Cupertino Language Immersion Program (CLIP) Info

At A Glance

Since fall of 1998, the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) has offered the students of this district a unique educational opportunity centered on dual language proficiency and biliteracy. This alternative program, the Cupertino Language Immersion Program (CLIP), helps prepare our students for their future social, academic, and career challenges and opportunities through spoken and written mastery of a second language.

Immersion Education
Immersion education is an exciting and innovative program in which children develop the ability to speak, read, and write in English and in a second language. In this type of program, children learn in a very stimulating and creative way, which research shows, leads to intellectual flexibility and high academic achievement. Knowledge of more than one language and culture is becoming more and more important for our children’s full participation in a culturally and linguistically diverse world.

CLIP Mission Statement
To give students of Cupertino Union School District the opportunity to develop high levels of proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing English and another target language. These students will be able to communicate effectively in both languages, and achieve academic proficiency in subjects that will meet or exceed district guidelines. This program is based on the two-way language immersion model where the target language is a vehicle of instruction, not the focus.

CLIP Program
Presently the target language is Mandarin. The Mandarin Immersion Program began in the 1998-1999 academic year with one kindergarten class. Starting in August 2006 the program expanded to include kindergarten through eighth grade. This program is taught using a two-way immersion model where one portion of a student’s day is spent learning in English, and the other portion is spent learning in Mandarin. Planning is underway on the extension of the program into high school.

CLIP Funding
Although CUSD supports the program with teachers, facilities, and the English portion of the program, all aspects of the Mandarin portion of the curriculum have been and continued to be financed by outside sources. Instructional aides in the classrooms, teachers’ salaries for curriculum development, and all Mandarin-specific classroom materials (books, posters, workbooks, writing materials) have primarily been financed through federal and state grants and direct donation by the parents and supporters of the program. Other items funded by grants, parents, and supporters include the Mandarin-specific classroom equipment (PCs and related Mandarin software), Chinese cultural and enrichment activities (calligraphy, Cirrus Dance), and the hiring of grant writers.

CLIP Parents
As in any other Cupertino school, parents are an integral part of the children’s education. To continually grow and improve our program, parents are highly encouraged to join various CLIP committees, volunteer in the classrooms, and assist the teachers and administrators as needed. Parents are also actively involved in recruiting students into the program, fundraising, and developing programs with the school district that culturally augment the curriculum.

Instructional Model and Language Percentage

The model selected for the district is one that is researched based and tested in Bay Area districts with a higher percentage of the targeted language in the beginning years. National research shows that when programs are well implemented, English Learners and English only students in 70:30 models score as well or better than their peers in other programs in English tests. It is also the model that has shown to create higher proficiency levels in both languages.

Kindergarten and 1st grade students divide their instructional time on a percentage basis 70:30 Mandarin to English; 2nd and 3rd grade students have a 60:40 Mandarin to English ratio; 4th and 5th grade students have a 50:50 ratio; and 6th and 7th graders have a 30:70 Mandarin to English ratio.

Curriculum

For Mandarin Immersion Programs there are no commercial textbooks or curricula developed by publishers and approved by the State Board of Education that are parallel to the English curriculum. Cupertino Union School District has developed its own Mandarin materials that are aligned with state standards and the English curriculum in social studies and other subjects.

All immersion teachers are required to work with the district director and parents to develop and refine the Mandarin curriculum. Some of the materials are adopted from the San Francisco Unified School District’s Cantonese Immersion Program. Teachers, parent volunteers, Dr. Ji Mei Chang, consultant, and Mary Jew, Director of Instruction Services, have been working to develop new materials and refine existing materials. Curriculum development will continue until materials are completed and refined for all grade levels. All units developed are integrated lessons, which take the whole child into consideration. Curriculum is being developed for the middle school program, grades 6-8.

The district has started to explore and expand the use of technology for Mandarin language and culture instruction in the classrooms. Language is culture and culture is language; they cannot be separated. The goal of the program is to have our students educated with a global vision, with an appreciation for all cultures and languages.

Your child will be exposed to the same State of California approved English curriculum as students in a regular program in Cupertino. Each year you will receive a plan describing exactly what your child will be expected to learn in both English and Mandarin for his or her grade level.

Mission and Vision

 Provide both the native English and the native Mandarin speakers the opportunity to become bilingual and biliterate in a Chinese immersion environment.

 Develop life long learners who will be productive and caring citizens.

 Set high, consistent expectations for our students, both academically and socially.

 Expect students to learn in a safe, child-centered environment within which all students will be motivated and challenged.

 Encourage students to grow in self-discipline, enabling them to work both independently and cooperatively in all their endeavors.

 Develop an international perspective and appreciation for cultural diversity.

Goal 1: Student Achievement

Develop high levels of proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in English and Mandarin through immersion education while achieving proficiency in all

academic subjects and meeting or exceeding district guidelines.

Goal 2: Cultural Diversity

Instill in students an understanding and appreciation for cultural diversity and an international perspective using the language as a vehicle for instruction.

Goal 3: Support Services:

Provide resources and programs designed to support students’ diverse academic, social and emotional needs.

Goal 4: Financial Stability

Ensure the financial stability and program growth by optimizing the financial resources and assets in accordance with district guidelines.

Goal 5: Facilities

Provide adequate facilities and establish a system to accommodate changes over time.

Goal 6: Staffing

Attract, develop and retain effective, diverse staff and promote teaming and collaboration.

This and other info can be found at clipcusd.org

Interview with Ms. Kuan

I was interested in interviewing Ms. Kuan because she is a teacher at Meyerholz Elementary School in the Cupertino Language Immersion Program. This program is a Mandarin immersion program, and I was interested to know a little more about her, and about her involvement in the program. I asked her where she was born, when her family came to the U.S., if she was involved in any activities that are centered around her specific ethnic group. I also asked her to describe the CLIP program, what it is like teaching in a bilingual program and some of the benefits and drawbacks of the program. The following is her response:

"I was born in New Jersey, since my parents had come to the U.S. (from Taiwan) for graduate school. I moved to Taiwan when I was in 4th grade, and did 4th-12th grade in Taiwan. I came back to the U.S. for college and have been here since. So I'm not sure how to answer how long I've been in the U.S. I think I'm considered a 1st generation American born Chinese =)

I used to attend a Chinese church while in college, but since then haven't been going to an ethnic-specific church. I go to the Asian supermarket regularly, and will frequent Chinese restaurants.

CLIP strives to help kids be prepared for our global community, enabling them to become bilingual and biliterate. Working in a bilingual program is meaningful for me personally because I attended a bilingual school from 4th-12th grade while I was in Taiwan, so I know how it is for the kids. It's a lot of fun to see hands-on teaching practices applied to teaching the Chinese language (since traditionally, in Asia, language teaching is all based on rote memory and pencil-paper teaching practices). Drawbacks from being in this program is seeing parents push their child through our program when they might not be the best fit for it. It's always heartbreaking to see a child lose interest in learning altogether due to work overload."

We talked a little bit about the model minority stereotype and how that is affecting her students today. I am still learning more about the program, but I think it is important to realize that not all bilingual programs in California are Spanish-speaking. There is a whole other set of students with a different set of needs that we need to be prepared to interact with.

I have begun to learn a little more about CLIP at Meyerholz. It is interesting to see what is going on at my neighborhood elementary school where I myself attended.

Issues and Resources

Chinese Americans, along with other Asian Americans are dealing with many issues. They are faced with the problems all Americans are faced with, but there are also issues that apply specifically to those of Asian descent. Many Asian Americans deal with issues like interracial marriage, under representation in politics, gender issues and generational issues. One of the biggest issues deals with Asian Americans being known as the model minority. The idea is that Asians in America are the “model minority” and all other minorities should strive to attain the same level of academic success and affluence.

The model minority stereotype appears on the surface to be a good thing. However, there are many issues associated with the “model minority” that can be negative. The model minority stereotype generally assumes three things about Asian Americans: that they have a high socioeconomic status, that they have high academic success and that they have no problems.

The main problem with these assumptions is that they are just that-assumptions. These three things are overgeneralizations that people may have seen in some Asian Americans and applied them to all the rest. These assumptions don’t take into consideration people from different ethnic backgrounds, different languages, different religions, cultures or ideals.

There are many issues with regard to education of Asian Americans. Although they are the “model minority” and are praised for their achievement, not every Asian American student is achieving. Based on many factors, many students are dropping out or not going to the most prestigious colleges, and they aren’t getting the help they need. The “model minority” label causes people to believe that Asian Americans don’t have problems, especially when it comes to academics. Because of this, they often are overlooked when it comes to receiving help and assistance.

Asian American students are not considered to be the same level of minority as Hispanic or black students, and often don’t receive scholarships or other aid because of this. They are also faced with higher standards and expectations, causing those who don’t meet these expectations to struggle.

On the other side of this are Asian American students who are being completely neglected. One of the most important factors with many Asian American students, especially those who have come to the States more recently is the language barrier. Not much is being done to help these students succeed in an English only classroom. We need to be aware of the needs of these students, and not just assume that they are all going to be successful just because they are Asian Americans.

There are so many resources available for Asian Americans in the Bay Area. Several important organizations exist to support Asian Americans in the Bay Area. The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) “is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans.” (OCA National Website, 2010) The Asian American Parents Association (AAPA) is based in Cupertino that works toward bettering education, especially for Asian American students. The Chinese Cultural Center in San Francisco provides Chinese Americans (and other Americans) with information, exhibits, resources and other programs related to Chinese heritage. The Chinese Historical Society of America also provides a museum and a learning center as well as many online links to other sources of information and other resources.

Two websites that provide access to an Asian American perspective of local and world events are asiannation.org and asianweek.com. Asian Nation provides readers with history, demographics current issues and individuals’ perspectives of Asian people living in the United States. Asian Week is the oldest and largest English newspaper for Asian Americans. It covers local and world news, entertainment, sports, community news and calendars of events and more. This is a great resource for those who wish to strengthen the community between Asian heritage and the United States.

History and Contributions

Chinese Americans have experienced a very interesting and dynamic history in the United States. While it hasn’t always been a pleasant history, the Chinese in America have contributed greatly to the development of the country as well as the state of California. There are several events in United States history in which Chinese Americans have played a large role; including the building of the railroad and immigration laws.

In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California. This discovery drew people not only from all over the country, but from all over the world. Chinese people traveled to California to try to strike it rich. The population of Chinese Americans grew quickly. At first, these Chinese Americans were accepted, but other American’s views towards the Chinese Americans began changing, and they gradually became a part of the labor force in the U.S.

One of the most well known contributions made by the Chinese to United States history is their work on the Transcontinental Railroad. There were two lines, the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific. These companies were each to build the railroad staring at one end and meet in the middle. The Central Pacific was to be the more challenging and physically exerting of the two. Their recruitment efforts, targeted mainly at white males came up short. White laborers began to demand higher pay and threatened to strike.

The Central Pacific railroad company began to explore other options. “By 1865, the number of Chinese in California reached close to fifty thousand, at least 90 percent of them young men” (Chang, 2004). These men were considered cheap labor, and there was no shortage of supply. The Chinese Americans were willing to work for less, and the railroad moguls used that to their advantage. The Central Pacific began to recruit Chinese workers and white laborers agreed to return if no Chinese laborers were hired. However, now the railroad men had the upper hand and they hired them anyway. This only served to strengthen the animosity between the white and Chinese laborers. Central Pacific began to send recruiters to China to bring more workers to the railroad. They docked in San Francisco, and were taken to Sacramento to begin work. (Chang, 2004).

A big chapter in the history of Chinese Americans is the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. May 6^th, 1882 was the day the Chinese Exclusion Act was approved by Congress and President Arthur. The basic premise of this act was to place halt all Chinese labor immigration for ten years. This act required those who were not laborers to provide certification from the Chinese government stating that they were qualified to enter the U.S. Those who were excluded were defined as “skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese employed in mining” (*National Archives website) This act also affected those Chinese already in the U.S. Chinese living in America were required to obtain certain certification to re-enter if they ever left the country, and they were also

The Act expired after ten years, in 1892. The act was extended for another ten years, this time called the Geary Act. It was made permanent in 1902, adding even more restrictions. It wasn’t until 1943 that all the acts were repealed, but there were only 105 Chinese immigrants allowed yearly. The Immigration Act of 1965 allowed “a limit of 170,000 immigrants from outside the Western Hemisphere could enter the United States, with a maximum of 20,000 from any one country.” (http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=old&doc=47)

It was really interesting to research more about the injustices and restrictions that Chinese Americans faced-and these are just examples of the government. There were many, many, countless examples of racism and injustice from U.S. citizens of other nationalities.

Demographics

I chose to look at the Chinese American population in the Bay Area, particularly in Cupertino. I know, having grown up in Cupertino, that the Asian American population has grown tremendously even over the past ten years. A lot of the data classified just simply Asian American, without taking into account the many people groups that encompasses. I hope to be able to narrow in on information about Chinese Americans, but I hope to start by developing an understanding of the presence of all Asian group represented in the United States, California, and the Bay Area.

Based on the Census taken in 2000, 11,898,828 people reported their race as Asian. This is about 4.2% of the U.S. population, which was reported at 281,421,906

This census also provided specifics about the Asian population in the nation. The greatest Asian ethnic group population is the Chinese population (which excludes Taiwanese), with Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese and Korean rounding out the top five.

The census also reported that California reported the largest Asian population, which at that time was about 3,610,809. The cities with the largest Asian alone population are New York (787,047), Los Angeles (369,254), San Jose (240,375), San Francisco (239,565), and Honolulu (207,588). Interestingly enough, three of these top five cities are in California, two of them in the Bay Area.

California is the top state with Asian Alone and Asian Alone or in Combination population. The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area is the third top metropolitan area with Asian Alone and Asian Alone or in Combination population. Of the top twenty-five with Asian Alone and Asian Alone or in Combination population seventeen are in California.

This census broke down the information about the various Asian groups in California. The top five populations are as follows: Asian Indian 314,819 0.93%, Bangladeshi 3,044 0.01%, Cambodian 70,232 0.21%, Chinese, except Taiwanese 918,325 2.71%, and Filipino 918,678 2.71%.

*previous information from: http://www.advancingequality.org/files/census_handbook.pdf

Bringing it closer to home, the Santa Clara County Office of Education website showed the student enrollment by ethnic group. This chart showed the Asian enrollment at 25.9%, Hispanic/Latino enrollment at 36.8% and White enrollment at 24.2%. The rest of the groups represented a smaller percentage of enrollment in the county.

*http://www.sccoe.k12.ca.us/newsandfacts/sccpublicschools/

Taking it one step further, looking at the Cupertino Union School District website, we see a difference in the student population. 70% of the CUSD students were identified as Asian, 23% as White, 5% Hispanic, 1% Black, and 1% Filipino.

*http://cupertino.ca.campusgrid.net/home/About+our+District

Looking at this information from the broad perspective of the United States as a whole, and narrowing the field of study bit by bit helps to gain a view of the information in perspective. If we were to only look at the Cupertino Union School district for information about the population of California, we would be led to believe that California is somewhere around 70% Asian. However, looking at the Los Angeles Unified School District, one is presented with data that shows the district to be about 50% Hispanic and only 13% Asian. That said, the Cupertino Union School District represents an area with a higher concentration of Asian Americans. I hope to use this information to continue to build an understanding of Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans, and the issues they face regarding education, employment, religion and tradition, and better understand how that will effect my future students.

Introduction to my Blog

I have been compiling information throughout the semester, intending to create a presentation at the end, but instead I have decided to create this blog.

I have decided that I think it will make the most sense to organize the information into sections similar to the organization of our drafts: Demographics, History and Contributions, Issues and Resources.

I hope you enjoy!

~kim