Preparing for Winter Break

Winter Break is near.

It is time to reflect on what a year it has been.

Schools prepare to take a winter break as people celebrate holidays and welcome in the new year.

Students need breaks from school to rest and recharge, but taking a break from learning can result in the widening of the academic performance gap.  Students can fall behind in education if they do not continue to maintain a minimum level of learning while they are on break.

Students can use the upcoming Winter Break to close this achievement gap by creating projects that help in the development of specific academic skills and/or knowledge & understanding.

Parents, Teachers, and Students can collaborate in the development of projects, establish a support network, and set reasonable goals; while also allowing for an enjoyable Winter Break.

Projects can be as simple as watching a series of pre-selected videos online and preparing reports on them, or as complex as attempting to solve a real-life problem that is currently making a significant impact on society.

During the time that remains between now and the beginning of Winter Break, educators should work with students and parents to develop Winter Break Education Projects (WBEP).  Through early planning, and the setting of clear assessments goals for WBEP's, students, parents, and teachers can help close achievement gaps in education.


Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2018.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

ELL Student Development: Final Assessment

ELL Student Development

Final Assessment

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

We want for students to succeed in their learning.  Just as schools want students to graduate, and become self-sustained life-long learners, English Language Learners should be encouraged by their ELL program to become self-sustained English language learners.  With consistent measuring of student progress, with accurate analysis of these measurements, and with communication, collaboration, and cooperation, amongst all participants in the students education, the ELL student should become able to demonstrate the necessary skills and meet the established requirements to exit the ELL program, and succeed with mainstream and native students of similar age and grade level.

To ensure that the students, which have exited the ELL program, are succeeding, it is recommended that they be guarded from any possible academic downfall by implementing observatory monitoring of students, who may begin to under-perform academically, following the student's exit from the ELL program.  While we expect for most ELL students to make a smooth transition into mainstream education and succeed, there may be those who may be in need of further support from an ELL program whose aim is also to work with students who have exited the program.

An English Language Learner will be one for life.  They will have less of a life-time experience with the language than a native speaker.  With education the ELL student can develop skills equal to that of a native speaker, and with further education, the student can expand their understanding of the language and even add to the growth of it.  English Language Learners benefit the community by expanding the culture and diversity of schools.

Copyright 2012.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.