Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
CURRICULUM FUNDING PROJECT
Funding Agency: US Department of Education – Smaller Learning Communities Program
Funding Request: $1,000,000 for 3 years.
Principal Investigator: Afrodita Fuentes
Co-Investigators: Tom Chastain/ESL & Spanish Teacher, Annie Haggstron/ESL & English Teacher, Eric
Selekman/English and Social Studies teacher, Berenice Castellanos/Math Teacher, Youseff
Mossadaq/French & Arabic teacher.
Project Name: Nurturing and Assuring Student Academic Enrichment in the International School of
Languages
Investigator Credentials: California Secondary Teaching Credential in Biology
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The International School of Languages (ISOL) is one of nine Small Learning Communities (SLCs) at
Belmont High School. Belmont High School (BHS) is located west of downtown Los Angeles in the Pico
Union area serving over 4,300 students in the 2006-2007 school year and over 5000 students in previous
years. According to school records, over 40% of the total student body does not graduate, 86% of qualifies
for a federally subsidized lunch program, over 60% are English Learners, and 12% are receiving special
education services. Recognizing the challenges in serving our “at-risk” students in a large, impersonal
school setting, Belmont has forced every student and teacher into an SLC. While the SLC model promises to
improve the quality of education provided to students in this low-income area, it has been poorly supported
by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Unfortunately, each SLC has only a few teachers that have
taken to heart the ideals of an SLC. Such is the case of the ISOL community, which is now composed of 425
students and 14 teachers. ISOL was founded in the summer of 2003 by the investigator and co-investigators.
OUR VISION/IDENTITY
The International School of Languages is dedicated to excellence in the teaching of English and foreign
languages to students in the 9th through 12th grades. Our goal is to foster communication in a global society
and to work toward literacy in two or more languages for students from all over the world.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide our students with strong bilingual tools and multicultural understanding to
successfully communicate, work, and study within a diverse and increasingly multiethnic society. Moreover,
by promoting literacy in two or more languages, we will help close the achievement gap of many of our
students in their core classes and broaden their opportunities to enroll in and successfully complete college
and university programs.
On September 3rd, 2008, ISOL will start the school year at the new Royball High School, which is a
few blocks away from Belmont. It is said that this school will have limited funds to operate as it will not yet
be classified as a Title I school. In the past four years, ISOL teachers have been working arduously to
provide a family-like learning atmosphere to our students. We have had little or no administrative support,
parental involvement, and financial support. We realize that we can no longer continue supporting our
students alone; we are in great need of financial support to accomplish our goals. Having many avenues of
support will help the ISOL teachers be more efficient with their energy and efforts in helping our students.
We have identified the following elements that contribute to student failure:
 Matriculation in a large, complex multi-track school compounded by little knowledge of the U.S.
educational system.
 Cultural confusion including a diminishment of their cultural identity and incomplete understanding
of other cultures.
 Weak math and literacy skills (both in English and the home language).
 Uncertain immigration status and lack of communal support
 Lack of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary school wide program that systematically addresses the
cultural/linguistic needs of both second language and English proficient students.
 Lack of parental involvement
 Lack of a connection between academic success and the attainment of personal goals and dreams.
We believe that our students discover and realize their potential and dreams when their ideas are
valued. The vision of the International School of Languages, therefore, focuses on honoring and celebrating
the many voices and languages of our students, literacy in English and in a second or third language,
understanding the multicultural forces that shape our world, and service as a vehicle for developing
interpersonal skills and putting bilingual skills and cultural understandings into practice. In an effort to help
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
our students succeed academically, we have selected three areas: personalization, collaboration, and
professional development.
A. Personalization. The belief that learners are driven to excel when they feel acknowledged and
empowered by their curriculum and educational environment is central to our small learning
community. Our teachers, parents, administrators, staff, and students will collaborate to generate this
sense of personalization by participating in teacher-community support systems and student
empowerment. The teacher-community support systems will include teacher mentorships and
advisories, enrichment programs, intervention programs, community support through internships and
partnerships, monthly student recognition, high school graduation planning, and post-secondary
academic planning. Student empowerment will be accomplished through peer mentoring and
tutoring, student work exhibits and events, student council, student-led conferences, and school-tocareer activities.
B. Collaboration between parents and the community is one of the areas we hope to strengthen.
Teachers and students will create a number of opportunities to facilitate parents playing a vital role in
their child’s school life, such as family days/nights, family observation/mentorship, student academic
and personal plan, and family access. Partnerships with community organizations will add relevance
and support to the students’ studies and career plans. Some of these dynamic partnerships include:
community centers and culturally based entities (SALEF), neighborhood businesses and volunteer
organizations, feeder schools and tutoring facilities, neighborhood support and crisis centers, and
local colleges and universities (Glendale, LACC, CSULA, UCLA).
C. Professional development will include content specific trainings, workshops, and conferences, data
analysis trainings, training in pedagogy such as “Understanding by Design”, “Critical Friends”, and
student-led presentations and conferences, and training in community building such as advisories,
parent involvement, and community outreach and cultural interchanges, as well as grant writing.
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
ACTIVITIES
PERSONALIZATION
The belief that learners are driven to excel when they feel acknowledged and empowered by their curriculum
and educational environment is central to our small learning community. Academy teachers, parents,
administrators, staff, and students will collaborate to generate this sense of personalization.
A. Teacher/Community Support for Students:
1) Teacher Mentorship and Advisories Teachers are responsible for guiding and attending to the
personal and academic needs of a group of students (30-35 students) via homeroom advisories. They:

Advocate for their needs

Communicate with their families and other teachers

Oversee their progress towards meeting the high school graduation requirements through a personal
learning plan for each student
2) Enrichment Programs Enrichment programs include partnerships with colleges, universities, and
businesses; guest speaker programs and lecture series; production of a multi-lingual magazine to
share student work with family and community; and field trips to a variety of culturally and
academically enriching settings.
3) Intervention Programs Teachers in conjunction with counselors arrange for after school tutoring,
parental meetings, progress reports, personalized curricular modifications, and appropriate summer
intervention. Proactive support is provided through the above mentioned interventions including but
not limited to:

Multiple opportunities for revision and improvement

Academy-wide intervention conferences for failing students

Appropriate and SLC specific intercession course covering study skills and CHSEE classes
4) Community Support Our partner, SALEF, provides a focused mentor program for a number of our
students. This program includes weekly contact with an adult mentor and required monthly large
group meetings. These mentors provide our students with the skills and knowledge to graduate from
high school and plan for college. We intend to work with other community support groups in order to
meet the needs of a wider group of students.
5) Monthly Student Recognition Every four weeks, teachers recognize students in a number of areas:
improvement, citizenship, and academics with a Certificate of Achievement.
6) High School Graduation Planning The co-lead teacher visits each homeroom with student leaders
to help all students understand the graduation requirements, grade point average, and college
planning. All students in ISOL will have a personalized 4-year high school graduation plan.
7) Community Building. Students will be offered the opportunity to participate in an outdoor science
and adventure education camp to gain a better understanding of themselves, their classmates, their
teachers, and the natural world around them. Students will be involved in activities that foster selfconfidence, teamwork, and a healthy appreciation for the outdoors.
8) School to Career Connection The SLC needs to develop a career strand that will help students
focus on preparing for future careers. Development of partnerships with local businesses, such as
hospitals, banks, feeder schools, and possibly the courts will provide students with the opportunity to
participate in volunteering and internships.
B. Student Empowerment Students will play a critical role in their own achievement by:
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
1) Peer Mentoring Higher-level students will be assigned to lower level students in order to mentor and
guide them through the academic and personal challenges of being in high school. (12th graders will
be matched with 10th graders; 11th graders will be matched with 9th graders.)
2) Peer Tutoring Students in regular English and advanced science and math classes will be selected to
serve as tutors for struggling students. The program will take place before and after school or during
lunch and nutrition in one-to-one and group settings.
3) Student Exhibitions/Events Students on the Student Council will be put in charge of organizing a
number of key SLC exhibitions and events that highlight student achievement and/or foster a sense of
community. The events include an orientation gathering, parent evenings, parent education
workshops, field trips, a senior banquet, and an end year exhibition of student work.
4) Student Council Each homeroom elects two members each to represent them in a student council.
The council members help develop school rules, plan events, and reinforce SLC standards, themes,
and procedures. These students help to personalize the educational process by setting up various
vehicles for student recognition and inclusion. In addition, they will meet with the SLC teachers as a
group at scheduled intervals.
5) Student Led Conferences In preparation for the Parent Conferences, students will be trained to
hold student led conferences with their parents. They will explain their work in different classes and
their general progress towards their personal and academic goals.
6) Town Hall Meetings Here students, teachers, administrators, and the wider SLC community would
be able to discuss matters relevant to the school.
COLLABORATION
A. Family Teachers and students will create a number of opportunities to facilitate parents playing a vital
role in their child’s school life, such as:
1) Family Days/Nights Parents/guardians will attend family functions and contribute directly to them
by sharing their life experiences, job training, and cultural backgrounds:

Parent Orientation Staff and students will warmly welcome the parents and explain practices,
schedules, and philosophy. The evening will include an academic and cultural display of current
academy work and a guided tour and “meet and greet” hosted by students.

Spring Arts and Cultural Festival Students annually celebrate their achievements in a festival
featuring student exhibitions, presentations, entertainment, and cuisine.

Open House Each semester, parents/guardians and community members will be invited to
observe and participate in the daily routine, activities, and classes of students.

Family Skills Day Students will teach parents/guardians a lesson they have learned or skill they
have acquired. Parents will reciprocate with their own chosen life or skill based lessons.

Year-End Picnic Students, parents/guardians and teachers will have an opportunity to share
memories, dreams and concerns in an informal setting.
2) Family Observation/Mentorship Family members will be asked to visit each of their child’s
classes at least once during the semester and consult with the student and his or her teachers about
their observations.
3) Student Academic and Personal Plan With input their child and their homeroom binders, families
will be asked to draw up a very simple four-year plan for their child during the first year of
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
attendance. The portfolio will be discussed with teachers and student and modified, if necessary, to
reflect the needs, interests, and desires of the student.
4) Family Access Understanding that different families have varied needs and time constraints, the
SLC will institute a number of alternate and family friendly means for contact. Saturday conferences,
home visits, and e-mail access are just some of the ways our SLC hopes to foster dialogue.
5) Parent Workshops Parents will have an opportunity to meet other parents and discuss their needs
in raising their children and perhaps support each other. We also hope to create and maintain a
Parent-Teacher Association that will support the needs of the SLC.
B. Communal Connection On a par with parental involvement is communal contact and interaction.
Partnerships with community organizations will add relevance and support to the students’ studies and career
plans. Some of these dynamic partnerships include:

Community Centers and culturally based entities (SALEF, Generation Earth)

Neighborhood businesses and volunteer organizations

Feeder schools and tutoring facilities (Berendo, Virgil)

Neighborhood support and crisis centers

Local colleges and universities (Glendale, LACC, CSULA, UCLA.)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Focus and implementation
1) Training Our faculty will meet yearly to determine what local and central district training and
resources will be implemented as our focus for professional development. This will be a democratic
decision wherein all teachers will be involved. An attempt will be made to find common interdisciplinary
needs; however there may be cases that require content specific trainings. Currently our focus is on:
a. Reading and language acquisition strategies
b. “Jane Schaeffer” writing model across the curriculum
c. “Understanding by Design”
d. “Critical Friends”
e. Humanitas
f. Performance assessment, project based teaching and learning, and interdisciplinary work
g. Data analysis and how it relates to teaching practice and effectiveness
h. Inclusion of special needs, ELL, and gifted students in heterogeneous classes
i. Matrix Construction
j. Grant Writing
k. Advisories
l. Collaborative wok with parents and the community
m. Development of a career strand
2) Faculty Meetings – The once a month faculty meetings will be used for vertical integration.
3) Common Conference Periods – Grade level teachers will use these periods for horizontal integration
and team teaching following the Humanitas interdisciplinary model, student-led presentations, and other
strategies for language acquisition and writing.
4) Common Planning/ Banked Time Common planning is a reflective and communal meeting that is
used to reflect on student work and data, focus on intervention strategies, discuss student progress, and
plan activities to continue personalization.
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
TIMELINE
May-August 2008 – Professional Development (advisories, curriculum, data analysis, grant writing,
career strand, personalization activities)
1. Data analysis of previous semester’s major projects and reflection of effectiveness of
strategies/assigning responsibilities for personalization
2. Advisories training
3. AVID workshops and conferences
4. Content specific institutes and conferences (AP classes institutes, National science and Math
conferences)
5. Student-led presentations and project-based trainings
6. Humanitas Institute
7. Grant writing workshops
8. Develop a career strand – possibly in human and public services
9. Parental Involvement Activities planning
10. Plan calendar for professional development, student academic activities, and family activities
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Fall Semester 2008
Student Academic Intervention Program – 8 days at beginning of the semester- provide students with
intensive workshops to help students study, be organized, be resourceful, and become involved in the
ISOL and local communities.
First report card: identify student needs and intervention targets. Review student progress every report
card and conduct student and parent meetings as necessary.
Parent Involvement – 4 parent meetings to start building a PTA, 4 parent meetings for students who need
academic help, parent workshops to disseminate information about student expectations and
opportunities, academic success, high school graduation, and college entrance requirements.
Student Work and Data Analysis - share student work and reflect on semester needs for common
strategies, review data to make appropriate adjustments to curriculum plans
Academic Fieldtrips - conduct grade level and academic subject field trips, this may include the 9th grade
community building retreat
Spring Semester 2009 – Curriculum, Collaboration, and Personalization Implementation
1) Student Academic Intervention Program – 8 days at beginning of the semester – target students who
failed 1 or more classes in the fall semester. Revisit intervention targets from fall semester; discussion of
what was effective for individual students and what needs to be adapted
2) First report card: identify student needs and intervention targets. Review student progress every report
card and conduct student and parent meetings as necessary.
3) Parent Involvement – 4 parent meetings to continue building a PTA, 4 parent meetings for students who
need academic help, parent contribution opportunities in their children’s classrooms, festival of student
work, etc.
4) Student Work and Data Analysis - data analysis of previous semester’s projects and reflection of
effectiveness of strategies
5) Academic Fieldtrips - conduct grade level and academic subject field trips
6) Student Work Celebration - share student work and reflect on semester needs for strategies, prepare and
review student work samples for year end student work festival
7) Student volunteering and internships – make connections with local businesses for volunteering and
internship opportunities.
8) Professional Development - reflect and review needs for vacation work
***The same cycle of activities with refinements and improvements will take place in the following
3 years.
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
Expenditures
Indirect
SLC Coordinator
Professional
Development fees
Community
Building
BUDGET
Grant Funds
$225,000
Salary - $300,000 for 3 years
 Content Specific workshops and
conferences  $20, 000
 Pedagogical conferences (AVID &
Advisories)  $20,000
 Understanding by Design training the first
year  $10,000
 Grant writing  $10,000
 $100,000 - teacher salaries for attending
various professional development trainings
at the rate of $25/hour




Personalization and 
Student Academic
Enrichment


Equipment and
Supplies

School and Community Match

Humanitas – grade level and
multi-disciplinary training by
the Los Angeles Urban
Partnership  $30,000



Common Planning Days
School space for trainings
Common Planning
conferences and time allotted
by the district
SALEF mentorship
GOOD Samaritan Hospital
and St. Vincent Hospital
volunteering opportunities
Participation in local learning
service organizations
(Generation Earth, Clean &
Green)
Fieldtrip Buses donated by
local organizations such as
Generation Earth and local
museums
Fieldtrips – teacher sub 
$10,000 from the district
Student Academic Work
Festival supplies (posters,
markers, tape, etc.)  $30,000
Parent Workshops: supplies, food, etc. 

$10,000

th
9 Grade academic retreat  $50,000
Coordination time to organize internships 
$15,000

Community partnership development
Supplies (binders, folders, etc.) for student
and parent workshops  $20,000
Student enrichment programs such as
tutoring, mentoring, 4-year high school
planning, implemented by teachers 
teacher salaries $20,000
Science and Art supplies  $30,000



4 LCD projectors, 2 video-cameras, 2 digital 
cameras, white screen  $20,000
Afrodita Fuentes – S08/SED610
RESUME
AFRODITA FUENTES
4460 Overland Avenue #38
Culver City, CA 90230
Home (310) 838-8502 Cell (310) 351-2606
aef1860@lausd.net
EDUCATION:
California Teaching Credentials: Biology, 2003, Mount St. Mary’s College
BS. Biology, May 2001, Mount St. Mary’s College
WORK EXPERIENCE:
Biology Teacher, Belmont High School, Los Angeles, CA
July 2001-Present
 Teaches Biology including: English Immersion biology, Honors biology, and AP biology
 Prepares, implements, revises, and updates curriculum maps and lesson plans
 Participates in student data review
 Collaborates with colleagues in creating project-based activities
Other school involvement:
 Founding member and active participant of the International School of Languages, a small
learning community, 2003-Present
 Developed and implemented curriculum for parent and student workshops
 Participated in the textbook selection committee in the spring of 2006
 Member of the School Site Council
 Member of the Shared Decision Making Council, 2005-2004
Teacher Assistant, Bellagio Road Newcomer School, Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 2000-June-2001
 Assisted teacher in preparation of lesson plans and classroom materials
 Aided groups of students and individual students with classroom work
 Supervised students in the playground, cafeteria and fieldtrips
Laboratory Assistant, Department of Microbiology and Immunology,
UCLA School of Medicine, CA
 Assisted professor in bacterial research experiments
 Prepared equipment for bacterial growth
 Organized equipment following specific protocols
July-Sept. 2000
Science Facilitator, USC MED-COR Program, Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 1999-June 2000
 Prepared and implemented lesson plans
 Reinforced students on the focus of the program, primarily science professions
 Guided students in preparation of college, financial aid, and scholarship applications
LANGUAGES:
English, Spanish
AWARDS:
 In 2006, honored with the “Triumph Award” by St. Anne’s Maternity Home
 In 2001, recipient of the “Inspirational Excellence Award” from the Institute for Student
Academic Enrichment at Mount St. Mary’s College
 In 2001, recognized as having “Potential Contribution to the Teaching Profession” by the
Education Department at Mount St. Mary’s College