Program Definition – An Overview

This program uses a two-way immersion education model and has been developed so children will be fully biliterate in both English and Mandarin. This is very different from being bilingual – speaking two languages. The goal of this program is to produce fully biliterate children – children who can speak and also read, write, and think in both English and Mandarin. The program has also been developed to culturally enrich our children’s education. Most experts believe that to truly learn a language, you must understand its culture.

The district’s standard English curriculum (math, science, social studies, etc.) is taught in English and in Mandarin in different percentages of time and within different subjects depending on grade level. It is the goal that all students meet or exceed the CUSD’s adopted academic content and performance standards. Students in this program develop academic competency in both English and Mandarin. Children acquire both languages naturally in the classroom setting as they participate in hands-on learning experiences that are directly related to the Cupertino Union School district standards. The Mandarin language arts curriculum starts with a phonetic written system called BoPoMoFo, then transitions to traditional Chinese characters. Students will be introduced to both Han Yu Pin Yin (phonetic system used in China) and simplified Chinese characters in upper elementary grades.

The Cupertino Union School District supports this program with teachers, facilities, and the English curriculum portion of the program. The district is also very active in seeking funding for this program through the solicitation of grants, endowments, and gifts. All aspects of the Mandarin portion of the curriculum have been financed by outside sources, primarily through grants and direct donations from the parents and supporters of the program. Funds raised have financed curriculum development, teacher development, teachers’ salaries for curriculum development time, and all Mandarin-specific classroom-teaching materials (books, posters, workbooks, writing materials, and instructional assistants). Other items funded by grants and by parents and supporters include Mandarin-specific classroom equipment such as PCs and related Mandarin software, and Chinese cultural and enrichment activities such as after school lion dance, percussion, and Chinese folk dance classes.

Today CLIP is referred to as a strand program (a program within a regular school). CLIP is made up of a series of sequential grades from K-7 with one, two, or three classes per grade within the larger school communities of Meyerholz Elementary School and Lawson Middle School. Children enrolled in CLIP are part of the larger school site communities. CLIP students use the same school facilities as the rest of the Meyerholz or Lawson students. CLIP students also participate alongside other Meyerholz and Lawson students in District and PTA-funded activities such as art, music, PE, computer courses, field trips, and assemblies. CLIP families participate with the PTA, school site councils, and fundraising for the school as a whole. Our classrooms benefit from the work of the local school PTA.