and Minority Languages Affairs and the US Department of Education. The Family Literacy Program
curriculum also draws on materials developed by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) and by
the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE).
The curriculum was created by the school’s expert faculty, who hold master’s degrees in teaching
English as a Second Language, education, and curriculum and instruction. They have significant
experience developing specialized curriculum as well as an understanding of the schools’ unique
student population. The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), a non-profit group of nationally respected
scholars and educators in language, linguistics, education, measurement, and evaluation, served as
consultants to ensure the quality of the school’s curriculum. In December 2006, the curriculum was
reviewed externally by Georgetown University’s Center for Language Education and Development.
This review followed curriculum standards published by Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages (TESOL) for Adult ESL Programs. The external review resulted in a validation report that
found Carlos Rosario’s curriculum satisfactorily met and, in some cases, exceeded, all curriculum
standards. In addition, the curriculum has been copyrighted.
The school’s comprehensive assessment program captures all aspects of student achievement.
Assessment includes norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing; authentic and alternative
assessments measured, for example, by progress gleaned through evaluation of student portfolios; and
follow-up surveys that determine the extent to which students have met their goals. Students receive
ongoing feedback based on portfolio assessment, written and oral assignments, teacher observation,
and mid-semester as well as final conferences. In addition, the Family Literacy Program conducts
an annual survey of parents, teachers of children whose parents participate in the program, and site
principals who serve as collaborative partners.
With regard to the Workforce Program, Carlos Rosario conducted an analysis to identify areas of
projected growth and demand in the Washington, DC, region. The results of this analysis showed
that computer support specialists and entry-level nurses as well as restaurant and hotel employees
would be increasingly in demand and that these positions provided outstanding career opportunities
for Rosario students. On May 26, 2007, The Brookings Greater Washington Research Program
released a report, Reducing Poverty in the District of Columbia: A Community Discussion. In it, the
Institute identified sector-specific workforce development programs that should be DC’s focus. The
major industries identified were construction, hospitality, healthcare, and computer and administrative
support. This report not only validated the Carlos Rosario sector analysis but also recommended the
implementation of these programs to improve the lives of our residents.
The workforce training programs are designed to be the next step in the continuum of the workforce
literacy skills that students attain through the completion of the Carlos Rosario’s ESL program. These
classes allow for students to develop concrete technical skills in a specific career field once they have
demonstrated a solid foundation of literacy and language ability. Rather than focusing on language
skills, these classes are directly focused on qualifying students for entry-level employment in highdemand fields that hold the promise of upward mobility.
• Provisions Made for Students Who Are Limited- or Non-English Proficient (LEP/NEP)
Because 99.12 % of our students were LEP/NEP during the 2007-2008 school year, no additional
special provisions were needed.
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