University April 23-29. On Wednesdays, the team will compete in regular matches with all categories. Then on Thursdays, the team will compete in matches against experts in a specific category. The categories will be: 1) language & literature, 2) history & government, 3) mathematics, 4) science & technology, 5) geography, 6) Deaf studies, 7) fine arts, 8) current events, and 9) popular culture, leisure & sports. We look forward to cheering our CSD Smarties on at the National Finals when our students will join 16 top teams from all over the nation in competing for the top prize. “If you thought our Championship bowl for the Western Regional was big and nice, wait ‘til you see the Championship bowl from the Nationals!” said Sulghi Hong, coach for the CSD Smarties.
FAIRNESS Guidelines: • Play by the rules. • Take turns and share. • Be open-minded; listen to others. • Don’t blame others.
FAIR Parents Do NOT: • Use power and control to force your child into doing something. • Respond reactively and inconsistently to disciplinary issues. • Show favoritism toward one child. • Make poor decisions when your emotions are strong.
How Parents Can Promote FAIRNESS In Their Children: • Create a family environment that provides opportunities for everyone to express opinions and participate in decisions. • Embrace the uniqueness of each family member, avoiding comparisons with siblings and friends. • Clearly state and consistently apply rules and procedures. • Teach open-mindedness as well as consistency. • Talk about fairness and fair-play often. • Treat others (inside and outside the family) equally.
FAIRNESS Family Discussion Topics: • Describe a way you could make things fairer for a family member this week. • Tell about a time when you did something that was unfair and how it affected someone else. • Figure out ways to share toys, possessions, or money with others in a way that demonstrates fairness? • Talk about something that seems unfair in the world and describe what you’re willing to do to change it.
4 October 24, 4 March 6, 2009 2008 | California News
Choosing a deaf school over a mainstream program written by Janet Whetstone, CSD Parent
Misconceptions
Before joining California School for the Deaf, my daughter Renu was fully mainstreamed, with little extra support from the school, but with massive one-on-one re-teaching from me. Perhaps if she had done less well academically, they’d have considered deaf education to be an option; the local IEP teams never mentioned that option, and when I raised the idea of deaf education as a possibility, the IEP team discouraged me from placing her in a local deaf program and never mentioned CSD. They told me, “Deaf education students don’t do well academically.” It was Renu’s private audiologist strongly encouraged us to look into CSD as an option. Her position was “If you are going to be deaf, you need to learn how to be deaf, and the people who can best teach you are at CSD.” As a single hearing parent, I was in a panic. Renu and I wrestled with the reality that she’d moved from hearing to hard of hearing to deaf .
I “assumed” I might not be able to pay for the school for the deaf. I thought it was like a state college, with tuition, room, and board, and that I would be making the very long round trip to and from Fremont every Friday and Monday—not sure how I’d be able to convince my employer to permit that.
The Right School
Thankfully, I confided my fears to a colleague at work. My colleague’s friend who was taking American Sign Language classes at Ohlone College who told us of the upcoming Open House at CSD. It was at CSD’s Open House that we met CSD’s family education coordinator Ginny Malzkuhn. Ginny helped us set up a family tour at the school. When we visited, it was “love at first sight,” as far as Renu was concerned; she had found her school. By this point, I was determined to find a way for her to attend CSD, but I still didn’t know how I’d pay for it. It was a big surprise—and a relief—to learn from Ginny that there was no charge to attend the school, and that transportation was provided without cost to families.
hearing or deaf child in the California public schools not be given full and unbiased access to complete information about the options available to their child? How can this be true to such a degree that when parents manage to get the information on their own, the local school staff is surprised they’ve done so? I would like to see information about California School for the Deaf during the IEP meetings of every hard of hearing or deaf child in California. California School for the Deaf has given so much to my child, and is, to my mind, “the least restrictive environment” for any deaf or hard of hearing student.
Parents Need to Know
When my daughter applied to CSD, and I went to the office of her local middle school to pick up copies of her school records, the principal asked me how I learned about CSD. There is something wrong with this picture! How can parents of a hard of
California News | March October 6,24, 2009 2008
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Family Math Corner Have you seen the flyer for the upcoming Family/Cottage Math Festival? There should be one here in this CAL-News. You might also see it online on our school website. Our annual math festival for students (kindergarten through eighth grade) has been so much fun these past few years. I hope that you will join us this year on March 19, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Mark your calendars! As parents, we know that to instill and nurture a love of reading, we read to our little ones. We continue to read with them as they get older. We model reading behaviors and a positive attitude towards reading in the home as they grow. But what about nurturing a love of mathematics? As parents, we need to do the same thing for mathematics: work on developing our children’s math abilities (problem-solving, reasoning, communicating their thinking) and encouraging a positive attitude towards math. Just like with reading, we should be posing problems to solve in a relaxed and fun environment; we can share the real-life problems that we face
Coming to California School for the Deaf Fremont, CA April 24 - 26, 2009
everyday, and we can model a positive attitude toward the persistence sometimes needed to solve a problem. Interestingly, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics includes appreciation and enjoyment of math as a national goal for math education. I hope that your children get to see you appreciate and enjoy math and problem solving. As part of this goal, CSD is offering a Family/ Cottage Math Festival for you to come and enjoy math with your children in a fun atmosphere that encouages problem solving for the simple joy of
it. Your kids can show you and share with you the math that they are learning in school and maybe even help you learn a few things with the multileveled kinds of questions, games, and problems to solve. It’s a great way to encourage your children to enjoy mathematics. I hope that you will come. Bring the whole family! Kathleen K. Mockus Content Area Curriculum Teacher Specialist
California News would like to thank for Arianne Kassel beautiful pictures of the ASL festival in the January 24 issue.
6 October 24, 6 March 6, 2009 2008 | California News
Cottage 1
Kimberly Jardin does her homework in a timely manner and brings things from home for the cottage whenever she’s asked.
Cottage 2
Sergio Ponce arrives at the cottage, after school, and immediately starts on his homework. He watches the time so he is not late for basketball practice. When he returns, he takes up his duties again. Gilbert Vargas-Ferrel does his homework after school. He completes his Sunday evening tasks on time; is mindful of getting to bed on time: and is conscientious about the time with his other activities.
Cottage 3
Donna Melena is a model of responsibility. She manages her time wisely; completes her class assignments; participates on the basketball team; and fulfills her duties and obligations in the cottage with a positive attitude and quality effort.
Cottage 4
Alexandra Bejar–Rosas shows respect to the other students and staff. She is cooperative and accepts her responsibilities with cleaning and doing homework. She is a hard-working student who is friendly and fun, and she is good at communicating with staff at all times.
Cottage 5
Randi Medungo is a responsible student who always completes her tasks around the cottage.
Cottage 8
Moises Alvarez has shown great respect for cottage rules, chores, the staff, and his peers.
Cottage 9
Nicky Lim is a junior living in the senior apartments. He is doing very well in the independent living skills program. He does the cleaning duties for everyone in his apartment, brings food for cooking, and still manages to leave the kitchen spotless. He is considerate while others are studying, gets along with his peers, and is well liked by others.
Cottage 10
Marcelino Magana has a great sense of responsibility. He does everything he’s supposed to do for his daily routine around the cottage without being told. The night before finals, he checked the schedule so he could get prepared. He is a fine young man who just recently got on the honor roll for the very first time.
Cottage 11
Cottage 16/17
(Younger Girl) Damaiya Daniels’ bedroom is always neat. She prepares her clothes on her bed for the next day, cleans up the bathroom after she takes a shower, and puts her homework in her backpack after she is done with it. (Older Girl) Farrah Harmount keeps her room clean, finishes her duties, and completes her homework. (Younger Boy) Jaron LeMaster has shown a huge improvement in taking responsibility for his actions, whether he is right or wrong. He tries to help other students by reminding them of simple tasks, such as cleaning up after homework. (Older Boy) Tivon LeMaster always keeps his room clean. He is trustworthy and responsible for his own things and others’ things, too.
Brian Freeman II has shown a sense of responsibility both with sports and with academics.
Cottage 12
Andrew Cho has excelled with his all-around achievements in the cottage which has made him stand out among his peers.
Cottage 13
Emily Lui is a very respectful student who follows the rules. She helps tutor the other students with their homework.
Cottage 14
Izcali Esparza follows the cottage rules and gets along with everyone. She has been a merit student since the fall.
California News | March October 6,24, 2009 2008
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ECE (Kindergarten) Observation Survey March 23 – April 23
Instructional Reading Level Assessment
Test Time Dear Parents, The arrival of spring also means that it’s the time of year for testing. Your child will be taking a variety of tests to assess his or her skills and/or progress made during the school year. Please be aware of the test dates (see side bar). Here is what you can do to best prepare your child. Your child needs: • A least 8 hours of sleep every night, especially before and during testing • A nutritious breakfast every morning before school • Comfortable clothes • To avoid stressful situations before and during testing • Your support and encouragement • You to be positive on testing days
March 23 – April 23
6 Traits Writing Assessment March 30 – April 23
Special Needs Department California Alternate Performance Assessment
April 8 – May 20
Elementary Department STAR Writing Test
(4th grade only): March 3 – 4
MAP Reading and Language (3rd – 5th grades): Early March
ASL Assessment March 16 – April 10
Instructional Reading Level Assessment March 16 – April 10
Observation Survey March 16 – April 10
6 Traits Writing Assessment March 30 – April 3
California Standards Test (2nd – 5th grades): May 4 – 8
STAR Renaissance Place Math Assessment May 26 – 29
The GATES-McGinitie reading test that has been given to our students in the past will not be given this year. Instead, we will pilot a new school-wide assessment: Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). More information will be forthcoming.
Middle School Department
Contact any of the following staff members if you have questions or concerns (first initial, last name @csdf-cde.ca.gov):
California Standards Test
• Your child’s teacher or principal
STAR Writing Test
(7th grade only): March 3 – 4
MAP Reading and Language Early March
(6th – 8th grades): April 20 – 24
STAR Renaissance Place Math Assessment May 14 – 22
• Nancy Brill, Elementary Literacy Coach
High School Department
• Janice Orton, Middle School Literacy Coach
(for 11th graders): end of March
Early Assessment Program-EAP
• Natalie Williams, High School Literacy Coach
MAP Reading, Language, Math
• Joann Coakley, K-8 Learning Strategies Specialist
California Standards Test
• Kate Kovacs, HS Learning Strategies Specialist • Michele Berke, Student Outcomes Specialist
(9th – 11th grades) Early March
(9th – 11th grades): April 21 – 22 & May 6 – 7
Physical Education Department Physical Fitness Test
(5th – 10th grades): June 1 – 5
8 October 24, 8 March 6, 2009 2008 | California News
STAR Program
Frequently Asked Questions Standardized Testing And Reporting
What is the purpose of the STAR program? The STAR Program—which includes the California Standards Test (CST), and other tests—are designed to: •
Provide a standardized test for all students in all schools in California
•
Provide schools with information that can be used to make decisions about improving instructional programs
•
Provide information to community members and government officials about the effectiveness of California’s education system
How are the scores related to CSD’s performance? Although we do receive individual student scores, CST also give us an idea of how we, as a school, are performing on a more global scale. These make up our Annual Yearly Progress and Annual Performance Indicators scores which show how we improve from year to year. How does my child’s performance reflect on my child’s ability? At CSD, we believe that the CST is just one measure of a child’s ability. In addition to CST, we have many other assessments that we believe give us a better picture of our students’ abilities. There are many factors that influence a child’s performance on any given day, for any given test. The California Department of Education has designed the CST to reflect a “ceiling” or the highest level expectation for all California’s students. Ask your child’s teacher to share with you information about what other assessments we use at CSD that we feel are a better reflection of our students’ abilities.
If my child has low scores, does mean that bilingual education isn’t working? No! We are committed to bilingual education because we believe that it is the most effective means of educating our deaf children. In order to read, our students must have a strong command of language. Our data shows that at CSD, our strongest readers are those students who started signing early. It is important to keep in mind that the CSTs are in written English, which is not the first language for deaf children. If a student does well on the STAR test, it reflects strong English literacy and the ability to analyze content knowledge. CSD students, through our bilingual education program, build their skills in all of these areas through 24-hour ASL, experiences, challenging questions, and extensive exposure to English in print. Students must be tested at their grade level. If a student is not reading at grade level, it will affect their scores in all areas. Bilingual students experience a gap between their first and second languages. It can take between 5 and 7 years to close that gap.
children with a strong first language move up through the grades. In order to close this gap, we not only instruct our students in their first language (ASL), but provide additional support to those who need further ASL exposure. CSD students are taught English in its written form, and have constant and consistent exposure in all their academic and social environments. What can I do to help my child improve his or her STAR scores in the future? The best thing parents can do is to sign all the time with your child and/or provide an environment where your child has access to sign language. Provide opportunities for your child to visit museums, libraries, and other places where they will be able to make connections between print and what they are seeing. Help them understand what they read and see by making sure things in are explained in ASL. Make sure that reading materials are available throughout your home and that there are a range of topics. Read with your child every day.
Is a bilingual program the right choice for my child? CSD is committed to raising the standards for all students and assisting them in reaching proficiency in all subjects. A large leap in second language use and therefore test scores often happens as
California News | March October 6,24, 2009 2008
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ECE (Kindergarten) Observaciones
23 de marzo al 23 de abril
Tiempo de Exámenes Estimados padres, Es primavera, esto quiere decir que es el momento de los exámenes. Su hijo va a tomar diferentes exámenes para evaluar sus habilidades y el progreso que ha logrado durante el año escolar. Por favor, ponga atención a las fechas indicadas a la derecha de este aviso. Aquí se encuentra lo que debe hacer para preparar mejor a su hijo para los exámenes. Su hijo necesita: • por lo menos dormir 8 horas cada noche, especialmente antes y durante los exámenes; • un desayuno nutritivo antes de venir a la escuela;
Nivel de lectura de instrucción Evaluación 23 de marzo al 23 de abril
Evaluación de las 6 características de la escritura 30 de marzo al 23 de abril
Departamento de Necesidades Especiales CAPA
8 de abril al 20 de mayo
Departamento
de la
Examen de escritura STAR
(solamente 4º grado): del 3 al 4 de marzo
Lenguaje y Lectura MAP
(3º al 5º grado): a principios de marzo
Evaluación de ASL
16 de marzo al 10 de abril
Nivel de lectura de instrucción Evaluación 16 de marzo al 10 de abril
Observaciones
• ropa cómoda;
16 de marzo al 10 de abril
• evitar situaciones estresantes antes y durante los días de los exámenes;
30 de marzo al 3 de abril
• su apoyo y animo; • una actitud positiva de parte de Ud. Anteriormente hemos dado el examen de lectura GATESMcGinitie a nuestros alumnos, pero este año no lo vamos a usar, en su lugar vamos a usar una nueva evaluación en toda la escuela, se llama: Medidas del Progreso Académico (MAP). Posteriormente se les dará más información. Póngase en contacto con alguno de los miembros del personal indicado a continuación si tiene alguna pregunta o preocupación (1a inicial apellido@csdf-cde.ca.gov): • El maestro o director de su hijo • Nancy Brill, maestra de lectoescritura (primaria) • Janice Orton, maestra de lectoescritura (secundaria)
Primaria
Evaluación de las 6 características de la escritura Examen de los estándares de CA (2º al 5º grado): del 4 al 8 de mayo
STAR Renaissance Place Evaluación de Matemáticas
May 26 – 29
Departamento
de la
Secundaria
Examen de escritura STAR
(solamente 7º grado): del 3 al 4 de marzo
Lenguaje y Lectura MAP a principios de marzo
CA Standards Test
(6º al 8º grado): ): del 20 al 24 de abril
STAR Renaissance Place Evaluación de Matemáticas May 14 – 22
Departamento
de la
Preparatoria
Programa de Evaluación Temprana EAP
• Natalie Williams, maestra de lectoescritura (preparatoria)
(alumnos del 11º grado): finales de marzo
• Joann Coakley, Especialista de Estrategias de Aprendizaje de Kinder a 8º grado
MAP Lectura, Lenguaje, Matemáticas
• Kate Kovacs, Especialista de Estrategias de Aprendizaje de la Preparatoria • Michele Berke, Especialista en los resultados de los alumnos
(9º al 11º grado) a principios de marzo
Examen de los estándares de CA
(9º al 11º grado): 21 y 22 de abril y 6 y 7 de mayo
Departamento
de
Educación Física
Examen de condición física (5º al 10º grado): 1 al 5 de junio
10 October 24, 10 March 6, 2009 2008 | California News
Programa STAR Preguntas Frecuentes
Pregunta: ¿Cuál es el propósito del programa STAR? Respuesta: El programa STAR (que incluye el examen de los estándares de California (CST) y otros exámenes) tiene el propósito de: •
Ofrecer el mismo examen estandarizado a los alumnos en todas las escuelas de California;
•
Ofrecerles información a las escuelas que puedan usar para tomar decisiones para mejorar los programas de instrucción;
•
Ofrecerles información a los miembros de la comunidad y a los oficiales del gobierno sobre la efectividad del sistema educativo de California;
P: ¿Cuál es la relación entre los resultados y el desempeño de CSD? R: Aunque no recibimos los resultados individuales de los alumnos, los resultados generales de los CST’s nos dan una idea del desempeño de nosotros como escuela en una escala global. Estos resultados forman nuestro reporte anual de progreso (AYP) y los indicadores anuales del desempeño (API)) que muestran como mejoramos año con año. P: ¿Cuál es la relación entre el aprovechamiento de mi hijo y sus habilidades? R: En CSD creemos que los CST’s son solamente una medida de las habilidades del alumno. Además de los CST’s, tenemos muchas otras evaluaciones que en nuestra opinión nos dan una mejor idea de las habilidades de los alumnos.
Hay muchos factores que influyen al aprovechamiento de un niño en un día específico y en un examen en particular. El departamento de educación de California ha diseñado los CST’s para reflejar el nivel de expectativas más altas para todos los alumnos de California. Pídale al maestro de su hijo compartir información con Ud. sobre las otras evaluaciones que usamos en CSD que en nuestra opinión representan mejor de las habilidades de los alumnos. P: Si mi hijo tiene resultados bajos ¿Quiere decir que la educación bilingüe no está funcionando? R: ¡No! Estamos comprometidos con la educación bilingüe porque creemos que es la mejor manera de educar a nuestros niños sordos. Para poder leer, nuestros alumnos deben tener maestría en lenguaje. Nuestra información indica que en CSD, los alumnos que mejor leen son los que empezaron a aprender el lenguaje de señas a una edad temprana. Es importante recordar que los CST’s están en inglés escrito, la cual no es la primera lengua de los niños sordos. Si un alumno tiene un buen aprovechamiento en el examen STAR, es un reflejo de la habilidad de leer y de analizar el contenido, y para los alumnos del 4º y 7º grado, la habilidad de escribir. A través del programa de educación bilingüe, los alumnos de CSD desarrollan estas habilidades en todas las áreas a través de ASL las 24 horas del día, las experiencias, preguntas difíciles y mucha experiencia en inglés escrito. A los estudiantes hay que darles los exámenes a su nivel de grado. Si un
California News | March October 6,24, 2009 2008
alumno no puede leer a su nivel de grado, esto va a afectar sus resultados en todas las áreas. Con los alumnos bilingües, hay una brecha entre su primera y su segunda lengua y puede llevar de 5 a 7 años cerrarla. Q: ¿Mi niño debe permanecer en un programa bilingüe? R: CSD tiene el compromiso de subir los estándares para todos los alumnos y ayudarlos a que logren estar capacitados en todas las áreas de estudio. Con frecuencia un gran mejoramiento en el uso de la segunda lengua ocurre cuando los alumnos con una buena base en la primera lengua van progresando durante los grados de escolaridad. Para cerrar la brecha, no solamente damos instrucción a los alumnos en su primera lengua (ASL) sino también ofrecemos apoyo adicional a los alumnos que necesitan más experiencia en ASL. A los alumnos de CSD se les enseña el inglés en forma escrita y tienen experiencia constante y consistente con el inglés escrito tanto en el ambiente académico como social. P: ¿Qué puedo hacer para ayudar a mi hijo? R: La mejor cosa que los padres pueden hacer para mejorar los resultados STAR de su hijo es hacer señas con él en todo momento. Invite a su hijo a museos, bibliotecas y otros lugares donde puedan hacer la conexión entre la letra impresa y lo que están viendo. Ayúdele a entender lo que están leyendo y viendo explicándole todo en ASL. Asegúrase de tener materiales de lectura disponibles en toda la casa que cubran un amplio rango de temas. Lea con su hijo todos los días.
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To:
Fremont, CA Permit No. 14
“A school that teaches children to think” California School for the Deaf 39350 Gallaudet Drive Fremont, CA 94538
California School for the Deaf is an accredited school under the California Department of Education