Elementary Latino Consent Decree (LCD)

see also Secondary LCD programs

The Latino Consent Decree is a legally binding court order that requires the district to provide specific educational services for Hispanic/ Latino students in the district. The Latino Consent Decree (LCD) program in Saint Paul Public Schools is designed for Spanish-speaking students who need additional support; LCD students also learn about Latino culture and history.

At the elementary level, the LCD program provides eligible elementary students with bilingual content support, literacy instruction, and ESL services. The extent of these services is determined by the student’s language proficiency on the English and Spanish preLAS (Kindergarten) or the LAS test (Grades 1-6).

Bilingual educational assistants support Latino students in the classroom and ensure that LCD families receive translated materials and interpretation for meetings and conferences.

The Latino Parents Advisory Council (PAC) meets about six times per school year, and a subcommittee advocates for Latino students and parents to the Board of Education.

School and Program Placement

• Latino parents who want their children to become bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish may enroll their children at a school with a dual language program.  These schools include:

• Adams Spanish Immersion Magnet, 
• Bruce Vento Elementary, 
• Cherokee Heights, 
• Riverview West Side School of Excellence, 
• Roosevelt Elementary West Side School of Excellence, and 
• Wellstone, Paul & Sheila Elementary

Students in these programs will receive between 50-90 percent of their instruction in Spanish.

• Parents have the additional choice of placing their students at:
  

• Battle Creek Environmental Magnet, 
• Hancock-Hamline University Collaborative Magnet, 
• Jackson Preparatory Magnet, Mississippi Creative Arts Magnet, or
  
• Monroe Achievement Plus Community School 

Students in these programs receive Spanish literacy and bilingual content support.

• Other elementary schools provide a bilingual Spanish Educational Assistant (EA) and/or ELL/LCD teacher based on the number of students with a home language of Spanish enrolled in the school. These students receive most of their instruction in English with bilingual support as needed.

Who are our LCD students?

• Approximately 4,100 students listed Spanish as their home language on the Home Language Questionnaire (2005-06). Of these, 3,170 are eligible for LCD services. These students have varying levels of proficiency in English and Spanish and can be broadly considered in three groups.
• Recent immigrants to the U.S. who are Spanish-dominant: Many students are completely fluent in oral Spanish (both speaking and comprehending); others speak and understand Spanish fairly well, while others possess only basic oral skills in Spanish.
• First- or second-generation: In most cases, these students have received their education in English have receptive and oral language but have developed few if any literacy skills in Spanish.
• Third- or fourth-generation U.S.-born Hispanic/Latino: These students are English-dominant and understand almost all spoken Spanish, but they have limited speaking skills in Spanish and do not read or write it.

Embedding Latino Culture in the K-3 Social Studies Curriculum

In 2006, the ELL department developed ‘Embedding Latino Culture in the K-3 Social Studies Curriculum.’  General education teachers attend workshops to learn how to embed elements of Latino culture in the social studies curriculum. They also receive Latino culture kits, which include lesson plans, books, flags, maracas, and other items.