OXNARD — Juan Lagunas Soria School in the Oxnard was only one of two schools in California to receive the 2018 Seal of Excellence Award from the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE). This award honors exemplary bilingual education programs throughout the state and schools in particular that have established effective programs for their English Learners.
“The award symbolizes the fulfillment of the commitment that was made nine years ago to Soria’s pioneers who trusted and dared to believe in the dream of providing students with the gift of biculturalism and biliteracy through meaningful education and a positive family environment,” said Aracely Fox, principal of Juan Soria School. She added that Juan Soria School is being awarded CABE’s Seal of Excellence the same year that its first cohort of Dual Immersion students will be promoting from Soria and moving on to high school.
The award will be presented to Juan Soria School at the CABE Conference on March 30, 2018 in Sacramento, Calif.
“I’m very proud that Soria has finally been recognized as a CABE Seal of Excellence school,” said Dr. Marlene Batista, Director of English Learner Services for the Oxnard School District. “It has not been without the hard work of the dual language staff and the strong leadership of Aracely Fox that has led them to this great honor. I anticipate this will be first of many awards for Oxnard School District’s dual programs.”
The CABE 2018 Seal of Excellence Award is one of the highest awards the organization has to recognize schools for their vision of biliteracy, their commitment towards educational excellence for all students, and their focus on providing students with the skills they will need to be successful in the 21st Century.
“Congratulations on receiving the CABE 2018 Seal of Excellence Award,” said Jan Gustafson-Corea, CEO of CABE, regarding the honor. “We are proud and motivated by the work you do each day to provide your students and school community with the highest caliber of education along with a strong vision for biliteracy.”
In order for a school to receive the CABE Seal of Excellence Award, certain rigorous criteria must be met by providing the following:
- Substantial evidence of the bilingual language proficiency (English and other language) and academic achievement for students in the program
- A description of the comprehensive and enriched instructional program that includes English Language Development, primary language instruction, and specially designed academic instruction in English and how it provides continuous and coherent services for all grade levels
- A description of the professional development plan for certificated staff and how staff use effective, research-based instructional strategies
- A description, with examples, of how the comprehensive curriculum for English Learners is aligned to the standards at all grade levels
- An effective school-home-community collaboration that empowers parents to become active participants in their children’s education
“The CABE Seal of Excellence is an affirmation of all the wonderful things happening at Juan Soria School,” said Dr. Ana DeGenna, Director of Dual Language Programs at Oxnard School District. “The school exemplifies what is possible when true collaboration occurs between and among staff, students, parents and the community. They have much to be proud of, and as a district, we are extremely proud of this accomplishment.”