New Heights Multilingual Learner Parent Advisory Council (MLLPAC)

Mission Statement
The mission of the English Language Education (ELE) Program at New Heights Charter School of Brockton is to ensure all of our Multilingual Learners (MLLs) are provided the opportunity to participate meaningfully in our general education program, gain social and academic English proficiency, and develop essential skills and habits that promote lifelong learning and college and career readiness, all while simultaneously affirming our students’ identity, language, and culture.

More Details

In order to achieve our mission, MLLs are taught in a general education setting by SEI certified core content teachers who have been trained to shelter instruction in a way that makes standards-based core content accessible to ALL of our MLLs. Additionally, MLLs receive explicit English Language instruction that is designed to advance English language proficiency in all four language domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Our ESL curriculum is culturally and linguistically responsive and aligned to WIDA English Language Development Standards and state standards, which provides our MLLs with the curriculum and instruction necessary to attain English proficiency in a timely manner, access core content, develop cross-cultural understanding, and a positive self-image. We draw upon our MLLs’ wealth of linguistic and cultural background knowledge in order to validate our MLLs’ own experiences and backgrounds and propel their learning forward. Finally, teachers receive ongoing professional development, including weekly coaching and observation cycles in order to prepare them to effectively teach language through content in a linguistically and culturally responsive environment.

Vision Statement
The ELE Program at New Heights Charter School of Brockton envisions a school community where all MLLs go to college and all MLLs are prepared to be active, responsible, and successful citizens in our culturally and linguistically diverse school community, as well as in our diverse local and global communities. The New Heights Charter School of Brockton community affirms and values our MLLs’ cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as their unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. There is a collective responsibility to engage with MLL students and their families in a way that is both culturally and linguistically responsive. The NHCSB school community promotes the benefits of multilingualism and encourages all New Heights scholars to attain bilingualism.