EL Civics FAQs
What is EL Civics Civic Participation?
EL Civics Civic Participation is a grant which provides funding to ESL non-credit programs that empower students to
participate more actively in the community.
The state has approved 45 EL Civics Civic Participation Objectives for funding.
Whom do I contact if I want to teach an EL Civics module?
If you want to know more about teaching a Civic Participation module, contact Holly Stevens:
hollyandzach@sbcglobal.net or Kelli Crow:
kelcrow@sbcglobal.net.
If you want to know more about Citizenship
Preparation, contact Marcia Chan, mchan@ccsf.edu, 415-561-2803.
How long has the CCSF ESL Department participated in EL Civics Civic Participation?
City College of San Francisco has been receiving state funding from the EL (English Literacy) Civics grant for Civic
Participation since 2001.
How is EL Civics Civic Participation funding used?
EL Civics funding has helped the CCSF ESL Department pay for staff development, curriculum development and educational
equipment and supplies.
What EL Civics Civic Participation lessons are available at CCSF?
Teachers at CCSF have developed special teaching modules for 10 of the 45 state-approved Civic
Participation Objectives:
- Housing (objective #4) for beginning low level
- Cross-cultural understanding (objective #11) describing backgrounds from the local cross-for beginning high level
- Emergency Services (objective #15) for beginning low level
- Immigrant agencies (objective #19) for beginning high level
- Accessing cultural and recreational resources (objective #22) for beginning low level
- Library Resources (objective #23) for beginning low and intermediate high levels
- Medical Insurance (objective #29) for intermediate low and high levels
- Employment Information (objective #33) for beginning low/high and intermediate low/high levels
- Interpreting medical insurance coverage and medical service providers (objective #29) for intermediate low and high levels
- Identifying work-related safety standards and procedures (objective #36) at beginning high level
- Responding to questions about history and government (objective #40) at intermediate low/high levels.
How are EL Civics Civic Participation objectives chosen?
Periodic student interest surveys are conducted at all campuses to find out which objectives are of greatest interest to
students in general. Individual teachers also take written or oral surveys of their classes to determine which objectives
to teach. Click here to see sample Student Interest Surveys.
Which teachers at which campuses have developed EL Civics modules?
Teachers at all campuses have developed EL Civics modules:
at Alemany – Vivian Ikeda, Dean Karay, David Lisker and Curt Sanford
at Chinatown/North Beach – Agnes Chan, Tina Chin, Ruth Goode, Sara Jacobson, Sophia Manukova, Shirley Marks, Bob
Miller, Marianne Roth, Dorleen Tong and Lee Vogt
at Downtown – Big Qu Seeto; at John Adams – Vicky Holder
at Mission – Denise Jindrich, Rick Kappra, Ann MacAndrew, Ed Murray and Barbara Shaw.
How are teachers compensated for teaching and/or developing materials for EL Civics?
Teachers are paid non-instructional pay for developing and/or teaching Civic Participation modules. Because our funding
varies from year to year, compensation may also vary. Contact the EL Civics Civic Participation Facilitator, Sara Jacobson,
sjacobso@ccsf.edu, for current rates.
What are the responsibilities of an EL Civics Civic Participation teacher?
EL Civics Civic Participation teachers must
- consult with Holly Stevens: hollyandzach@sbcglobal.net
or Kelli Crow: kelcrow@sbcglobal.net before beginning
- survey students to determine which objectives meet their interests or needs (see samples of
Student Interest Surveys)
- have students bubble EL Civics (#13) of the TopsPro form on CASAS Pre-testing day
- teach a state-approved EL Civics objective (Civic Participation Objectives)
- administer a state-approved EL Civics assessment (see assessments in
EL Civics Modules)
- have students complete a simple alternative assessment form similar to the regular CASAS test.
- create a student list with EL Civics assessment scores.
- submit all above materials no later than one week before the end of this semester
- submit any newly developed materials within a week after the end of the semester.
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