The English Language Acquisition department supports students who are learning English as a second language, are bilingual already, or who have another primary language used at home.
Our goal is to improve students’ English language facilities so that they can be more successful at school. At Blevins, the most common home language other than English is Spanish. We also have speakers of Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Uzbek, Russian, and others. Being close to CSU, Blevins has the privilege of welcoming students from all over the world.
What English language learners can expect at Blevins:
- Each year, multilingual learners take the ACCESS test as mandated by the state of Colorado. This tracks their growth in the categories of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
- English language learners are placed in an ELO class to build academic language skills.
- A co-teaching model is utilized where ELA teachers work with content-area teachers to make material more accessible.
- An after-school tutoring program is available for students needing extra support.
- As multilingual students advance over time, they show more English fluency in each category.
- Once fluency is comparable to an average native English speaker, they are moved from the program.
- Students graduating the ELA program are monitored for two years so that extra support can be provided when needed.
Blevins also has Family Liaisons who are fluent in Spanish and Arabic — these staff members communicate with families and help them feel welcome in the Blevins community.