Shorecrest receives English Language Learner Award from State Board of Education

The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) has announced that Shorecrest High School in Shoreline is one of 42 recipient schools of the first-ever English Language Acquisition Award.

English Language Learner (ELL) students are the fastest growing subgroup in the state, with more than 70 languages being spoken by Shoreline students. Six percent of District students participate in ELL, with 18 percent speaking another language at home.

According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) K12 Report Card, the number of ELL students increased 30 percent between May 2005 and May 2013.

The board created the language acquisition award to recognize schools whose ELL students are making the greatest progress toward the goal of becoming proficient in English, which is a stepping-stone to career and college-readiness. 

“Language acquisition is an indicator of school success and deserves to be acknowledged,” explained Board Chair Dr. Kristina Mayer. “We want to shine the light on what is working so it can be replicated across the state. The board will work with OSPI and other partners to support award-winning schools in sharing their strategies and best practices.”

Shorecrest is working to implement a Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model of instruction in which English learners receive support in ELL-specific classes as needed, as well as SIOP content area classes, which integrate language development alongside content instruction in classes where teachers provide sheltered instruction in Social Studies, English Language Arts and Science.

The school has also designated a SIOP/ELL Program Lead Teacher who supports colleagues and provides building leadership related to English learners. 

ELL students at Shorecrest and across the state were assessed on the Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment (WELPA). The award recognizes approximately the top five percent of elementary, middle, and high schools (who have assessed 20 or more students) based on the school’s median point gain on the 2012-13 WELPA.

Award-winning schools must also have met 2012-13 Annual Measurable Achievement Objective (AMAO) 1 and AMAO 2 federal accountability targets. There are two award categories based on the number of students who took the WELPA, small programs (20 to 99 students) and large programs (100 plus students).

These schools not only deliver high quality instruction to all of their students, they also provide instructional services to support their ELL students, preparing them to transition out of language programs and achieve academic success.