English Language Development (ELD): All English learners at ACC receive 60 minutes of targeted English Language Development instruction daily. ELD is an in-class program for English Learners, delivered by the classroom teacher and the designated ELD teacher for their grade level. ELD teachers have state approved certification for instruction of English learners; classroom teachers have received professional development on second language instructional strategies.
Research indicates that while English learners benefit from daily, differentiated ELD instruction, they also benefit from instruction in mixed-ability classrooms with English speaking peers (Saunders & Goldenberg, 2010). All English learners at ACC receive academic content instruction in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies in English language settings in which instructional strategies designed for second language learners are employed.