Mission Statement:
We strive to provide a culturally supportive environment in which all English Language Learners have the opportunity to acquire social and academic English competencies across all content areas. Students are encouraged to maintain their first language and culture while improving their English to become fully proficient and successful participants within the school and local community.
District Goals:
1. Maintain an ELL certified coordinator to specifically work with ELL students.
2. Provide continued training and networking for the ELL coordinator through CESA 6.
3. Assist ELL students in acquiring English language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
4. Emphasize understanding of the academic vocabulary across all content areas.
5. Promote multiculturalism and tolerance
6. Support best practices for teaching ELLs in the mainstream classroom.
7. Use the ACCESS test as well as student’s grades to document progress in acquiring the English language.
8. Keep ELL families informed and involved in their child’s progress.
Identifying ELL students new to an ELL program:
1. During registration, parents fill out the Home Language survey, which asks questions to find out if their child has any experience at home with another language.
2. If there is another language spoken at home, then the survey is sent to the ELL coordinator.
3. The ELL coordinator contacts the parents to make a decision with them if the screener should be given based on the language survey and previous history of grades.
4. If they decide it is best to do the screener then the coordinator gives the WIDA ACCESS PLACEMENT TEST to get a proficiency level, which is between 1-6, where a student who scores a 6 would not need ELL services.
5. The proficiency score guides instructional practice and is needed for ordering the correct ACCESS test which tests yearly progress.
6. Parents will fill out a form to give permission for their child to be included in the program or to refuse services if they wish.
ELL students who already were in an ELL program:
1. If a current ACCESS score exist from the previous program, then the ELL coordinator will develop a plan to best serve that student. To make this decision, the ELL coordinator will speak with the student’s previous teacher, current teacher, and parents.
Services ELL students qualify for include, but are not limited to:
1. Working with the ELL Coordinator one on one at least once a week.
2. Inclusionary support given by the ELL coordinator in the mainstream classroom setting.
3. Content area tutoring given by the ELL coordinator in the ELL room, typically given during the student’s study hall.
4. Modified assignments and tests/extra time
5. More visuals
6. Tests read and key words explained aloud
7. Important academic vocabulary explained before lesson
8. Preview of lesson given in native language
Services ELL parents qualify for include, but are not limited to:
1. Access to ELL coordinators personal cell phone number to contact with any questions or information they need to tell the school
2. Interpreter during conferences
3. Written reports in their native language
4. Translated documents and forms
5. Educational Information and work packets for students in native language sent home
Yearly Testing: Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State
1. All ELL students are given the yearly ACCESS test during December/January.
2. This ACCESS test measures a student’s English proficiency socially and academically across all 4 language domains
3. ELL students with disabilities are given the Alternative ACCESS test.
Exiting Procedures
1. When scores are returned from the ACCESS test in April, any student who has an overall score of a 5 and also at least a score of a 5 in literacy is eligible for exiting the ELL program.
2. This student also needs to have acceptable grades in all classes and other documentation to show he or she no longer needs services.
3. This exited student will be monitored for 2 years following his or her exit and if needed the student can be readmitted into the ELL program.
4. Parental consent is requested.
Reclassifying Procedures
1. If a student scores a 6 on the ACCESS test, which means they are automatically exited, but the ELL coordinator does not feel the student is ready to exit the program; the coordinator will first find supporting documentation.
2. The coordinator will also manually change the student’s score from a 6 to a 5.9 so that the student can still receive services.
3. The student will be retested and reevaluated the following year.
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