Program Evaluation:

English Language Learner & Heritage

Language program
Cristina A. Velzquez

The English Language Learner & Heritage

Language Program
Palm Springs High School is a public high school for grades 9
through 12 located in the Palm Springs Unified School District. It
was built in 1938 with a total of 2200 students and 55% of the
students are Hispanic.
This ELL & Heritage Spanish Language program was created in
2003.
There are 200 English Language Students in the program
There are 45 ELD students
Three ELD courses offered (block schedule)
Three Spanish Heritage Language Classes, plus emergent
literature, Spanish literature, Spanish literature AP (
www.psusd.us)

Program Purpose
The program was created a Spanish
Heritage Language Class to continue to
focus on developing the first language
literacy for primary Latino Children,
transitioning to full inclusion in general
education with bilingual aide help, and
English Language Development that
focuses on reading and writing in a block
schedule.

Program Goal
The goal for English Learners in the
English Language Mainstream
program is to develop academic
proficiency in English together with
a mastery of academic core content
and multicultural proficiency.

Purpose of Evaluation
An evaluation is needed to explore the diverse
aspects of English language learners, their
heritage language maintenance, and
development in the secondary level of K-12.
This need will help improve curriculum and
materials, raise public awareness for proper redesignation and reclassification, recruit and
develop effective teachers, and maintain
students interest and rigor in learning his or
her own heritage language.

Purpose
This evaluation will provide administration,
the district office, teachers, students, and
parents with recommendations on how to
address challenges and further develop
English Language Development program in
order to create and improve curriculum and
materials, raise public awareness, recruit
and develop effective teachers, and
maintain students interest in learning his or
her own heritage language.

Why evaluate?
Continuous improvement!
Other schools within the district (DHSHS,
RMHS, CCHS) can use these
recommendations to add a heritage language
course to the already existing ELL program.
Other schools and use these
recommendations to compare their program
with the successes and improvements of the
program at PSHS.

What type of evaluation?

Change or continue with it?
Summative/formative

Evaluation Questions
Do teachers and principals report that he or she has enough
instructional and consultation time with the ELL program and
their students?
Do students, parents, teachers, and principals feel
knowledgeable about the ELL program?
Do students, parents, teachers, and principals feel there is
enough rigor in the program?
Does the program address the needs of the students?
Do parents feel they are involved and can communicate well in
English or Spanish with the ELL program?

Evaluation GOALS
Identify strengths and weaknesses
Highlight successes in the program
Make recommendations for improvements
continued and expanded collaborations between
evaluators/researchers and services providers,

the use of appropriate measures and outcomes,

the development and implementation of evaluations that
address multiple services or multiple issues, and the allotment of
resources to conduct quality evaluations (Chalk & King, 1998).

CIPP Model
Context (politics), input, process, and product
Why this model?
Will allow for identification of improvement.
Helps administration and teachers make better
decision
Framework for formative
To assist in decision making and quality assurance

Logic model
Inputs: purpose vision, motivations, opinions, principles, needs, values--- staff
faculty, population, facilities, community, ELL students, Bilingual aides,
administration, instructional assistants
Outputs-graduation, training, resources, tutoring/study skills sessions, --- staff
faculty, teachers
Outcomes- are students graduating?
Is the prgram sustainiably? Attention rate? Satisfied? Parents, teachers, students
Goals- pass CAHSEE, CELDT 4, 5, reclassification (rigor) Proficient
Assumptions: students who score 1, 2, 3 on a CELDT exam and first language is
anything other than English is classified as ELL.
External Factors-TITLE 9 funding from the State of CA
Summer school CAHSEE Prep

Method-CIPP concept
Context Evaluation- what is the current state of the
program? Historical and current documents, and website
data.
Input Evaluation- what other schools are doing this
program? Comparison program.. Interviews with teachers
and admin, parents.. Any documents program documents
Process Evaluation -How is the program meeting the needs
of the students.. Surveys, interviews, data
Product Evaluation- what should be done in response to the
findings.. Outcomes and outputs

CIPP

(staff faculty,
population,
facilities,
community, ELL
students,
Bilingual aides,
administration,
instructional
assistants

(staff faculty,
teachers,
students, parents,
administrators)
Assumptions: students who score 1,
2, 3 on a CELDT exam and first
language is anything other than English
is classified as ELL.

Are ELL students graduating with

proficiency?
Do ELL students have the proper
materials needed with the proper
bilingual support in these content
courses?
Are these students learning English with
proper support while not feeling as if
they are losing in their heritage
language and culture?
Are these ELL students getting properly
reclassified as English proficient?
Are parents getting support with
English/Spanish and knowledge of the
program?
Are teachers getting the support and
resources need to continue the
program?
Do students, parents, teachers, and
principals feel there is enough rigor in
the program?
Goals- pass CAHSEE, CELDT 4, 5,
reclassification (rigor) Proficient
positive native language maintenance

Outcomes

graduation
training
resources
tutoring/study
skills sessions
ELD Block
Schedule
Spanish Heritage
Language
Learner Class---

Outputs

Inputs

purpose
vision
motivations
opinions
principles
needs
values---

External Factors-TITLE 9
funding from the State of CA,
Summer school CAHSEE Prep

Method
A mixed-methods design will be used for the evaluation.
Quantitative components include surveys.
Qualitative components include observations and
interviews.
Atlas TI: all recordings and field notes will be transcribed,
codes (in vivo), create themes, relate themes to
framework. and the The evaluator will use triangulation in
the form of observations, interviews, and surveys.
SPSS will be used with the survey data analysis.

Methods
Program Survey:
Current program success
Communication with the program
Knowledge about the program
Location, maintenance, and resources
Rigor and satisfaction

Data collection
Interviews:
What are some concerns?
How satisfied are you?
What areas are needed for improvement
What do you feel are the strengths?
What is your general perception?
Do you feel the program met the needs of the students?

Data collection:
Observations
Observe the students in the ELD classroom
Observe the students in the Spanish Heritage
Language Classroom
Observe the classroom layout, the textbook,
interactions, attendance

Budget