English Language Learner Plan Blooming Prairie School District # 756

Mr. Barry Olson, Superintendent/Secondary Principal Mr. Chris Staloch, Elementary Principal Ms. Nelson, EL Instructor May 20, 2012

Master Plan

Blooming Prairie Public Schools Overview of the English Language Learner Master Plan Overview
The purpose of the English Language Learner Master Plan is to describe consistent practices that ensure that students whose first language is not English receive adequate and meaningful instruction that complies with state and federal laws. Approximately five percent of Blooming Prairie Schools students are identified as needing English language instruction. Most of these English Language Learners speak Spanish. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, Minn. Stat. &124D.61, districts that enroll one or more children of limited English proficiency must implement an educational program that include at a minimum: 1. Identification and reclassification criteria for children of limited English proficiency and program entrance and exit criteria for children with limited English proficiency must be documented by the district, applied uniformly to children of limited English proficiency, and made available to parents and other stakeholders upon request. 2. A written plan of services that describes programming by English proficiency level made available to parents upon request. The plan must articulate the amount and scope of service offered to children of limited English proficiency through an educational program for children of limited English proficiency. Blooming Prairie Public Schools has a well-articulated plan that is clearly communicated to all stakeholders and has a blueprint from which to appropriately identify English learners and implement services that effectively address the needs of its English learners. Policies and procedures are clearly documented and submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education for feedback. Blooming Prairie Public Schools will regularly evaluate and support efforts to continuously improve educational outcomes for English learners.

Purpose of ESL
The purpose of ESL is to help students develop English and perform at grade-level.

Scope and Sequence

The contents of this document are derived from several sources including research from peer reviewed journals in the field of English language and special education services, a survey of surrounding districts regarding EL (English learner) service provision and a review of related federal and Minnesota state laws as they apply to English learner service. These related statutes include, but are not limited to: Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974 Title III Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 MN Statute 123B.30 MN Statute 124D.59 MN Statute 124D.61

Definition of a Pupil with Limited English Proficiency

A pupil of limited English proficiency means a pupil in kindergarten through grade 12 who meets the following requirements: a. The pupil, as declared by his parent or guardian, first learned a language other than English, comes from a home where the language usually spoken is other than English, or usually speaks a language other than English; and b. The pupil is determined by developmentally appropriate measures, which might include observations, teacher judgment, parent recommendations, or developmentally appropriate assessment instruments, to lack the necessary English skills to participate fully in classes taught in English.

MN Identification of English Language Learners

Blooming Prairie Public Schools identifies students as needing an English Language Learning Program based on state criteria. The follow components are required: a. Completed Home Language Questionnaire. The District uses the forms provided by the Minnesota Department of Education. http://education.state.mn.us/mde/Learning_Support/English_Language_Learners/Com munication_With_Parents/index.html b. The District translated the forms into any languages the State does not provide. All completed HLQs are forwarded to the English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. c. Intake procedures include a review of the completed HLQ and a review of the students educational history. d. The guidance department or office secretaries schedule appointments with an ESL teacher and/or a guidance counselor for all new students who indicate a first language other than English on the HLQ. e. An ESL teacher meets with the student, the students parents or guardian, and the students guidance counselor to conduct an informal oral interview. The students records from any previous schools are reviewed. f. Assessment procedures for enrollment criteria are conducted by trained ESL staff. Valid and reliable assessments are used for measuring students English language proficiency. Tests are chosen for age appropriateness, skills to be evaluated, ease of time of administration and cost factors. Students schedules are developed based on testing information, ESL and mainstream teacher referral, counselor recommendation, parent and student input. Newly enrolled ELLs will be assessed within approximately 10 days of enrollment. g. If the student qualifies for ESL services they are entered as LEP Y in MARSS whether or not the child receives services. If the child qualifies for ESL services, but does not receive services (e.g., the parent refused services) the Status Begin Date is left blank on MARSS. h. The childs LEP status is changed to LEP N upon exiting the program.

Initial Placement Determination

Descriptors of Proficiency Levels Non-English Speakers Level 1 (Newcomer): Beginners range from having no English to demonstrating a minimal understanding of the use of English. Their comprehension is limited to simple language containing mostly high-frequency vocabulary and simple grammatical patterns. These learners derive a great deal of meaning from the context and nonverbal cues that accompany any English input and benefit from repetition, rephrasing and a slower rate of speech. They can express basic personal needs. They tend to communicate about very familiar topics based on personal experience. Errors are frequent, expected and characteristic of language production at this stage. Students receive one-on-one or small group instruction with an ELL teacher each day. The instruction is based on the needs of the student and the literacy and academic skills in the home language. It may be early literacy skills like learning letter sounds or it might involve building background knowledge in academic areas. A beginning student usually receives this level of small group instruction for the first year in an English School. Level I-II (Intermediate): Intermediate-level learners can comprehend short conversations and simple written narratives in familiar contexts. A limited vocabulary range necessitates frequent repetition and rephrasing for their understanding. They frequently use contextual and visual cues to derive meaning and also rely on guessing. Their production is characterized by simple vocabulary, verb tenses and syntax. Many errors occur, some of which interfere with meaning. Students benefit from language development time in the EL classroom with specialized support in academic vocabulary and background knowledge. Level III-IV (Advanced): Advanced-level learners can understand much of the speech delivered in authentic settings with some repetition or rephrasing. Understanding grammatically complex structures proves problematic but, with support, these learners are able to master some grade-level academic content. Their productive vocabulary, with some circumlocutions, is adequate to accomplish many tasks. They can produce many of the basic and most frequently used grammatical structures, but their errors may become more abundant as they venture into less familiar topics and as they test hypotheses or take risks with more complex language structures. Students stay with their class for the entire day and receive small group support in the classroom if they need it. ELL teachers monitor their academic progress to help ensure that they are making yearly progress. Level IV-Monitoring (Proficient): Transitional learners still benefit from ESL support, but they understand most standard speech and writing in a variety of settings. These learners are approaching fluency in speaking, reading and writing in the content areas. They demonstrate

an increasing ability to successfully use language to convey their intended message. They do not produce error-free language, but their errors generally do not interfere with meaning. Students have acquired English skills similar to native English speaking peers. These students will be exited from the ELL program when assessment data indicates this level of English proficiency.

English Learner Identification Process

For new to the district elementary students with a home/primary language other than English Action 1. Enrollment form indicates a language other than English first learned by student, used most often in the home or most frequently used by student 2. Notification of ELL staff by email 3. W-APT administered: check file for W-APT score from previous district or other documentation of LEP status including proficiency 4. If the score on the W-APT is less than 6.0 on the grade level adjusted composite score, student should be identified as LEP
(Kindergarten second semester and 1 grade first semester, Listening & Speaking: less than 29, Reading: less than 11, Writing: less than 12)
st

Person Responsible Enrollment secretary

Enrollment secretary ELL teacher

ELL teacher

5. ELL teacher and parents notified of LEP status

(Mandatory NCLB parent notification within 10 school days, W-APT summary report placed in cum file) 6.

ELL teacher

Principal and ELL teacher arrange for placement and Scheduling

Principal/ELL teacher

7. MARSS coordinator notified of student status change 8. LEP designation is changed to LEP-YES in MARSS

ELL teacher MARSS coordinator

For new to the district secondary students with a home/primary language other than English Action 1. Enrollment form indicates a language other than English first learned by student, used most often in the home, or most frequently used by student 2. Notification of ELL teacher 3. Appointment for language assessment made with ELL teacher 4. W-APT assessment administered (check file for W-APT score from previous district or other documentation of LEP status including proficiency) 5. If the score on the W-APT is less than 6.0 on the grade level adjusted composite score, student should be identified as LEP 6. Counselor and ELL teacher arrange for placement and scheduling 7. Parents notified of LEP status (mandatory NCLB parent notification within 10 school days) 8. MARSS coordinator notified of student status change 9. LEP designation is changed to LEP-YES in MARSS ELL teacher MARSS coordinator ELL teacher Counselor and ELL teacher ELL teacher ELL teacher Enrollment secretary Enrollment secretary Person Responsible Enrollment secretary

ELL Service Model for Elementary Schools

Level Daily Service Minutes 1 & 2 (Newcomer) 3 (Developing) 60-90 minutes depending on individual student need Small group instruction plus pull-out group Teaching Based on WIDA ELD Standards: Social and Instructional Language and Language of Language Arts 25 minutes 2-3 times per week 4 & 5 (Advanced) 30 minutes once a week or monitor only

Program

Pull-out group

Support in class as needed

Curriculum

Teaching Based on WIDA ELD Standards: (Newcomer Curriculum) and Language of Math

Teaching Based on WIDA ELD Standards: (Newcomer and Developing Curriculum), Language of Science and Language of Social Studies

Blooming Prairie ELL students work on the language skills that they need to get ready to read (literacy skills including building background knowledge and academic vocabulary.) They work on letter and number recognition, letter sounds, blending sounds, and beginning sight words. Small group support in class may be through the paraprofessional or classroom teacher.

ELL Service Model for Secondary Schools

Level Daily Service Minutes 1 & 2 (Newcomer) 3 (Developing) 150 min/week (depending on classes needed) 1 period of ELL Newcomers instruction plus one period of ELL math as needed plus one period of ELL reading and writing support as needed 100 min/week 4 & 5 (Advanced) Monitor

Program

Leveled reading as indicated by district assessment data

Instruction in mainstream with reading and math intervention as needed

Curriculum

Teaching Based on Teaching Based on Teaching Based on WIDA ELD WIDA ELD WIDA ELD Standards Standards Standards

Each spring ELL students are assessed to determine their need for English language support. Students are placed in the classes that meet their level of need for the following year. High school ELL students are assessed for language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening each spring. Students are then placed in the classes that will provide the right amount of support for them for the following year. Every effort is made to assign students to classes that receive credits toward graduation requirements. Newcomer: Students receive small class instruction for one 45 minute period each day. This setting allows the teacher to spend individual time with students. These classes help newcomers gain basic school skills and English vocabulary. Students also spend independent study time on vocabulary. Students advance out of the newcomer class when they gain enough English language ability to understand instruction in English. An ELL math class is offered for 45 minutes each day when there are newcomer students who have not gained these skills in their prior schooling.

Developing: Students are assigned to reading classes according to their reading assessment data. This may be an ELL or mainstream class. Classes help strengthen literacy skills and build strategies for comprehension. ELL reading and writing support class teaches study skills while working with grade-level language arts content. Classes are designed to meet grade-level academic standards in order to prepare students for classes outside of ELL. Students may participate in an afterschool homework help session. Advanced: Students are monitored by the ELL staff for one year to ensure that they are academically successful while making the transition out of ELL support services. They are brought back into ELL support if needed. Reading support may be given if needed. Students may be in a co-taught language arts or math class which is taught by both a content and ELL teacher. An after-school program may be recommended for students who are still struggling to work at grade level.

Monitoring and Exiting Criteria

Students are monitored for one year after they meet the districts exiting criteria. The districts exiting criteria is based upon the WIDA ACCESS test. The student must receive a composite score of at least 5.0 and score no lower than 4.0 on all domains. Exiting is also based upon the input of the general education teacher. The ESL teacher: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Gives the classroom teachers an annual notification of ESL services. Advises classroom teachers to contact ESL staff if concerns arise. Documents any concerns after each grading period. Completes a monitoring review and place this record in the students cumulative file. Completes an exit form when all criteria for exiting students have been met. Instructs the building secretary to change the students LEP indicator in the MARSS report from LEP Y to LEP N.