ESL Health students listen closely during a CPR and Choking workshop
refinement and development. In addition, the school
has integrated standards developed by Equipped
for the Future (EFF) as well as the U.S. Department
of Labor’s Secretary’s Commission on Achieving
Necessary Skills (SCANS). The ESL curriculum
correlates with the CASAS Life Skill Competencies
and encompasses Adult Basic Education (ABE)
performance-based objectives in English language
acquisition.
The school’s curriculum was developed by faculty
members and academic administrators with
advanced degrees, significant experience developing
specialized curricula, and an understanding of the
school’s unique student population. The Center
for Applied Linguistics (CAL) served as quality
control consultants. The Carlos Rosario copyrighted
curriculum has been validated by Georgetown
University’s Center for Language Education and
Development.
The Carlos Rosario career training curricula are
developed based on community need as well
as projected industry growth and demand in the
Washington, DC region. Additionally, the school’s
corporate advisory committees provide critical
industry-related guidance for career training
curricula.
New citizens proudly wave their flags with teacher Carol Wolchok
Overall, the curriculum encompasses:
•The world of work
•Health and wellness
•Consumer education
•Parenting and family skills
•The rights and responsibilities of citizens
•Multicultural awareness and appreciation
•Participation in the democratic process (through the
Student Government Association)
Implementation of the curriculum and the
instructional approach are based on prevailing
theories of second language acquisition, underpinned
by current research. Learner-driven instruction such
as role-plays and practice simulations, “peer review”
sessions, dialogue journals, portfolios, computerassisted learning, field trips, and other best practices
form the foundation of Carlos Rosario’s approach
to working with adult immigrants. Emphasis is
placed on developing higher-order thinking skills,
meta-cognitive learning strategies, life skills, and
technological competence.
The effectiveness of school curriculum delivery is
measured in several ways including norm-referenced
and criterion-referenced testing, authentic and
alternative assessments, and follow-up surveys.
ANNUAL REPORT SY 2010-2011 _13
Students receive ongoing feedback based on portfolio
assessment, written and oral assignments, teacher
observation, and mid-semester as well as final
conferences.
As 89.55% of our students were LEP/NEP during the
2010-11 school year, no additional special provisions
were needed.
Key Mission-Related Programs
The following pages include descriptions of key
mission-related programs. They are organized as
follows: Academic Programs, Workforce Programs,
and Supportive Services.