CASE STUDY: Riverside County Office of Education

Background

At CBK Charter, an independent study program under the Riverside County Office of Education, Julie Drogo serves as an ELD Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA). In her role, Julie travels across 22 sites monthly to provide designated English Language Development (ELD) instruction to a diverse group of about 80 high school English learners in grades 9 to 12.

Julio Drgo profile picto

Julie Drogo
2024 RCOE Teacher of the Year

Itinerant English Language Development Teacher
Division of Student Programs and Services

Riverside County Office of Education

Instructional Challenges

clockPrior to Language Tree, Julie faced challenges in delivering effective instruction. Finding standards-aligned resources that followed a clear scope and sequence proved difficult. While Julie used tools like Rosetta Stone for reading practice, these resources didn't adequately address language skill development. This meant Julie spent considerable time creating custom lesson plans from scratch.

Furthermore, there was limited time for direct instruction in the independent studies program as Julie meets with her students for only about one and a half hours every other week. While she used this time for whole-class and small-group instruction, she still needed a resource that students could use for continuous independent learning and language practice between class sessions.

Leveled, Standards-based Solutions for Secondary Grade ELLs

During the 2022/23 school year, Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) selected and implemented the Language Tree Online ELD curriculum for their Alternative Schools, including their court and community schools and CBK charter. The program provided standards-based ELD curricula suitable for all ELLs, from newcomers to long-term English learners.

Riverside County added the Language Tree Online Performance Indicator starting in the 2024/2025 school year to give students a realistic ELPAC (English Language Proficiency Assessment) practice. She also used the Performance Indicator as a whole-class teaching tool.

Using Language Tree to Bridge the Gaps

The Performance Indicator proved particularly valuable — giving Julie deeper insight into student language development needs. Students were also motivated by the instant feedback from the program on how they would have performed in each of the four domains of the ELPAC.

"My goal was to strengthen identified language skills gaps so students become proficient English speakers, which would be reflected on the ELPAC and their content classes”, explained Julie.

The Language Tree Performance Indicator and the hybrid curriculum helped Julie make the most of her limited face-to-face instruction time.  She used the printable teacher-led lessons in the Language Tree Online program to help frontload new language concepts. Afterward, she would assign the online lessons and practice for students to work on between class sessions.

The program offers both flexibility and structure while maintaining high achievement standards. "Lessons in the Language Tree program are sequential, building on one another," Julie notes. "I appreciate that students must achieve a certain score to advance to the next lesson, establishing a clear standard they must meet."

Her students enjoy working on the program because they recognize its value in building useful skills and stay engaged because the content respects their stage in life.

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“Teenagers don’t want to be saying baby sentences which is how many tools teach basic literacy skills. I appreciate that the videos in the Language Tree program don’t talk down to them — that it is respectful.”

A Partnership for Long-Term Success

Julie has been impressed with the responsiveness of the Language Tree team and how they have worked with her to adapt the program to RCOE’s specific needs at the alternative schools.  She regularly meets with the Language Tree team to strategize on improving instructional delivery.

Julie believes the program has already made a strong impact on her students' performance as well as her growth as a teacher.

“The team at Language Tree are great partners. If I have a question or request for a report, they respond right away.  I can strategize with them and get their suggestions and expertise. It’s not like that with other companies.”