Title: The Golden Combination
1The Golden Combination Language-Immersion with
Internationally-focused and Inquiry-based
Curriculum Framework -- Bonnie Liao, Ph.D.
(??) Lead Founder Board Chair Princeton
International Academy Charter School www.piacs.or
g -- Principal, YingHua Language
Schoolwww.yinghua.org -- Head of School,
YingHua International Schoolwww.yhis.org
2Princeton International Academy
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- What is the Mission?
- To nurture and enable young people to acquire
dual language fluency in Mandarin Chinese and
English within the International Baccalaureate
curriculum framework. - To inspire and challenges its students to excel
as inquisitive and compassionate young leaders
through a rigorous, inquiry-based education
program that fosters - gt Academic, college-access, and career
development - gt Ethical, emotional, linguistic, and
social/cultural development - gt Physical development
3Who are the founders?
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
A diverse group of parents, teachers and
administrators with a common belief We can and
must prepare our children to enter a global
economy with new challenges and opportunities in
the 21st Century. Read the founders
statements of interest at www.piacs.org
4PIACS Curriculum How do we get there?
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Two Unique Features of the PIACS Curriculum
- Dual-Language Mandarin Immersion
- International Baccalaureate Program
5Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
Academic Objectives English Language Arts
- 85 of PIACS students will score Proficient or
Advanced on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills
and Knowledge (NJASK) Language Arts Literacy
tests for every grade level that the tests are
administered to PIACS students. - Researches show that immersion students may
initially lag behind their counterparts in a
monolingual setting on measures of English
language proficiency. Longitudinal studies show
that not only do immersion students catch up, but
they also often surpass their monolingual peers
both academically and linguistically. The nature
of Mandarin Chinese also contributes to the
initial lag of performance in English language
arts literacy Chinese is a tonal language with a
logographic writing system, which is vastly
different from a language such as English that is
based on the Latin alphabet. - Source DoE Approved PIACS Charter, Part 1 Sec 2
(available at www.piacs.org)
6Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
Academic Objectives Mathematics
- 95 of PIACS students will score Proficient or
Advanced on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills
and Knowledge (NJASK) Mathematics tests for every
grade level that the tests are administered to
PIACS students. - PIACS will employ the most successful methods of
teaching mathematics, such as Singapore Math, to
ensure that students achieve the highest possible
international standards, while meeting and
exceeding state standards .
Source DoE Approved PIACS Charter, Part 1 Sec 2
(available at www.piacs.org)
7Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
Academic Objectives Mandarin Language Arts
- 95 of students will demonstrate Chinese language
acquisition with proficiency measured and
documented throughout each year using
norm-referenced assessment as the Early Language
Learning Oral Proficiency Assessment (ELLOPA)
(conducted in Chinese), the National Online Early
Language Learning Assessment (NOELLA) (conducted
in Chinese), language samples, storytelling/re-tel
ling, observations, and teacher assessments..
Source DoE Approved PIACS Charter, Part 1 Sec 2
(available at www.piacs.org)
8Dual-Language Mandarin Immersion
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- What is immersion?
- Immersion programs are the most effective type of
world language program currently available in
U.S. schools. - The target language is taught as a subject AND
used as an instructional language. - Most effective type of Immersion Program 90-10.
-
9Dual-Language Mandarin Immersion
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- 90-10 Immersion Model at PIACS
- Kindergarten - 100 Mandarin
- Grade One - 90 Mandarin, 10 English (LA
reading) - Grades Two and Three - 75 Mandarin, 25 English
- Grades Four and Five - 50 Mandarin, 50 English
10Immersion vs. other language Programs
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Immersion
- Tonal language with logographic writing system -
best suited for early immersion - Simultaneous learning of culture and language
- High level of fluency
- Motivated
- Non-immersion
- Limited contact time (typically 30-50 min. per
lesson, 1 3 times per week) - Taste of language and culture
- Not functional or fluent after a few years
- Motivation issue
- Immersion has been proven to be the most
effective in language acquisition.
11Dual-Language Mandarin Immersion
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Academic/Educational Benefits
- Students achieve high level of functional
proficiency in Chinese AND achieve academically
at or above their non-immersion peers on
standardized tests administered in English - Schooled through Chinese, students acquire the
language skills as well as the content knowledge
without needing to allocate additional
instructional time at the expense of other
subject areas - Effective model for third language children
because it offers a learning environment that
levels the playing field
12Dual-Language Mandarin Immersion
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Linguistic Benefits
- Contrary to concerns about the negative effect on
English language development, immersion students
demonstrate enhanced levels of English language
skills and of metalinguistic awareness (knowledge
about language) - Bilingual students display greater facility in
learning a third language than monolinguals
13Dual-Language Mandarin Immersion
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Cognitive Benefits
- Research has shown that immersion students have
greater cognitive flexibility and nonverbal
problem-solving than their monolingual
counterparts. - Socio-cultural Benefits
- Immersion students develop higher levels of
intercultural sensitivity and demonstrate greater
openness to members of the target culture
relative to non-immersion.
14Dual-Language Mandarin Immersion
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Two-way Immersion
- This model integrates English-speaking students
and Chinese-speaking students in an academically
challenging learning environment so that they
learn from and with each other. - For Chinese-speaking students, first language
literacy and formal schooling through a childs
first language constitute key predictors of
success in academic achievement and the
development of academic English. - Becoming bilingual and bicultural in a heritage
language promotes positive ethnic identity
development.
15What are our language teaching techniques?
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Integrate language, content, and culture
- Promote continuous language growth and improve
accuracy - Make information understandable
- Create a rich language learning environment
- Communicate with the students clearly and
effectively - Provide opportunities to practice the language
verbally - Provide support for diverse learner needs
16Curriculum Framework at PIACS
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- The PIACS curriculum, following the IB framework,
addresses all nine NJ Core Content Curriculum
Standards - English Language Arts Literacy
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- World Languages
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Comprehensive Health and Physical Education
- Technology 21st Century Life and Careers
- Five components are emphasized within all content
areas
17Curriculum Framework at PIACS
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Five components are emphasized within all content
areas - Concepts
- Knowledge
- Skills
- Attitudes
- Action
18Comparisons with Traditional Curriculum-
Character Education
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Traditional Curriculum
- No systematic guidelines
- Teachers base character education on their own
values
- Our Learners profile
- Inquirers
- Thinkers
- Communicators
- Risk takers
- Knowledgeable
- Reflective
- Well-balanced
- Open-minded
- Caring
- Principled
19Comparisons with Traditional Curriculum-
Professional development
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Our Framework
- Teachers have weekly planning meetings both by
grade level and content area - Teachers of all subjects support and complement
each other to deliver an integrated curriculum
- Traditional schools
- Teachers are independent (teaching behind closed
doors). - Teachers of different grade levels and subjects
do not regularly or systematically communicate
with one another.
20Comparisons with Traditional Curriculum- Depth
vs. width
Princeton International Academy Charter
School www.piacs.org
- Our Framework
- Six units of inquiry
- Interconnectedness of knowledge (Example unit on
construction) - Inquiry process and tools, critical thinking
skills (how conduct in-depth research on a given
topic) - Relate projects to life outside the
classroom/Perform community services related to
new learning
- Traditional Curriculum
- Mile long and inch deep
- Knowledge segmentation
- Lack of conceptual understanding and deep
connection of knowledge - Test driven
21Summary
- PIACS will create a new option for public
eduction - Language full immersion
- Internationally-focused inquiry-based curriculum
framework - Unique combination