Responded by: Ana Díaz-Booz (Principal, School of International Business)

During my tenure as a principal, I have always tried to ensure that the school offers a broad array of programs for students which extend their learning opportunities. This is especially important for low-income students and ELL students who may not have stable home environments and strong language models to support them. Using available funding sources, I have extended the school day and utilized the summer as a way for ELL students to close the learning gap with their English speaking peers. I begin by supporting their language acquisition one hour each morning before school. Our school's Literacy Lounge is a staff-supported learning environment in which students work on literacy based assignments before school in any subject and document their efforts with time cards. Students read, conference with the assigned teacher, complete assignments and work on vocabulary building. As they build up hours, they earn rewards in the form of access to video and board games. I have found that once students know the doors are open, they will take advantage of opportunities, even before school. These morning opportunities are balanced by extended tutoring hours after school. Our school focuses on providing support in math and science after school everyday, with considerable attention being paid to the use and understanding of the academic terminology necessary to show proficiency in each discipline. Staff members are paid through enrichment grants and are supported in their efforts to help students understand content by our school's literacy coach. The literacy coach position was made available through the federal Striving Readers grant and allows me the flexibility to integrate literacy instruction into content classes as well as extend the school year for ELL students. The literacy coach coordinates our school's six-week summer ELL enrichment class as well as our California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) Boot Camp each spring. These programs target the specific needs of our ELL population and, as our data has shown, help them reach proficiency on state assessments. It's important to note that these enrichment opportunities have developed over a five year process and have been driven by a central vision which is shared by the entire staff. I have found that students respond to high expectations, especially when they extend beyond the normal school day. This year, our school is piloting a two-week summer bridge program for at-risk and ELL students. It is my hope that, as students arrive prior to the beginning of the school year they will realize that our school is different and that I intend for them to take full advantage of the programs we have to offer.