Building a better future for CA students

California world language educators, welcome to Vista Higher Learning (VHL)—your partner in language education. Explore below to access the highest-quality integrated print and digital solutions for all language learners—from those learning a new language to those improving a second language or perfecting their native language.

California K–12 catalog

Explore Vista Higher Learning’s Spanish, French, German, Italian and Chinese world language programs. We offer a complete sequence of study, from transitional kindergarten through college ... and beyond.

Elementary: Spanish as a World Language and Spanish Language Arts

Secondary: Spanish, French, German, Italian and Chinese

There's no better time than now to learn more about the only online learning environment created specifically for language instruction. Don’t take our word for it—the proof is in the numbers. In the past year alone, we’ve had over 1.3 million students enrolled in 40,000 classes at 6,000 schools.

In addition to our own Learning Management System (LMS), hosted on vhlcentral.com and developed specifically for language learning, we offer students and teachers multiple ways to access our content, including rostering, single sign-on solutions, and LMS integration.

VHL in California

Hundreds of schools across California are using Vista Higher Learning materials in their world language classrooms. See who is using what:

Happy customers make all the difference! Read what some of our California users are saying about Vista Higher Learning and our language-learning solutions.

The California way

California students have a bright future ahead of them, and as the leading K–12 language publisher in the United States, Vista Higher Learning is prepared to help you make it a reality.

This exclusive series of webinars has been developed specifically for California language educators. We hope you will join us and our amazing presenters in our efforts to ensure that you have the tools you need to continue building a future where bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural students are the new norm.

All Vista Higher Learning programs are built with California educators and students in mind. See how our language learning solutions align with the state’s new world language standards.

It’s not your parents’ classroom anymore. See how instructional approaches have evolved over the past twenty years ... and how VHL’s programs have evolved with them.

Vista Higher Learning is meeting the needs of California’s world language students today ... and into the future. Find out more about our commitment to helping California build a better future for bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural students.

FAQs

Pedagogy and Approach

What makes the CA editions of Encuentros and Senderos unique compared to other Spanish programs?

Both Encuentros and Senderos were written in alignment with the new 2019 California World Language (WL) Standards, and references to the WL Standards and the Social Content Standards are found throughout each unit in the teacher editions. Correlations to the WL Standards are also found in the Resources section of the digital sites (vhlcentral.com).

Each program also contains twelve pages of cultural information—Las raíces de California and California hoy—which highlight the rich history of Hispanic culture in California. Accompanying activities are found online (vhlcentral.com) for both programs.

What differentiates the two programs from each other?

See the differences between Senderos California and Encuentros California.

I am familiar with the Descubre program. Does it also have a California edition?

The Descubre program does not have a California edition. If the pacing of Descubre aligns better with your curriculum, we would be happy to give you the California-specific resources from the Senderos program to use with your students.

My district is moving away from grammar instruction. Where will I see comprehensible input in Encuentros and Senderos?

In Encuentros CA, the VideoMundo, Un chin de…, Todo junto, Lectura selections, and Integrated Performance Assessments are examples of comprehensible input. In addition, each lesson and mini lesson starts with a storyline supported by images and audio to help students understand the essence of the readings.

In Senderos CA, the Fotonovela, En pantalla, Flash cultura, Integrated Performance Assessments, and various authentic readings expose students to comprehensible input in the target language. In each of these sections, students will be able to understand most, but not all, of the language input.

Both programs also offer the News and Cultural Updates, which provide access to a variety of carefully curated, thematically based authentic texts, including audio and audio-visual. Selections are added every month, so new resources are always available and you always have access to all past resources. Each piece of authentic media is accompanied by a variety of activities that are tagged by proficiency level.

How do Encuentros and Senderos support heritage learners, at-promise students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities?

Inclusivity is at the heart of each program, and the Encuentros and Senderos teacher editions provide a plethora of annotations to guide you in supporting these specific student groups.

How do the programs support SEL?

SEL-specific annotations throughout both the Encuentros and Senderos CA teacher editions provide educators with suggestions for creating an inclusive classroom with an intentional focus on students’ well-being.

How are Senderos and Encuentros tied to the AP® themes?

References to the AP® Themes and Contexts and the eight AP® Spanish Language and Culture skills are found throughout both programs.

Technology and Professional Development

What is the name of the platform that accompanies Encuentros and Senderos?

vhlcentral.com—or the “Supersite”—is the only online learning environment created specifically for language acquisition. It was developed based on input from thousands of students and educators, and it makes teaching easier for you and language learning more successful for your students. Approximately two million students and more than 12,000 educators use the Supersite every school year.  

On which devices is the Supersite accessible?

The Supersite is accessible on any device with one of the following operating systems: Windows, MacOS, Android, ChromeOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

Is there a gradebook on the Supersite?

You will find a powerful all-in-one gradebook on the Supersite, with course management tools such as data analytics and the ability to add your own content.

What type of communication tools are available on the Supersite?

The Supersite offers a variety of communication tools to give students speaking practice outside of the classroom environment. You will find synchronous Partner Chat activities, asynchronous Virtual Chat activities, a live chat feature, and forums for class announcements and discussion.

Can I use the Supersite for fully remote teaching?

Yes, the Supersite can be used in a remote environment.

Can I modify the assessments in the Supersite?

Yes. You can edit any assessment content in the Supersite and you can also leverage any existing quiz, test, or exam content from any lesson within the same program to create new quizzes and tests. For the Senderos CA and Descubre programs, you can also quickly create or edit assessments by creating content from new, Vista-provided question banks. These question banks will provide thousands of new questions per program for use in any assessment.

Do you have placement tests available?

Any of the online assessments can be used as placement tests to best determine students’ appropriate level.

What type of rostering and integrations do you offer?

Roster data integrations include Clever and Roster Assistant. Learning management system (LMS) and student information system (SIS) integrations include Schoology, Canvas, Blackboard, Gradelink, Desire2Learn, Alma SIS, Classlink, QuickSchools, PowerSchool, Adminstrator’s Plus, and Skyward. Teachers can also share content via Google Classroom. Single sign-on integrations include ClassLink, Clever, Google SSO, and SAML.

What type of professional development does Vista offer upon adoption?

In addition to the training and professional development that we offer upon adopting our programs, we offer a wide variety of professional development webinars created by language educators for language educators. You can access all of our previously recorded sessions here.

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