| English as a Second Language Download printable version of manual Macon County Schools serves an increasing number of national-origin minority students. This population has grown from just eleven students five years ago to over 60 today who do not claim English as their native language. These students represent many different languages such as Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and others. The program is coordinated at the central office level and offers two full time ESL teachers who work to help students, parents, and regular classroom teachers in meeting students’ educational needs. What is ESL? ESL is a program of techniques, methodology and special curriculum designed to teach LEP students English language skills, which may include listening, speaking, reading, writing, study skills, content vocabulary, and cultural orientation. What is LEP? LEP stands for Limited English Proficient.
It identifies a national-origin minority student who is Limited English
Proficient. There are many levels of proficiency: Novice Low, Novice
High, Intermediate Low, Intermediate High, Advanced and Superior. Proficiency
refers to the degree to which the student exhibits control over the use
of language. Proficiency in a language is judged independently and does
not imply a lack of proficiency in another language. For the North Carolina
Public Schools, Limited English Proficiency (LEP) student refers to any
student whose primary language is other than English and who is insufficiently
proficient in the English language to receive instruction exclusively
from regular educational programs and function on an academic par with
his/her peers. Procedure for Identifying LEP StudentStep One: Initial Identification of Language Minority Students The home (primary) language survey is the screening tool used to determine if a student is a language minority student. It is the responsibility of the principal to make sure that a home (primary) language survey be administered to all students K-12, regardless of the language they speak, at the time they are registered or are enrolled in school. The home language survey used by Macon County Schools is in the appendix of this document. Completed copies of the survey are to be filed in every student's cumulative record. In some cases the student's parent(s) may have limited proficiency in English and it may be best to administer this survey in person in order to ensure that the parent understands the questions. If the answer to all four questions on the home (primary) language survey is English: the student should be considered English language proficient and no further action is needed. The survey should be filed in the student's cumulative record. If the answer to any one of the questions is a language other than English: the student should be considered to be a language minority student and should be immediately referred for further assessment. To refer a student for further assessment, the school principal or his/her designee shall notify the ESL Coordinator immediately. The ESL Coordinator will then assign an ESL teacher to administer the initial tests to determine if the student is in need of ESL services. The ESL Coordinator will be responsible for maintaining a system-wide record of language minority students and for completing the necessary school system limited English-proficient student (LEP) annual survey reports. Records will be maintained centrally by grade level and by language for students who have indicated a language other than English. Step Two: Assessment for English Proficiency Level Each language minority student must be tested to determine that student's English proficiency levels in the skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Macon County Schools, as required by DPI, uses the IDEA (IPT) assessment series. The assessments include oral tests (grades K-6, 7-12) and reading and writing tests (grades 2-3, 4-6, 7-12). This assessment instrument is to be administered within 30 days of enrollment and again during a spring testing window (February 1 to April 30th) to determine each student’s level of proficiency. For the initial assessment to take place during the required 30 day time limit, the principal must contact the ESL Coordinator at the time of enrollment of a potential LEP student so that the ESL Teacher can be assigned to administer the test within the 3o day time limit. A student who tests in any English skill area with a proficiency rating
lower than intermediate high is automatically a candidate for a language
program. A student who receives an intermediate high or advanced rating
in one or more areas may also need to receive language services. A student
who is proficient in listening and speaking often continues to need support
in reading and writing. Step Three: Assessment for Instructional Level Placement The student's instructional level needs to be determined and, if at all possible, should include native language proficiency and content area knowledge. To learn more about the student, an educational background questionnaire is needed. Suggested questions for determining the educational background are included in the appendix of this document. In order to obtain additional educational background information, the ESL Teacher may do a native language assessment. Whenever possible, formal or informal assessment instruments in the native language addressing all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and/or academic knowledge can be administered by trained bilingual personnel. The ESL teacher may advise the principal of appropriate grade level
placement but the principal is responsible for grade placement decisions. When it is determined that the student is limited English proficient, it is the legal responsibility of the school system to provide a program designed to meet his/her English language and academic needs. A student can continue to be served until he/she has the English skills
necessary to function successfully in an academic setting. (Testing modifications
are only available for two years after initial enrollment. See Accountability
section.) Macon County Schools English as a Second Language (ESL) program
can accommodate students from different language backgrounds in the same
class, and ESL and classroom teachers do not need to be proficient in
the home language(s) of their students. In this program, the primary
language of instruction is English. The student receives services in
English as a Second Language at various proficiency levels. AccountabilityState Policy for Limited English Proficient Students Students identified as limited English proficient shall be included in the statewide testing program as follows: 1. standard test administration Limited English proficient students who have been assessed on the IDEA proficiency test (IPT) as below intermediate/high in reading may participate in the NCAAAI as an alternate assessment for up to 24 months after initial enrollment in a LEA. The NCAAAI may be used as an alternate assessment in the areas of reading and mathematics at grades 3-8 and 10, writing at grades 4, 7, and 10 and in high school courses in which an end-of-course test is administered. Limited English proficiency students who have been assessed on the IPT as below superior in writing may participate in the NCAAAI in writing for grades 4, 7, and 10 for up to 24 months after initial enrollment in the LEA. All students identified as limited English proficiency must be assessed using the IPT at initial enrollment and annually thereafter during the window of February 1 - April 30. A student who enrolls after January 1 does not have to be retested during the same school year. Limited English proficient students who are administered the NCAAAI shall not be assessed off grade level. If, during the annual IPT assessment, the student scores at or above intermediate/high, the student must participate in the standard (with or without accommodations) end-of-year EOG, EOC, or high school comprehensive testing. If, during the annual IPT assessment, the student scores at or above superior, the student must participate in the standard (with or without accommodations) writing test. All students classified as limited English proficient must participate in standard test administrations or standard test administrations with accommodations/modifications no later than 24 months after initial entry into the school system (or charter school), regardless of the language proficiency. Classroom Teacher ResponsibilitiesClassroom teachers need to make use of the Guide to the Standard Course of Study for Limited English Proficient Students. The guide is available for grades K-8 and by selected subject area for 9-12. It can be accessed via the web at:
Teachers are also encouraged to integrate language and content to improve learning by LEP students. Assessment in the regular classroom must be alternative and authentic: Performance based assessment is key to the success of the LEP student! Performance assessments include constructed responses, higher-order thinking, integrative modules, involves process and product and choose depth of skill over breadth of material covered. Teachers often have to use their own judgment to score authentic assessments. Rubrics should be used to make judgments more accurate and reliable. These kinds of assessments are not limited to LEP students only. All students benefit from instruction driven by alternative assessments. Resources for classroom teachers:
For students who have limited English proficiency, and who are also being considered for evaluation to determine a disability, a bilingual psychologist is available and should be contacted to participate in meetings with parents. Schools should follow the same referral process as that for all exceptional children referrals. Care must be taken to determine whether learning and behavior problems demonstrated by the student indicate a disability or instead, manifest cultural, experiential, and/or sociolinguistic differences. ESL Teacher Responsibilites and ScheduleMacon County Schools currently has two ESL teachers who are responsible for providing instruction in the English language to all identified LEP students. They also administer the initial test to determine proficiency level (explained under Procedure for Identifying LEP Students, Step 2). Communication between the ESL teacher and classroom teacher is vital. The classroom teacher should notify the ESL teacher of upcoming vocabulary terms and content so that the ESL teacher can incorporate the upcoming terminology in the language acquisition instruction. A tentative schedule and contact information is below. (Note that times are approximate and do not account for travel between locations, lunch or planning. Check here for updated schedule.) Send school mail to highlighted school.
Peggy Peck peggy.peck@mcsk-12.org
Staff DevelopmentLocal staff development will be provided to all teachers of ESL students. Other avenues for staff development include state conferences and college courses as well as:
Teachers should seek staff development on using authentic and alternate
assessment, improving higher-order thinking skills, scaffolding, and
other strategies for improving the performance of LEP students. Translators and InterpretersTranslation is the rendering of written material from one language (the
source language) into another (the target language). Professional translators,
unlike people who are simply bilingual, have the ability to link the
two languages, in effect to rewrite the source text as if it had been
originally written in the target language. This skill is acquired though
extensive training and practice. Parental InvolvementParental communication is vital to the success of every child and LEP children are no exception. Research shows that parental involvement is more important than the education level of the mother or socio-economic status. Parents and teachers of children receiving ESL services will be invited to bi-annual parent meetings to discuss a variety of topics such as school procedures, completing forms and testing. Classroom teachers can encourage parental involvement in a number of ways. For non-native parents, the school experience that their children are having may be very different from their own experience.
AppendixHome Language Survey and Educational Background Questions available
in downloadable printable version.
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StaffTerry Bell, Program Director TopicsProcedure for Identifying |