The Eugene School Board approved Superintendent George Russell's
recommendations to develop plans for a pair of new language immersion
programs at its June 4 meeting.
District staff will now work up
a formal alternative school plan for a Chinese immersion program, and
staff will also help plan a "neighborhood cluster" in the River Road
area involving Howard Elementary School with a dual-Spanish-English
immersion program at River Road/El Camino del Rio Elementary School.
The board will review and have the option to approve the plans in the
months to come. The full proposal starts on page 2 of the meeting report.
A summary of the superintendent's recommendations:
- Chinese (Mandarin) Language Immersion:
Direct
staff to work with appropriate stakeholders to develop a formal
alternative school proposal consistent with board policy for proposing
establishment of an Alternative School to include development of a more
refined proposal that includes the following elements:
- An
operational plan that includes staffing, proposed location of the
school and facility requirements, support services needed, and the
proposed time lines for establishing the school; that conforms to
applicable district policies, and that constitutes an efficient use of
district resources.
- Evidence that establishment of the proposed
school enhances the district's educational program. Board goals and
Shaping 4J's Future core values, goals and principles should be
considered.
- A proposed budget for the school that is
appropriate to the program proposed and that represents an efficient
use of district funds. The budget request may include start-up costs to
be paid by District 4J or to be solicited from other sources.
- Proposed
criteria for selecting students for enrollment in the alternative
school. The criteria must not unfairly discriminate among applicants
and must be reasonably related to the educational goals of the school
and the district.
- An assessment of potential adverse impacts on existing schools and programs.
- Spanish Language Dual Immersion at River Road/Camino del Rio:
Direct
staff to work with appropriate stakeholders to develop a proposal to
establish a neighborhood cluster that includes Howard Elementary School
to support a Spanish dual-immersion school at River Road/Camino del
Rio. The proposal would be for an expansion and modification of the
neighborhood school consistent with the "academy school" direction to
redesign the school with a particular focus, and could include a
proposal for transportation within the neighborhood cluster.
- Alternative School Policy IGBH
Direct
staff to propose by August 2008 revisions to the alternative school
policy to reflect board direction from the Access & Options,
Alternative School Reviews, and Shaping 4J's Future.
