Puerto Rico - Immigr8

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Puerto Rico/U.S. Curriculum Translation

Grade	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
Mathematics Matemáticas MATE			Algebra 1	Algebra 1	Geometry	Advanced Math
Science Order may vary Ciencias CIEN			Earth Space Science Cien Terres Espacio	Biology Biología	Chemistry Química	Physics Física
Social Studies Estudios Sociales ESSO			World History Mundo en Contexto	History of Puerto Rico PR Contempo Consider: SPTSS	U.S. History E.U. Ame. Form. Des. Tra.	Economics/ Government Economía/ Gobierno
Spanish Español ESPA		*Spanish 2	Spanish 2 or 3	Spanish 2 or 3	Consider: Placement in AP	Consider: Placement in AP
English (Foreign Language) Ingles INGL	English 7	English 8	Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar, Syntax Consider: English 1	Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar, Syntax Consider: English 2	Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar, Syntax Consider: English 3	Speaking, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar, Syntax Consider: English 4
**English Ingles INGL			Advanced Conversational English Ing. Conver. Avanz. Consider: Speech	Conversational English Ing. Conver. Consider: Reading 1
Spanish Literature ESPA			Cinema Literature Myths & Legends Cine Y Literatura Mitos y Leyendas	Contemporary Literature Cont. Lit. Tiempo	Puerto Rican Urban Literature Poetry Lit Exilo urbana PR Poesía	American Literature Literatura Americano
Fine Arts MUSI ARTE			Art/Music Arte/Música	Art/Music Arte/Música	Art/Music Arte/Música	Art/Music Arte/Música
P.E. Educación Física EDFI			P.E.	P.E.	P.E.	P.E.
Health Salud SAES				Health	Health	Health

*Should have had consistent schooling with minimal gaps in education

**English as a foreign language is sparsely available. Instruction is extremely basic.

Puerto Rico Education System

School Year: August to June | Compulsory Education: 1st-12th | Graduation: 1st – 12th

School	School Type	Grade	Age	Certificate
Primary School	Urban Education – traditional schooling with academic focus Rural Education – vocational based	1st-6th	6 to 11 years old
Intermediate School Lower Secondary or Junior High		7th-9th	11 to 13 years old
High School Upper Secondary		10th-12th	14 to 18 years old	High School Diploma achieved after completion of 12th grade

Puerto Rico/U.S. Grading Scale

Puerto Rico Scale 1	U.S. Equivalent	U.S. Numerical Grade
A	A	95
B	B	85
C	C	75
D	D / Pass	70
F	F	69

Puerto Rico Transition Supports

Puerto Rico Education Practice:

Puerto Rico and the U.S. follow similar education practices and mandates. These similarities include compulsory education from age 5 to 18 and enforcing the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). The dominant language of public education is Spanish; however, all levels are required to take English as a Second Language. You will find varying English abilities amongst students that directly relates to the quality and amount of English instruction received. Do not assume all students will have command of the English language similar to U.S. natives (Marks 2020l).

High school students from Puerto Rico are used to a rigid academic schedule with few electives. Generally, students stay with the same group of peers throughout the day. Students from Puerto Rico may need additional support in practicing and understanding common U.S. concepts like switching classes. It would be best practice to partner students from Puerto Rico with a peer as they learn their schedule and become more familiar with U.S. educational practices (Marks 2020l).

U.S. Educator Implications:

Although there are many similarities between the U.S. and Puerto Rican systems, it is imperative that we do not assume all aspects align. Being taught English is only as effective as the strength of the English teachers in Puerto Rico. Those who attend private schools tend to have a stronger grasp of the English language, although all students do receive English exposure and certain courses are taught in English from primary school. It will be important for U.S. educators to educate Puerto Rican students about U.S. norms and practices that may be different from their previous experience.

Strategies for Transition

Get to know your students by building positive relationships.
Provide multicultural education where texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives represent people from different cultural backgrounds.
Allow a reasonable amount of transition time.
A high percentage of Puerto Ricans are literate in their native language of Spanish; therefore, educators should not assume families cannot support their children in the area of literature. The key will be to supply resources in Spanish and English so that families are able to interact and support their student.
Transportation may be a challenge for families who have recently arrived to the United States. Providing multiple modes of communication will assist students and families as they continue to transition and work through their barriers.
Puerto Rican families prioritize privacy, especially as it pertains to issues that may arise at school. Although they may not directly show shame or embarrassment, this type of negative experience may impact their willingness to work with school personnel later.
Educators should take into consideration their own gestures and tone when addressing issues with families from Puerto Rico. There is a delicate balance between maintaining strong professional boundaries and being perceived as rude or aggressive. Frequent positive interaction will help deflect times when more serious conversations must be held.
Puerto Ricans come from a polychronic culture where there is a very different view regarding time. Individuals from this culture believe that time is flexible; therefore, tardiness may be an issue as the student acclimates into a monochronic culture like the U.S. Frequent reminders and discussions regarding the importance of punctuality should be addressed often, in a respectful and solution-focused manner (Marks 2020l).

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