Bellevue Union School District
Language and Literacy Initiative
Background
The Bellevue Union School District (BUSD) has made steady gains in student achievement over the past five years,
however the rate of gains in English Language Arts (ELA) is of concern. Proficiency with language and literacy is the gatekeeper for all success in every aspect of education. In particular, 3rd grade literacy has been shown to be the most
predictive indicator of high school graduation.
The demographics of BUSD pose particular challenges to achieving higher levels in ELA proficiency. This includes and
English Learner population of 74%, and a low socio-economic population of 90%. Meeting the needs of these students
requires support to the classroom, both in terms of curriculum and professional development for teachers.
The 2012 STAR proficiency rate in Mathematics is 56.8%, which is higher than the Sonoma County average of 52%. In
contrast, the 2012 STAR proficiency rate for ELA is 41.1%, which is lower than the Sonoma County average of 52%. The
range of grade level proficiency ranges from 25.8% (3rd grade) to 50.6% (6th grade).
The context for this initiative is that 2012-23 is the first year of a systematic implementation of Response to Intervention
(RtI) with a focus on early literacy. It is also the “year of awareness” for the new California Common Core Standards
(CCCS). This initiative capitalizes upon and aligns with both of these concurrent initiatives.
The BUSD Language and Literacy Initiative is an intentional plan to build capacity to meet the needs of students in order
to achieve at least grade level proficiency in ELA, which includes the new CCCS. This initiative reflects a commitment to
provide focused support to every classroom in order to build this capacity, and is designed to be implemented over the
course of 3 years.
Plan
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Year 1 (2012-13)
ELA & ELD Pilot for new curricula (to be purchased Spring 2013)
District-wide professional development on CCCS
Initial implementation of systemic RtI for early literacy
Support instructional practices with teacher teams
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Year 2 (2013-14)
Implementation of new ELA & ELD curricula with professional development
Initial implementation of CCCS
District-wide professional development on new CCCS assessment system
Implementation of systemic RtI for early literacy
Support instructional practices with teacher teams
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Year 3 (2014-15)
Implementation of new ELA & ELD curricula with continued professional development
Implementation of CCCS
Implementation of new CCCS assessment system
Deep implementation of systemic RtI for early literacy
Support instructional practices with teacher teams
Resources
1. BUSD Administration (Superintendent, Principals)
2. BUSD Committees (RtI, ELD and Curriculum)
3. EL Coordinator
4. EL and CCS Consultant*
5. Teacher teams for curriculum pilot & instructional practices**
* Funding = Title III
** Funding = Title II