Curriculum

For Mandarin Immersion Programs there are no commercial textbooks or curricula developed by publishers and approved by the State Board of Education that are parallel to the English curriculum. Cupertino Union School District has developed its own Mandarin materials that are aligned with state standards and the English curriculum in social studies and other subjects.

All immersion teachers are required to work with the district director and parents to develop and refine the Mandarin curriculum. Some of the materials are adopted from the San Francisco Unified School District’s Cantonese Immersion Program. Teachers, parent volunteers, Dr. Ji Mei Chang, consultant, and Mary Jew, Director of Instruction Services, have been working to develop new materials and refine existing materials. Curriculum development will continue until materials are completed and refined for all grade levels. All units developed are integrated lessons, which take the whole child into consideration. Curriculum is being developed for the middle school program, grades 6-8.

The district has started to explore and expand the use of technology for Mandarin language and culture instruction in the classrooms. Language is culture and culture is language; they cannot be separated. The goal of the program is to have our students educated with a global vision, with an appreciation for all cultures and languages.

Your child will be exposed to the same State of California approved English curriculum as students in a regular program in Cupertino. Each year you will receive a plan describing exactly what your child will be expected to learn in both English and Mandarin for his or her grade level.