CHAMORRO STUDIES & SPECIAL PROJECTS DIVISION
Guam Public School System
P.O. Box DE, Hagatna, Guam  96932
Tel: 475-0648/50/56 Fax: 477-6284

VISION    

Chamorro is a dynamic and living language of communication; it is perpetuated, promoted and protected to ensure its continued survival and usage.

MISSION

The main mission of the Chamorro Studies and Special Projects (CSSP) Division of the Department of Education is to provide and implement educational programs that will revive and maintain the language and culture of the indigenous people of Guam.

PUBLIC LAWS and BOARD POLICY

Public Laws 21-34, 14-53, and 15-9 mandate Chamorro language instruction to all students in grades K-5; P.L. 21-34 mandates all secondary students to take a one-year course in Chamorro language instruction at the middle school and a one-year course in Chamorro language instruction at the high school.

Public Law 12-31 authorized the establishment of a Chamorro-English Bilingual-Bicultural Education Program.

Board Policy 346 directs instructional time for Chamorro language instruction at the elementary level: 100 minutes per week for students in grades K-3, and 150 minutes per week for students in grades 4 and 5.

I finayen i Chamoru-ta ayu ha' para irensian i famagu'on-ta.
FINO' CHAMORU KADA DIHA!

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMS

Programs within the CSSP Division include the Chamorro Language and Culture Program (CLCP) (K-5), the Chamorro Mandate Program Secondary (CHAMPS), and the Bilingual-Bicultural Education Program (BBEP). All are locally funded programs.

*CHAMORU LANGUAGE AND CULTURE PROGRAM (CLCP) (K-5) All elementary school students are provided Chamorro language and culture instruction daily, twenty (20) minutes in grades K-3 and thirty (30) minutes in grades 4-5. There are ninety-six CLCP teachers at the elementary level.

*CHAMORU MANDATE PROGRAM- SECONDARY (CHAMPS) All secondary school students must take a one-credit course in Chamorro language instruction at the middle school and a one-credit course in Chamorro language instruction at the high school.

*BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (BBEP) Elementary and secondary classroom teachers opt to extend Chamorro language instruction into the content areas and their classroom management. Students are taught these lessons totally in Chamorro or through bilingual techniques. Participating BBEP teachers volunteer to be in the program and may be additionally certified with either Chamorro or Bilingual/ESL.  The program proposes to meet the educational, linguistic and cultural needs of the Chamorro-English speaking students particularly through enhancing the educational achievement;  providing an instructional program to improve students' English language skills and Chamorro language skills;  developing cultural awareness and building the children's postive self-concept and self-identity.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS     Chamorro is the language of instruction. Instructional methods used by teachers include utilizing the Natural Approach for language acquisition, Total Physical Response, Language Experience Approach, Notional- Functional Approach, and other language methods.

CURRICULUM & MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT     Office staff, with the assistance of the graphic artist and aides and with input from program teachers, design and develop the content and performance curriculum standards for each grade and develop for printing numerous Chamorro instructional materials for teacher and student use. These include teacher resource materials, student activity books and readers, posters and other visual aides, the Fino' Chamorro Column, and other materials all based on the developed curriculum.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT TRAINING     Office staff provide or coordinate with other educational agencies all pre-service and in-service training activities for all instructional staff. They also assist school administrators in the evaluation of program teachers as requested.
    The Chamorro Teaching Degree Institute (CTDI) at the University of Guam was set up for Chamorro language and culture teachers and Bilingual-Bicultural Education Program aides to attain a BA degree in Elementary or Secondary Education with specialization in Chamorro.  Approximately, seventy-two percent of the total Chamoru language teachers are actively enrolled in the program on an annual basis.

PARENT and COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT     Parents are provided the opportunities to be involved with the various programs of the division. They are encouraged to join the parent advisory committee, IMMECHA (Inetnon Mañaina Ma'estra/ro gi Estudion Chamoru). Through IMMECHA meetings and yearly parent conferences and workshops, parents are informed of program activities, are provided training in Chamorro language instruction, and are involved in reviewing instructional materials and newly proposed grants.  Also, office personnel write the Fino' Chamoru articles printed in the comic section  Pacific Daily News from Monday through Saturday.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF

RONALD T. LAGUANA, ACTING ADMINISTRATOR
School Program Consultants RONALD T. LAGUANA ANTONIA D. CASTRO	Secretary Typist II JOLEEN M.T. BERNARDO VERONICA T. GUERRERO
Graphic Artist III FRANK A. PEREZ	Resource Teachers
Community Program Aides LOURDES M. CEPEDA MAGDALENA A. DUENAS

 Links

Chief Hurao Speech

Chamoru Language Mandate

Chamoru Songs and Hymns (PDF)

University of Guam Catalog requirement  2005-2006  (PDF)

Yamashita Edu Corp. Chamorro Language Requirment (PDF)