Program Overview:
The Language Arts Program (LAP) is tasked with oversight of all Language Arts programs and related professional development, resource acquisition, and implement assessments.
Goals:
The prime goal of LAP, as is the case with all academic programs, is student achievement. Specific goals, e.g., AYP targets per SAT-10 and the locally developed Standards Based Assessments (SBAs) are mandates related to USDOE in-place requirements. Currently the 2014 goal: “ninety percent of all PSS students will be proficient as measured by the locally developed SBA summative assessment.
Likewise, LAP is engaged in maintaining and supporting a stable corps of highly qualified teachers in its efforts to educate our young people. To this end it supports and is actively engaged in the Saturday PRAXIS review workshops currently stationed at GES (8AM-12PM).
Course Offerings:
Regular English language courses are monitored and supported by the LAP office. The development of specialty courses, e.g., the now mandated high school business and research coursework, are part of the program. Likewise AP courses in both Writing and Literature are part of the picture.
Professional Learning Communities:
A professional Learning community of twenty-one highly qualified Language Arts teachers and reading resource personnel assists in very substantial ways. It is through the auspices of these very committed individuals that much of the larger LAP operations are maintained.
The PLCs participate in workshops, review assessments, mentor other teachers, facilitate the dissemination of information to the general teaching corps, and fill substantial leadership roles in their respective schools.
Resources:
The Territorial and Freely Associated States Educational Grant (T&FASEG) is managed by the LAP. The T&FASEG, a multi-million dollar grant supporting supplementary materials acquisitions. This resource has become a vital cog in teachers’ search for materials and certain other qualified items.
Other funds and grants are likewise supported and promoted by the LAP office.
In the offing:
Slated for SY 10-11 is the completion of the End of Course assessments (EOCs) for the 9th and 10th Literature courses. Other “on-the-drawing-board plans are tentative workshops in the Psychology of Teaching and others in differentiated instruction methodologies and formative assessment techniques.