Rev 12/8/14

Page | 1

Regional School District #14

English Language Learners (ELL) Handbook

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 2

Table of Contents

Introduction p. 3

Legal requirements p. 5

Program models and service delivery for ELLs p. 8 Communication chain necessary to assure all requirements are met p. 9 English Language Acquisition Expectations p. 12 Suggestions and Resources p. 14

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 3

Introduction

Regional School District 14 fits the definition of a “low incidence” district for English Language Learners.

This means that:

Typically less than 20 students who are identified as ELL in a single grade, school, or the district

for the purposes of disaggregating a sub-group in state reporting

Insufficient number of students to require a bi-lingual program (less than 20 students who speak

the same native language)

ELL identified students come from a variety of native language backgrounds and are spread

across age and grade level groups

The district does not employ dedicated staff with TESOL/ESOL certification to design and deliver

instruction specifically designed for ELL students (staffing)

The district does not have sufficient enrollment to schedule ELL to a specific ESL class

(programming)

In spite of the low numbers and variable enrollment of students across grades and levels as well as

mobility issues, the district is obligated by state and federal laws to provide services to give students,

regardless of the English language proficiency, access to the district’s educational program. This

handbook will identify a process to assure that the district meets both its legal obligations and addresses

the needs of the students. It will also provide suggestions for resources that can be used by general

education teachers and student support specialists to provide appropriate educational services for these

students.

Variables Worth Considering Our English Language Learners arrive in our schools at various ages with varying educational backgrounds, some with limited or no prior formal schooling. Many of our middle school and high school students have missed 2 or more years of school since age 6. Many of our students have limited skills in their native language. Other students arrive with well-developed language and academic abilities. These variations in academic experiences result in different lengths of time needed for students to reach academic success. Key factors influencing the length of time needed for our students to learn English include the following: • Quality of previous education • Prior English learning experiences • Literacy of the family • Socioeconomic status • Mobility • Family displacement • Cultural isolation • Exposure to social unrest or war • Cultural differences between educational systems

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 4

The initial goal is to support students as they acquire functional, communicative English language skills.

As students gain in confidence and proficiency, the focus shifts to more complex academic language

skills. Students may continue to need support in their academics even after they possess the ability to

communicate with peers and staff fluently in English. Teachers need to pay special attention to:

Filling in gaps in background knowledge

Helping students to navigate the nuances of English grammar, slang, and multiple meanings of

words

Differentiating between difficulties in comprehension caused by language versus learning

disabilities

Providing students with strategies to tackle academic vocabulary necessary to master course

content

Recognizing and valuing the experiences and knowledge that students bring to the school

setting

Even after the time that students can be formally dismissed from EL status, many may continue to

require supports in the areas noted above, especially as the rigor of content increases and students are

expected to work more independently. School personal, though the SCT/Intervention process, should

consider the available instructional support and staff whose skill set closely aligns with student needs in

grammar, comprehension and vocabulary development. This may continue to be the Literacy Specialist

but may include the classroom teacher(s), special education resource teacher, literacy tutor, para or

other staff who can respond to the student’s need.

In some cases, students who are EL may also have learning disabilities that will impact the design of

their instructional program. Planning and Placement Teams are encouraged to include the Literacy

Specialist in the consideration and design of the IEP since the student is likely to continue to need

language proficiency support in grammar, comprehension and vocabulary in addition to interventions

specific to the learning disability. See the CAPELL Guide: CAPELL ELLs and Special Education

Resource Handbook (2011)

Educators and parents should be reminded that a student does not need to have an EL identification in

order to receive appropriate academic supports. Just like other students who may be struggling, the

student may be referred to SCT/Intervention to identify which, if any, Tier 1, 2 or 3 supports will benefit

student learning.

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 5

Legal Requirements

RSD 14 is bound by a number of specific legal requirements in reference to providing educational

services for ELLs.

Overall Legal Responsibility (by ESEA, NCLB, Title III) Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as reauthorized in 2001 (No Child Left Behind), provides for language instruction for Limited English Proficient (LEP) and immigrant students. Federal monies are provided to states (and, in turn, local education agencies or LEAs) for the education of these students. States and districts that accept this federal financial assistance must

identify, report, and annually assess their LEP students, also called English Language Learners (ELLs) and English Learners

demonstrate that ELL students o 1) make progress in attaining English language proficiency (from year to year,

culminating in meeting exit standards) o 2) attain English language proficiency (as measured by scoring a Level 4 or 5 on the LAS

Links assessment) o 3) are proficient in state academic achievement standards in math, reading or language

arts, and science (CMT/CAPT; SBAC?) (as measured by attaining the grade level benchmark on DRA2 for Grades K-2 or by scoring a 2 or better on CMT or CAPT Math, Reading and Writing)

These three accountability measures are referred to as the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) (Title III, Section 3122) and are calculated and reported by states and districts to the federal government and to parents and families at the local level (Section 3302b). Similar to the adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements under Title the AMAO requirements under Title III also have accountability sanctions for states and districts. Instruction According to the implications of Section 10-17e-j and the mandate stated in Section 10-4a of the Connecticut General Statutes, each child shall have “equal opportunity to receive a suitable program of educational experiences.” The Connecticut State Board of Education’s “Position Statement on the Education of Students Who Are English Language Learners” (adopted in July 2010) affirms this fact in its first paragraph: “Our state, districts and schools are mandated by the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Connecticut Bilingual Statute to ensure that ELLs receive specialized services to meet their language and academic needs.” Identification of ELL students Step I: Preliminary Assessment of Dominant Language

On enrollment, all parents/guardians should be asked the following: 1. What language did your child first learn to speak?

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 6

2. What is the primary language spoken (by the adults) in the home? 3. What is the primary language spoken by your child in the home?

If the answer to ANY of these questions is other than “English,” the student should be assessed to determine language proficiency level using the LAS Links Placement Test. This short version measures Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing at grade appropriate bands. Students who score below Level 5 for their grade band should be referred to SCT/Intervention team to consider necessary supports. Step II: Final Determination of Dominant Language

Conduct a grade-appropriate oral interview and/or observations of the student and/or administering a language proficiency test. The student’s dominant language is then entered into the district and state student information systems.

Step III: Determination of English Language Proficiency

1) an interview to determine proficiency 2) a standardized English language proficiency test 3) consideration of academic history/performance.

Step IV: Placement and Notification

In compliance with Title III requirements, parents of English Language Learners must be notified of their child’s identification as Limited English Proficient (LEP) or as an English Language Learner (ELL) and the student’s program options. Therefore, parent notification that provides the information listed below and the provision of a “language instruction education program” for the student must occur within 30 days after the beginning of the school year or within the first two weeks following a student’s enrollment if it occurs during the school year [NCLB Title III, Section 3302 (a) and (d)].

Connecticut districts are required to send parental notifications regarding programs and services: 1) following initial identification AND 2) by the start of each school year (in the fall) in order to notify parents of the continuation of the program/services for which they most recently gave permission/consent.

In compliance with Title III requirements (Section 3302b), notification also must be sent to parents of all ELL students following the district’s receipt of its Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) results IF the district failed to achieve the AMAOs. Annual Assessment All English Language Learners in Connecticut in kindergarten through Grade 12 must be identified, reported, and annually assessed on the LAS Links (the test designated by the CSDE to measure annual English language progress and proficiency). ELL students enrolled for the first time in a U.S. school who have attended for less than 12 calendar months may be exempt from the Reading and Writing portions of the state assessment during the first 12 calendar months of their enrollment, but they are required to take the Math and Science no matter the length of time that they have been enrolled in a U.S. school. Assessment for Exiting ELL Status and ELL Programs/Services To exit “English Language Learner” status and programs/services, ELL students in Connecticut are

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 7

required to take the LAS Links (to measure their English Language proficiency and ascertain that they have met the linguistic exit criteria). The state has eliminated the requirement for a separate academic or literacy assessment since the LAS Links Form C is more rigorous and aligned to grade level expectations, however the proficiency level needed to exit from EL status is Level 5. In compliance with Title III requirements, all English Language Learners must be identified within 30 days after the beginning of the school year or within the first two weeks following their enrollment if it occurs during the school year (NCLB Title III, Section 3302).

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 8

Program models and service delivery for ELLs Submersion (VIOLATES CIVIL RIGHTS) – also known as sink-or-swim. Students are placed in the all- English mainstream all day every day. Submersion provides no support/help with English, provides no specific or additional English Language Development instruction, requires no special teacher qualifications, and was deemed illegal under Lau v. Nichols. Use of a tutor who works outside the instructional day with little or no connection to the mainstream program only partially mitigates the issue Structured English Immersion – students are placed in the all-English mainstream all day every day. Mainstream teachers are trained in immersion or sheltered instruction techniques. Ideally, the subject matter is sheltered. Sheltered Immersion Classes and Content-based ESL/Instruction are sometimes classified as Structured Immersion, particularly when they are the only components/ programs available to ELLs (i.e., when they are not part of a continuum of programs/services available to ELLs according to their English proficiency levels and progress in attaining English proficiency). Students should have regular access to an educator who possess the appropriate experience, training or supervision to provide support in language acquisition, grammar, vocabulary and comprehension strategies. Sheltered Instruction (SI) – a program model in which both content instruction (knowledge and skills) and English Language Development (ELD) are goals within the mainstream classroom. The core grade level curriculum is used; there is no separate curriculum. Specific ESL/sheltered strategies are used by general education teachers in the regular classroom. Certified general education and content area teachers have training in Sheltered Instruction methodology. Both the content area standards and the ELD/ELL standards drive instruction. Students may also receive ESL pull-out/tutorial support at a specific time of day. For instance, new arrivals with little or no English will benefit from a combination of Sheltered Instruction and ESL support. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model is one model of Sheltered Instruction. Students should have regular access to an educator who possess the appropriate experience, training or supervision to provide support in language acquisition, grammar, vocabulary and comprehension strategies. All other models require specialized ESOL staff.

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 9

Communication chain necessary to assure all requirements are met The district does not employ dedicated staff to service the needs of our ELL students, consequently the responsibility for meeting all the legal and educational requirements associated with ELL students must fall to a number of people in a variety of roles. Ideally, there is consistency across all the schools in the district regarding procedures and roles. In some cases, it may be necessary or appropriate to deviate from the flow chart suggested below.

Role Responsibilities Expectations

Director of Instruction or Central Office designee

District point person Prepare and submit Title III grant Receive and share out communications with CSDE regarding ELL issues Collect data and submit necessary state reports Provide models or templates of forms Send parent notification/AMAO letters Provide school counselor or person responsible for maintaining Academic folder with a copy of letter that confirms ELL status (current or exit) Identify and provide instructional resources to support ELLs as well as assessment materials

Principal Or designee (varies by level: may be school counselor)

Enroll and identify ELL students Make the determination of dominant language through interview and/or observation If English is or may not be the dominant language (the student is not proficient in English), make the appropriate referrals for LAS Links testing By September 15, provide district point person with a list of ELL identified students enrolled in the school (for notifications)

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 10

Develop a daily schedule that allows ELL student to experience mainstream classes (Arts, PE, Math, etc.) based on background and proficiency Identify the ELL students to the SCT for possible services and/or monitoring

Literacy Specialists (or designee) Administer LAS Links to determine proficiency level *Note: assessment may be designated to some other school personnel with experience in administering LAS Links or other standardized test protocol

Initial assessment for student entering district within two weeks of enrolling (if new student) Annual assessment for all ELL identified students in Spring (students who enter after January 1 do not need to be retested) Report scores of new ELL students to school counselor or directly to SCT and report results of annual testing to district point person

Student Consultation Team Coordinate discussion or and determine services to provide appropriate programming for ELL student

Review available data on student language proficiency and academic needs Identify available resources in district to best meet needs Coordinate with staff regarding need for pull-out or supervised time for language acquisition Periodic check in on progress of ELL students, review level of supports

Student Support Personnel: Literacy Specialists, Literacy tutors, Special Education resource teachers, Speech and Language Pathologist, school counselor

Provide support and transitional services for ELL student

Identify and activate instructional tools that will assist in language acquisition (Rosetta Stone, online learning in native language, software, translator apps, identification of native speaker who can tutor, help student to develop English

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 11

*Note: roles may vary be school and by skill sets

word/picture flash cards) Push-in to mainstream English classes Pull –out for intervention or remediation in literacy skills Coordinate with classroom teachers to identify academic vocabulary that can be pre-taught Work on word attack and phonological awareness skills Offer social and emotional support for student through encouragement

Classroom teacher Provide ongoing instruction in content area

Understand the academic, social, and emotional needs of ELL students-if possible learn about sheltered instruction Differentiate, scaffold, or modify assignments as needed as much as possible Provide service providers with key academic vocabulary to pre-teach Seek out help from SCT and service providers for suggestions on making content accessible to ELL student

Possible flow chart:

Family establishes residency in the district

Family comes to school to enroll student

Principal/counselor makes ELL identification determination using 3 question interview

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 12

Enrollment person reports new student to district point at central office, literacy specialist or designee

notified if student needs testing, student schedule determined, student referred to SCT

SCT determines student needs and assigns to student support personnel

Student support personnel meet with student as indicated and with classroom teacher as needed to provide services

Periodic monitoring can be done through SCT

Student participates in state assessments in spring with modifications if necessary

Students participates in Spring LAS Links assessment (if entered before January of the current school year)

LAS Links score reported back to Central Office, eligibility for exit reviewed

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 13

English Language Acquisition Expectations Length of Time in the Program

Language Acquisition Stage/Level

Student Characteristics Expected Outcomes: Oral Language

Expected Outcomes: Literacy Development

0 to six months

Stage 1 Pre-production

Physical response only.

No speech production. Minimal comprehension.

Up to 500 receptive word Vocabulary comprehension indicated nonverbally

Produces no speech.

Indicates comprehension physically/non-verbally

Comprehends single words only.

Depends heavily on context.

Responds by pantomiming, pointing, gesturing, or drawing.

Says only yes, no, or single words.

At the emergent literacy level, students will:

Show phonemic awareness, decoding and word recognition

Understand concepts about print

Show oral comprehension of vocabulary and basic concepts

Understand the Alphabetic principle

Apply Print conventions: directionality, words/spaces, letters, beginnings/endings, punctuation

Recognize word families and rhyme patterns

Are able to grasp main ideas about books

Build on prior knowledge to negotiate meaning

Three to ten months

Stage 2 Early production

Very limited speech-- One or two word responses only

Disconnected speech.

Very limited listening comprehension.

Up to 1000 receptive/active word vocabulary.

Produces one or two words in isolation.

Verbalizes key words “heard”.

Depends heavily on context.

Responds with one/two word answers or in phrases.

Makes “errors of omission”.

Mispronounces words.

Ten to thirty months

Stage 3 Speech Emergence

Simple sentence responses.

Connected speech.

Fairly good comprehension.

Up to 3000 receptive/active word vocabulary.

Produces whole sentences.

Often makes some pronunciation and basic grammatical errors.

Discriminates smaller elements of speech.

Shows good comprehension (given rich context).

Uses language to function on a social level.

Uses limited vocabulary.

At the intermediate fluency level, students can:

Use semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cues

Use high frequency words

Use predictions and cross-checking

Increase ability to read independently

Use context to predict unfamiliar words

Increase knowledge of conventional spellings

Read independently from a variety of genre for different purposes

Write sentences using appropriate syntax

Skim and Scan for needed information

Summarize information

Make inferences and generalizations

Understand basic literary

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 14

elements

Write more analytically Thirty months +

Stage 4 Intermediate Fluency (Transitional)

More complex sentence responses.

Extended speech (discourse).

Increased comprehension.

Beyond 3000 receptive/active word vocabulary.

Produces whole narration.

Makes complex grammatical errors.

Hears some subtle elements of speech.

Shows good comprehension (given some context).

Functions somewhat on an academic level.

Uses expanded vocabulary.

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 15

Suggestions and Resources

These are some suggestions to assist content area teachers: • Title I compensatory education program assistance, reading teachers and specialists, paraprofessionals, speech and language therapists, etc. • Student “buddies” to help with the new surroundings, understanding new work, assignments, etc. Caution: be sure buddies want to help and do not overburden them, especially if the buddy can speak the ELL’s first language. • Technology which is relevant and effective. • Volunteers: parents, Literacy Volunteers, individuals from private sector, senior citizens, etc. • Qualified persons from technical assistance agencies: State Department of Education, ConnTESOL, Regional Education Assistance Centers, etc. • Connecticut School-Family-Community Partnerships through the CSDE. • Federal funding from the US Department of Education through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; in particular, Title I and Title III: Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students. The Connecticut Administrators of Programs for English Language Learners (CAPELL) offers many resources for educators working with ELL students

these are live links:

CAPELL SRBI for ELLs Handbook (2012)

CAPELL ELLs and Special Education Resource Handbook (2011)

CAPELL Resource Guides for Low-Incidence ELL Districts in CT (2010)

I. Instructional Practices II. Professional Development & Educator Supports

III. Family-School- Community Engagement

CAPELL Translation Resources & Services List (2008)

CAPELL ELL Transfer Form

CAPELL Guidelines for ELL Program Design (2003)

Rev 12/8/14

Page | 16

From the Connecticut State Department of Education

CT ELL Framework

CT ELL Framework (coded) Explanation of Coding

Administrative Resource Handbook for Coordinators of Programs for ELLs (CSDE & SERC)

LAS Links Alignment with CT Standards (CTB)