ESOL Department
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Jerri Hunt, Director of ESL 704-630-6088 Fax: 704-638-3546 Rowan-Salisbury School System Salisbury, N C 28144
Welcome to the ESL Education Program's Web Page. Parents and students will be able to access pertinent school and community information.
************************************************** Rowan-Salisbury Schools ESL Program Overview
*********************** Program Philosophy The Rowan-Salisbury School System offers an educational program to meet the needs of students who are English Language Learners in grades K-12. This program addresses two areas: language acquisition and cultural adjustment. The goal of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program is to provide students with the opportunity to develop communication skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing, thereby enabling students to be successful within the academic mainstream classroom. North Carolina has adopted new English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards that are designed to address the needs of ESL students to become fully proficient in both social and academic English. These standards are aligned to the newly adopted English Language Proficiency test. The ELP standards will provide a framework for teaching English language learnersin grades K-12. The program will assist students through their cultural adjustment by helping them develop an understanding of American Culture. At the same time, students will be encouraged to share their cultural backgrounds and realize the importance of their role in a multicultural society. The involvement of ESL parents is strongly encouraged to provide support for English language learners. It is our belief, that parental support will impact student academic achievement. An ESL Parent Resource Center was established to provide parent training opportunities, educational instructional materials for use at home, and access to computer technology. A bilingual Parent Facilitator is available to assist parents during the regular school term and in the summer as needed.
ESL PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES The following procedures have been established to meet the federal, state and local requirements and to ensure consistent program operations that result in high student achievement.
PROGRAM PLACEMENT The U.S. Office for Civil Rights, as well as, North Carolina State Board of Education policy HSP-K000 (16NCAC 6D.0106) requires that a Home Language Survey (HLS) be administered to all students upon initial enrollment. The home language survey is used to determine if the student is a language minority student. If the answer to any question on the HLS is “other than English,” the student is considered a language minority student. It is the responsibility of the principal/designee to make sure that a home language survey be administered to all students K-12, regardless of the language spoken, at the time the student is registered or is enrolled in school. The NCWISE manager will provide the ESL teachers with a copy of the HLS and/or a copy of the 804 report indicating students whose parent answered “other than English.” The ESL teacher will meet with the new students to administer the state adopted English language proficiency test, which is currently the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT). This test is a screener and assesses the student’s English language ability in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The ESL teacher will check the student’s record for evidence of participation in a previous ESL program before administering the test. If the student has a recent W-APT or ACCESS score, the student will not have to be retested. Teachers should contact the ESL office if there is a question about testing a new student. Students who are identified as limited English proficient (LEP) are eligible for ESL program services and accommodations on the state test. Parents must be notified concerning their child’s test scores and participation in ESL. If a parent refuses ESL services, the student is still eligible for accommodations on the state test. Parents may not refuse testing to determine English language proficiency.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM SERVICES As mandated by law, public school student identified as Limited English Proficient (LEP) should be placed in instructional programs designed to assist them in becoming proficient in the English language and academic content subject matter. ESL students will receive daily English language instruction from an ESL. The daily ESL instruction varies according to the level of English language proficiency with the lowest level of English proficiency receiving the most intensive instruction. The goal of ESL instruction is the development of language proficiency through speaking, listening, reading and writing. The ESL curriculum is based on the NC WIDA English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards for ESL instruction. The ELP Standards provide a framework for instructing English language learners.
Standard 1 – English language learners communicate for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting Standard 2 – English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts Standard 3 – English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Mathematics Standard 4 – English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science Standard 5 – English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Social Studies
ESL teachers will utilize the adopted level text to support daily instruction of English language learners. The ESL textbooks by level are Avenues (Elementary), High Point (Middle School) and Shining Star (High School). A pacing guide has been developed for use with each level. The Pacing Guide includes information on the five (5) WIDA Standards, ELP proficiency levels, sample lesson plans and instructional strategies. The ESL and classroom teachers will determine the appropriate instructional modifications for each student. Modifications will be documented on the ESL Student Education Plan. Instructional models will vary from school to school and from class to class. The instructional model depends on the student’s proficiency levels, the number and distribution of students, staffing, and the school schedule.
The following models are used most often in Rowan-Salisbury Schools Pull-out (Elementary Schools) – The ESL teacher instructs students outside the regular classroom in an ESL classroom. Students may be pulled from the literacy block. When possible, avoid pulling students from math or physical education. Time allotted for pull-out varies. Entering students should be seen more frequently in the pull-out model Pull-out (Middle Schools) – ESL students are pulled from the exploratory rotation for ESL service. Inclass/Inclusion/Co-Teaching – The ESL teacher instructs students in the classroom. This may include co-teaching the whole class, instructing small groups of students, or modeling/guiding instruction for the classroom teacher. Secondary ESOL (ESL Elective) – ESL instruction is provided within the student’s regular class schedule. One or more class periods each day are designated as ESL. Classes may be arranged according to the student’s performance level. Transitional– The student is instructed in the regular classroom and indirect ESL instruction/support occurs through other specialists; such as, Exceptional Children teachers. ESL teachers will evaluate the progress of consultative students quarterly using the ESL Transitional Form.
GUIDELINES FOR SCHEDULING ESL CLASSES
DELIVERY OF SERVICES Types of Service Delivery The ESL teacher will serve students on a regular consistent schedule. ESL services may be delivered through pullout, ESL Elective (High School), or inclusion (co-teaching). In the pullout program the ESL teacher instructs students outside the general education classroom in an ESL classroom. The ESL teacher and classroom teacher decide on the best time to pull students for ESL instruction. Students may be pulled during the literacy block when they are assigned to centers or other independent work time. It is not recommended to pull students from math instruction. Scheduling Time allotted for pullout instruction varies and is based on individual student needs. As an example, a beginning student may spend a larger portion of the school day in ESL. Service delivery models in the middle and high schools vary according to the school’s scheduling philosophy. Some middle have ESL as part of the exploratory rotation and others implement a pullout model. In the exploratory model, a kind of pullout, the teacher may be responsible for giving the student a grade. At the high school level, ESL is an elective course. Students are assigned to the class on a semester basis. In some cases, lower proficiency students may take the ESL class for two semesters. High school teachers may have a consultative period for students who need services, but because of scheduling, are not assigned to ESL. Students who are assigned to the ESL class may also be served again during the consultative period. In the co-teaching model, both the ESL teacher and regular classroom teacher share equal responsibility and co-ownership of the classroom. Co-Teaching Model The ESL teacher teaches the entire class, as does the classroom teacher at regular intervals. (See detailed description of Co-teaching in Section 10, page 97.) The co-teaching model may be implemented at the elementary, middle or high school levels. Training for teachers should occur before implementing the co-teaching model. The school administrator and ESL teacher should be involved in assigning students to the ESL program. The ESL director and lead teacher will also have input in assigning students. When possible, students should be grouped according to proficiency levels in all program delivery models. (See Section 10, page 98 for the LEP approaches in North Carolina) School administrators and ESL teachers will be provided an ESL Eligibility list from the ESL office to assist with scheduling. Questions concerning the eligibility list should be expressed to the ESL secretary or Lead teacher.
TRANSITIONAL STUDENTS Some LEP students may be designated to be served using the transitional delivery model. These students have acquired enough language to remain in the mainstream classroom for instruction. The ESL teacher and classroom teacher must review and consider the students grades, language proficiency scores and other state tests such as, K-2 Assessment, EOG & EOCs before identifying a student as transitional. A Student Education Plan is to be completed for transitional student, jointly by the ESL and classroom teachers. The ESL lead teacher must approve transitional service for students. Transitional students are to be monitored quarterly, by the ESL teacher to ensure that the student is making academic progress and modifications are being used. If the student is failing in the mainstream classrooms and it is determined by the ESL and classroom teacher that the problem is language related the student can be assigned to the ESL program. The ESL teacher uses the ESL Transformational Form to document the student’s progress each quarter. This form and the Student Education Plan are to be placed in the student’s manilla ESL folder for reference. If the student’s status changes from transitional to served, the teacher will assign the student a red folder, indicating thestudent is receiving direct ESL services. Transitional students will be assessed annually with the state adopted English language proficiency test.
MONITORING EXITED STUDENTS As required by federal law, exited students will be monitoring for two years. The ESL teacher is responsible for providing the classroom teacher a list of exited students and the ESL Monitoring Checklist for Exited Students form. The classroom teacher will complete this form on exited students each semester. Exited students who are experiencing difficulty may be considered for ESL services if language assistance is needed to help the student achieve academically. The ESL teacher should also provide the classroom teacher strategies and materials to assist with the instruction of exited students who are experiencing difficulty. The monitoring forms should be returned to the ESL teacher at the end of the second semester. These forms are to be filed for future reference. STUDENT EDUCATION PLAN A Student Education Plan (SEP) will be developed for all limited English proficiency students including students who are consultative. The ESL and classroom teacher will jointly develop the SEP. The plan will identify the student’s instructional, environmental time, material modification, as well as, state testing accommodations. The SEP remains with the classroom teacher during the school year. The ESL and classroom teacher should review and revise the SEP on a regular basis. The SEP should be placed in the student’s red or manilla folder at the end of the school year.
EXIT CRITERIA LEP students must meet the Comprehensive Objective Composite (COC) as set by the state to exit ESL. The COC defines the attainment of English language proficiency by the student reaching an overall composite score of 4.8, with at least a 4.0 on the reading subtest and at least a 4.0 on the writing subtest on the state's annual English proficiency test.
CLASSROOM TEACHER SUPPORT
TESTING GUIDELINES All initially enrolled students whose Home Language Survey indicates another language “other than English” will be assessed with the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT) within the first thirty (30) days of enrollment. Limited English proficient (LEP) students will be assessed annually with the ACCESS Test to determine progress in learning the English language. The Department of Public Instruction sets the testing window for the ACCESS. The Director of Testing and Accountability and ESL Director will determine the testing schedule, procedures for dissemination of testing materials and provide training on the administration of the W-APT and ACCESS tests.
TESTING ACCOMODATIONS In accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), all students must participate in state assessments with or without state approved accommodations. The state approved testing accommodations must be routinely used during instruction and on similar classroom assessments that measure the same content. Students identified as limited English proficient (LEP) who score below level 5.0 Bridging on the reading subtest of the W-APT/ACCESS for ELLs (for all test except grade 10 writing) and below Level 5.0 Bridging on the writing subtest of the W-APT/ACCESS for ELLs (for grade 10 writing only)are eligible to receive accommodations.
RECORD KEEPING
ELIGIBILITY LISTS A central database of limited English proficient students will be maintained by the ESL Secretary. The ESL teacher will be provided an eligibility list for their school. The list is to be updated monthly by the ESL teacher and submitted to the ESL Secretary. An eligibility list will be provided to the school administrator to assist with scheduling ESL classes.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT ESL teachers are required to provide at a minimum two parent activities annually. Parent involvement activities should provide parents with information about ESL program services, school routines and training on how to support the education of their children at home. Teachers must submit their parent involvement activities to the ESL Parent Facilitator. The parent facilitator will assist teachers with planning their parent activities and with securing materials. A Parent Resource Center is available for parents to check out instructional materials for use at home. The center offers a variety of parent workshops throughout the year.
PROGRAM EVALUATION The ESL program will be evaluated annually by principals, teachers and parents to ensure program effectiveness. The ESL program is expected to meet the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) adopted by the State Board of Education as required by the No Child Left Behind Act. These AMAOs determine the school district’s progress in helping LEP students learn English and reading and math skills. ********************** In compliance with federal law, the Rowan-Salisbury School System administers all educational programs, emploment activities and admissions without discrimintion because of race, color, age, military service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law. |
