ESL Program NEWSLETTER
English as a Second Language ~ September 2021
TOPICS
- New ESL Program Coordinator and ESL Program Members
- Process to Identify an English Learner and ESL Service Delivery
- Ellevation
- Ellevation Strategies of the Month
- Progress Monitoring of English Learners
- English Learner's Plan (EL Plan)
- Walkthroughs
- Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)
- WIDA English Language Development Standards
- Hispanic Heritage Month
Meet the New ESL Coordinator
Welcome to Granville County Public Schools!
IDENTIFYING AN ENGLISH LEARNER
Process to Identify an English Learner and Service Delivery
Identification Process
- The parent or legal guardian completes the Home Language Survey (HLS) during enrollment.
- The data manager sends the HLS to the ESL Program Coordinator - Mrs. Henrietta Vázquez
- Each HLS question is reviewed to verify if there is another language other than English used by the student.
- The student is screened with the WIDA Online Screener for students in grades 1-12.
- The WIDA W-APT is used to screen Kindergarten students only. (Listening and Speaking are the only domains assessed when the student enrolls in the first semester. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing domains are assessed if the student enrolls in the second semester).
- If the student is eligible to receive ESL services, the ESL teacher will develop an EL Plan and share it with the General Education teacher, the administrators, and the parents. Signatures are required.
ESL Service Delivery
- The student will receive ESL services as established in the Language Instruction Educational Plan (LIEP) proposed to NCDPI.
- The levels of service delivery are comprehensive, supportive and transitional language services.
- Each language service category has a criteria to follow in order to provide specific times of ESL service delivery each week.
General Education Service Delivery
- General Educators will follow the recommendations provided in the EL Plan for the English learners assigned in their classes.
- The General Educator and the ESL Specialist should communicate often to monitor the English learner's progress in content areas and determine if the EL Plan needs adjustments.
ELLEVATION
- Demographics (includes years in US schools)
- Student Schedule
- WIDA Assessments' Results
- Can Do Descriptors
- EL Services
- Test Accommodations
- Classroom Modifications
- Goals
- Monitoring Forms
- Notes
In addition to the demographics and individual data per student, the platform offers a plethora of strategies that have been collected from research-based and proven to work with English learners. These strategies are not new for many educators. Some have been updated with a new name but with the explanation on how to use each one in detail. Many have a graphic organizer or a tool that assists students to dissect the complexity of a text and make it easier to understand and to process the information to be learned. There are videos to see the strategy in action in classrooms.
The amazing thing is that these strategies are collected in one location and are suggested per child based on their English language proficiency and ability. Ellevation offers suggestions to use them, but you could be as creative as you want to be with the tools provided.
Be curious, adventurous and engage in a new discovery with Ellevation. Your students will appreciate it!
How to Access Ellevation
STEPS TO ACCESS ELLEVATION
- Login into https://login.ellevationeducation.com/ with your credentials
- Click on "Instruction"
- Choose among the following categories:
- Collections by Content Area
- Activities by Language Practice
- My Activities
- Browse Activities
- Framework Overview
ELLEVATION STRATEGIES OF THE MONTH
Addressing Interrupted Learning in Primary Grades
Addressing Interrupted Learning in Upper Elementary
Addressing Interrupted Learning in Middle School
Addressing Interrupted Learning in High School
PROGRESS MONITORING OF ENGLISH LEARNERS
PROGRESS MONITORING FORMS
The due dates to complete the three forms are:
- October 11, 2021
- December 13, 2021
- February 28, 2022
- May 23, 2022
1. Progress Monitoring Form for ELs who Exited the ESL Program
- Any student who exited the ESL Program must be monitored for four consecutive years.
- This form will be completed by the General Education teacher on any student in their class that exited the ESL Program. The teacher will receive an email days ahead of the due date to complete the form.
- This form will provide feedback to the ESL teacher.
- If there are concerns from the General Education teacher, a meeting should be scheduled with the ESL teacher prior to progress reports or report cards.
2. Progress Monitoring Form for Active English Learners in the ESL Program
- Any student who is identified as an active English learner
- This form will be completed by the General Education teacher that has English learners in their class. The teacher will receive an email days ahead of the due date to complete the form.
- The ESL teacher will review the form to determine if there is a concern from the classroom teacher.
- If there are concerns, a meeting should be scheduled between the General Ed teacher and the ESL teacher prior to progress reports or report cards.
3. Progress Monitoring Form from the ESL Program Teacher
- The ESL teacher will complete this form to provide feedback in regards to the English learner progress based on the ESL service delivery.
ENGLISH LEARNER'S PLAN (EL PLAN)
This document has enough information for each individual student to assist the General Ed. teacher to provide appropriate classroom modifications and testing accommodations practice in order for the child to be academically successful. In addition, the EL Plan offers information about the goals and can do descriptors that would assist teachers to learn the level of English language proficiency that the child has and where he or she needs to move in order to continue progressing in regards to English language acquisition and development.
This is a living document that might have adjustments to classroom modifications throughout the school year.
STUDENTS WITH LIMITED OR INTERRUPTED FORMAL EDUCATION (SLIFE)
Who are SLIFE Students?
"Students in this category are generally newcomers to the United States who have interrupted, minimal, or no formal education from their native country. Circumstances such as war, natural disaster, poverty, political turmoil, and lack of transportation/resources can contribute to students' limited educational experiences.
The majority of SIFE, students are enrolled in grades 6-12 and are faced with increasingly challenging academic content and standardized testing requirements. They need broader orientation into our public school systems, procedures, and basic learning and study skills.
These students depend upon the classroom teacher, the school community, and the community outside of the school walls to facilitate their orientation and integration into their new learning environment.
Since students who are SIFE students often lack basic reading and writing skills in their native languages, teacher need to be prepared to teach language, in addition to content, to maximize English language development."
Resource:
Salva, C. (2017). Boosting achievement: Reaching students with interrupted or minimal
education. Seidlitz Education, Irving, TX. pp. 12-13.
How Do I Welcome My Newly-Arrived Students that are SLIFE?
Carol Salva recommends:
- Provide a warm and welcoming environment in the classroom
- Provide support to enhance their first experiences as a student and facilitate learning.
- Wear a pleasant expression as a "default" with a genuine smile
- Introduce yourself to the student and then introduce the child to the class
- Do not ask the student to share anything if he or she does not feel ready to talk yet.
- Provide a friendly, non-critical approach
Classroom Environment
- Remember that for many SLIFE students, your classroom is their first experience in school.
- Consider how would you like to be welcomed and what would you like to see if you were in the student's situation.
- Cooperative groupings may be a proper way to encourage conversations between students.
- Use targeted peer assistance to the SLIFE student for immediate understanding of instructions or tasks. (Word of caution: Keep in mind that students who provide this support are students first; they are not teachers.)
- Have colorful posters on the wall, visuals, environmental print, information posted regarding daily assignments, a model of what is expected, objectives of the current lesson
- Label the classroom and the school in multiple languages.
- Norms and expectations should be posted.
- Provide a classroom tour as soon as possible.
- Have a map of the school available for the student to familiarize himself or herself with the building.
Teacher
- Be a culturally responsive teacher
- Emphasize to the class that the classroom and the school is a place to feel safe in practicing language structures, asking for assistance, and interacting with others. (Other students should never make fun of a child that is learning a new language)
- Value the student's primary language and culture.
- Pronounce the student's name the way that it is done at his or her home. Do not "Americanize" the child's name.
- Allow the student to use his or her native language normally to help one another. This will allow the student to feel comfortable to interact socially in group work, to make connections between (L1) the first language and the (L2) the target language, respect one another's cultural norms, and check comprehension.
- Honor culture and heritage learning in thematic units for your content area.
You can always contact the ESL teacher that serves your school or a member of the ESL Leadership Team to assist with this matter.
WALKTHROUGHS
The visits will happen throughout the school year.
WIDA ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Contact Information:
- 984-514-0047 (mobile device)
- marini@gcs.k12.nc.us (e-mail address)
- IT ext. 131009
You can find the standards in the WIDA webpage at: https://wida.wisc.edu/teach/standards/eld
CELEBRATE!!!!
We, as a district, need to open that door for the Spanish speaking families in our schools!
Ivelisse Rosario de Marín
Granville County Public Schools
ESL Program Instructional FacilitatorEmail: marini@gcs.k12.nc.us
Location: Creedmoor Elementary School, East Wilton Avenue, Creedmoor, NC, USA
Phone: 984-514-0047