Friday, August 8, 2003

Fulton schools to expand foreign language programs in Fulton school

Fulton's elementary foreign language program will almost double, with the addition of 15 new fourth grade programs.These schools will expand to include the fifth grade in 2004-2005.Previously, foreign language was taught in 16 Fulton elementary schools.

With the expansion, 62 percent of all Fulton County elementary schools now offer foreign language.Broken down geographically, the foreign language programs are available in 63 percent of north Fulton schools, 57 percent of schools in south Fulton, and 80 percent of all Sandy Springs-area schools.The school system expects to have foreign language in place in all Fulton County elementary schools during the 2004-2005 school year.

"We are happy to announce that the majority of Fulton County fourth graders will now benefit from daily instruction in foreign language," says Fulton School Superintendent John Haro."We believe this will greatly increase the learning opportunities for our students and help prepare them for the future.We commend the Board of Education for their support of the foreign language program, and we look forward to the day when every Fulton County fourth and fifth grade student receives foreign language instruction."

Fulton's elementary foreign language program begins at grade four and offers 30-minutes of instruction daily in French, Spanish, or Japanese.The language offered is based on school and community interest.

The Fulton County School System and Board of Education believe that early introduction to a foreign language will greatly help students as they become adults and enter the workforce.Since early language learning enhances overall cognitive development, students who begin the study of a foreign language at a young age have the benefit of knowledge of a second language as well as an overall learning advantage.When this program is fully implemented, Fulton students will have the opportunity to participate in foreign language from grades 4 through 12.

All elementary students participating in the school system's Talented and Gifted (TAG) program now will be served in their local school.Previously, students in south Fulton were transported to another "center" school once each week to receive TAG services.The decision to offer TAG at every elementary school means that students will no longer lose valuable instructional time traveling to and from the center school.It also is hoped that more students in schools with traditionally low participation rates will now enroll in the program.

"We have gifted children in every school," explains Dr. Haro."We owe it to these bright students to give them the learning environment that will help them soar and reach their full potential, without having to place them on school buses and transport to another site."

In order to expand to every elementary school, the system has hired five additional TAG teachers.These educators guide the gifted student in ways that maximize the child's unique learning characteristics, interests, personal needs, and capabilities.

When space is available, the school system also will provide TAG services to students who have not met all eligibility requirements for formal placement in the program.This exposure may help these students qualify for full gifted services in the near future.

The elementary foreign language and TAG expansions are just two of the steps implemented in elementary schools in 2003-2004 to increase student achievement.Other actions include:

Using federal grant money to hire 50 additional elementary teachers.Each elementary school in Fulton County will receive one additional teacher to be used to reduce class sizes.

Hiring 18 additional Early Intervention Program (EIP) teachers.These educators work with small groups of eligible elementary students to strengthen math and reading skills.The goal of EIP is to help students obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade level performance in the shortest possible time.

Lowering class size in Grades 1-3.Fulton intends to staff grades 1-3 at 20 students, even though the state allows 21-23 students.The system also provides one paraprofessional per eight classrooms, giving students and teachers additional support.