Linking Instructional Intervention and Professional Development: Usingthe Ideas behind Puente High School English to Inform Educational Policy

Abstract

After a review of theory supporting literacy education that incorporates the existing cultural capital of previously underserved students, this article outlines the discipline rationale behind Puente’s approach to the 9th and 10th grade English curriculum. This English program for Mexican American/ Latino students, which works in tandemwith the counseling and mentoring strands of the High School Puente Project, employs literary works and writing assignments that connect directly to the lived experience of the students. It also attempts to enact a process approach to the teaching of writing and includes portfolio assessments. Crucially, this secondary school intervention begins with a carefully designed plan to train participating teachers and continues supporting themwith teaching materials and strategies. Taken together, the features of Puente English support educational policy initiatives that link staff development with curriculum and teaching methods designed to build on students’cultural background and prior experience.