3. To provide curriculum content for ELL students to ensure an academically challenging schedule. To provide students with the curriculum necessary to meet high school and college requirements. To deliver curriculum through sheltering techniques. To prepare students to successfully make the transition into English only classes. To integrate the curriculum with the development of the English language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.

4. Your son or daughter is enrolled in a special program where English speaking students and English language learners come together to explore and discuss core curriculum. The focus of MELD or Model English Language Development is to place students in a safe and comfortable environment to practice their English language skills while mastering core content. The teachers in the MELD program pace their curriculum to provide opportunities for students to move between a quicker paced course, the EO side of the MELD, and the EL side of the MELD.

5. Torrance High offers MELD classes for English 1, English 2, English 3, and English 4. We also offer MELD classes for World History, US History, and Government/Economics. MELD also is offered for Biology and Physical Science classes.

6. Torrance High MELD teachers are all highly qualified teachers who have been trained to provide instruction that will help your son or daughter develop their English language skills

7. Our ELL Elective courses are designed to help your son or daughter develop their English language skills. Our ELL Electives can help prepare your son or daughter to pass the CAHSEE, the Senior Project, and sharpen their skills for life beyond high school. We offer four different electives, Beginning English Workshop, Intermediate English Workshop, Advanced English Workshop, and ELL Intervention.

8. For the 2014-2015 school year we have introduced a new counsellor who focuses on the success of the EL students. Her name is Ms. Lozano. As an intervention counselor, she is available for both career and academic advice and for other issues as well. She is bilingual and she speaks Spanish.

9. There are five requirements a student must meet to exit the ELL Program.

10. Grades 9-10 The student has received no grade in the Spring Semester that is a D or an F in any class or any subject. Student must have above a 2.0 The student has achieved an overall score of early advanced on the CELDT with no subsets below an intermediate score. The student has a prior teacher’s recommendation and the approval of the school coordinator The student has submitted the pre-assessment essay administered in the student’s English class and that essay, scored by the Language Assessment Team, has been deemed proficient in writing using the same rubric used for the CELDT writing assessment. The student’s Guided Reading Level is taken into account and compared with the student’s CELDT reading score and a determination is made by the Language Assessment Team.

11. The student has received no grade in the Spring Semester that is a D or an F in any class or any subject. Student must have above a 2.0 The student has achieved an overall score of early advanced on the CELDT with no subsets below an intermediate score. The student has a prior teacher’s recommendation and the approval of the school coordinator The student has passed both sections of the CAHSEE with a passing score of 350 or higher. The student’s Guided Reading Level is taken into account and compared with the student’s CELDT reading score and a determination is made by the Language Assessment Team.

12. Torrance High needs parent volunteers to serve on our English Learner Multicultural Advisory Committee (ELMAC).

13. We must fill the following positions: Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary Torrance High encourages students to attend the ELMAC meetings with their parents.

14. Torrance High is the most diverse high school in the Southern California region. We offer mutual respect and an environment that teaches our students about the richness of other cultures and beliefs. It is safe. We are one of the only high schools in Torrance to offer the Principals in Engineering Courses.

16. If you have questions, please call Tracy Clark at 310) 533-4389 x7915 Or email me at tclark1@etusd.org