Community-Based Heritage Language Schools (CBHL)
Languages:
Urdu
Part of a larger non-profit organization
Indus Arts Council
Houston, Texas 77025
Learn the Urdu language anytime, anywhere, anyhow! Institute Background
IAC offers Urdu language classes to Children K – 12 at various locations in the Houston area and online nationwide. Courses are offered throughout the year. Classes run 60 to 90 minutes. Urdu is taught by qualified teachers who are proficient in the language and are trained in the ACTFL standards of language learning.
Our Curriculum
The Urdu language curriculum is updated every semester for the incoming proficiency level of students based on their age and prior exposure to the language. All students go through OPI (oral proficiency interview) after they register for the semester. Students are placed with groups ranging from K – 2nd grade, 3rd – 5th, and 6th – 8th grades, based on their OP evaluation.
Urdu curriculum covers conversation, reading, and writing of the language with constant student assessment to measure proficiency. Each lesson is designed to encourage participation and presentation at the end of the unit and often uses a visual aid to enhance student experience. IAC encourages community participation by inviting professionals as guests in student classes, who present their experiences around a topic in the Urdu language.
- Access
- Excellence
Improve Access for all learners in more languages
Programs available in your school
- Continuous program from grades Pre-K to 12 (novice to advanced)
Main reasons students attend your school
- To connect with their heritage in a meaningful way
- To gain literacy in the language, in addition to oral communication skills
- To communicate with relatives in the home country
- To communicate with relatives or others in the language community in the U.S.
- To learn and use a language that is not offered in high school
- To earn credits for high school or university studies in the U.S.
- To gain bilingual proficiency for future professional use
How does your school strive to provide incentives for students to enroll in the language programs?
- Community and/or parent outreach
- Credit transfer to K-12 schools
- Community functions (e.g. culture events, clubs, etc.)
- Business partnerships (hiring, discounts, etc?)
Types of instructional formats your school offer
- In-person
What are the main sources of financial support for your school
- Tuition
- Other grants
- Private donations from individuals
- Private donations from businesses
- Fundraising events
Does your school offer financial assistance to students?
No
Which of these common competing commitments faced by the learners most negatively impact student enrollment and/or attendance
Name
After-school activities in the mainstream schoo
Homework and other academic pursuits
Extra-curricular activities (sports, music, hobbies)
Religious obligations
Family obligations
Work
Field name
Attendance
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Enrollment
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Does your school provide information to parents and other stakeholders about essential school information?
Yes
Does your school communicate with the community at large about events and other information?
Yes
Excellence through transparency and accountability
Curriculum and instruction
- Curriculum and instruction that build on the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge that learners bring to the classroom
Outcomes
- A focus on measuring and supporting learning through the strategic use of data on learner performance (including but not limited to standardized U.S. tests and tests from the homeland)
Professional Development
- Recruitment of skilled educators and other personnel
- Provision of ongoing professional development for educators and other personnel
- Regular faculty meetings and opportunities to work in professional clusters
- Facilitation of and support for participation in specialty courses offered by universities, homeland consultants, HL experts, etc., if available
Vision, Strategic Planning, and Priorities
- A publicized vision statement and strategic plan to assemble the human, institutional, and financial resources of the school that support the goals of the school
Transparency, Accountability, and Outreach
- Professional and consistent engagement with the HL community and the larger community to recruit students and teachers and motivate parents and stakeholders to support and advance the aims of the CBHLS
Institution Information
Year School was Established
2012
Languages taught at your school
Urdu
Weekday Evening Classes
Number of weeks per year: 45
Number of hours per week: 8
After-school Classes
Number of weeks per year: 45
Number of hours per week: 8
Individual lessons or Individual tutoring
Number of weeks per year: 52
Number of hours per week: 8
Average Number of Students
500
Average Number of Teachers
20
Saturday or Sunday Classes
Number of weeks per year: 2
Number of hours per week: 45
Summer Classes
Number of weeks per year: 15
Number of hours per week: 90
Summer Camps
Number of weeks per year: 3
Number of hours per week: 90