District-Wide ELL Training

• Purpose & Overview

• LYSD Resources for English Language Learners

• Federal Definitions

• English Language Learner Identification

• Site Responsibilities & Plans of Service

• Dual Language Opportunity and Awareness

The purpose and intent of EL Federal Funds are to help ensure that English Learners:

• attain English proficiency and develop high levels of academic achievement in English;

• achieve at high levels in academic subjects and meet State academic standards

AND

EL Federal Funds are to ensure that entities:

• implement effective language instruction designed to assist in teaching English learners

• develop and enhance effective instructional programs to prepare English learners, to enter all-English instructional settings;

• promote parental, family, and community participation in language instructional and educational programs of English learners.

At the beginning of each school year, each site in LYSD will receive an electronic folder containing the following resources and information:

• LYSD's District-Wide English Language Learner annual training
• LYSD's Annual Training for ELL Identification (BTC)
• Home Language Survey
• Language Observation Checklist
• English Language Learner Procedures (signed)
• Alaska Department of Education and Early Development's Guidance for EL Identification
• LYSD's Plan for Service (signed)

Please take a few minutes to locate your sites folder and indicate in the Chatbox when your site has located it.

ENGLISH LEARNER.—The term ‘‘English Learner’’, when used with respect to an individual, means an individual—

(A) who is aged 3 through 21;

(B) who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or secondary school;

(C)

• (i) who was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English;(ii) who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native resident of the outlying areas; and
• (iii) who comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on the individual’s level of English language proficiency; or
• (iv) who is migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and

• (i) the ability to meet the challenging State academic standards;
• (ii) the ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or
• (iii) the opportunity to participate fully in society.

NATIVE LANGUAGE: The term ‘‘native language’’, when used with reference to an individual of limited English proficiency, means:

• (A) the language normally used by such individual; or

• (B) in the case of a child or youth, the language normally used by the parents of the child or youth.

ESEA, Section 3201(10)

IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND YOUTH: The term ‘‘immigrant children and youth’’ means individuals who

• (A) are aged 3 through 21;

• (B) were not born in any State; and

• (C) have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more States for more than 3 full academic years.

LYSD follows the identification process outlined by the State of Alaska in the Guidance for Identification of English Language Learners. Specific areas outlined by LYSD within the first 30 days of school.

• Home Language Survey (HLS) questions are completed annually by parents/guardians as a part of the LYSDS's enrollment process for all students.
• LYSD's Director of Assessment will regularly monitor the student information system for students who are identified for potential ELL screening based on the HLS.
• HLS will be archived both electronically and in hard copy versions.

If the Home Language Survey indicates that no other language is present at home, but the student's instructional team is concerned that another language is present and is impact the students success in school based on the Federal definition of an English Language Learner Part D (see definition below) then the Building Test Coordinator will conduct a Language Observation Checklist (LOC).

Federal Definition Part (D) A student whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individual:

• The ability to meet the challenging State academic standards.

• The ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English.

• The opportunity to participate fully in society.

Step 1: Parents/Guardians complete the Home Language Survey (HLS) when enrolling a student in the Lower Yukon School District. If the HLS indicates another language is present and the child meets the definition of an EL student they will be screened using WIDA Screener.

Step 2: Students will be identified in PowerSchool who require EL screening. Principals and Building Test Coordinators (BTC) will be notified by LYSD's Director of Assessment when students require screening.

Step 3: Once the BTC has been notified that a student requires screening, the student must be screened with 30 days for cTitle III compliance.

Step 4: The Building Test Coordinator completes the WIDA screening.

Step 5: The Building Test Coordinator will score the WIDA screener and notifiy LYSD's Director of Assessment

Step 6: The Director of Assessment or the Director of Federal Programs will determine if the student qualifies for ELL services using the scoring chart in the Guidance for Identification of English Language Learners handbook provided by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

Step 7: If the student qualifies for ELL services, the Director of Assessment will send the BTC an Initial Letter of Identification to the principal and BTC. The letter will include eligibility criteria for ELL established by the state. The letter will be mailed to the parent/guardian as soon as possible. The BTC will verify that the letter was sent and the date it was sent with Director of Assessment. Director of Assessment will update PowerSchool with the student's designation as an ELL.

If the Home Language Survey indicates that no other language is present at home, but the student's instructional team is concerned that another language is present and is impact the students success in school, then the Building Test Coordinator will conduct a Language Observation Checklist (LOC).

Step1: The Building Test Coordinator must complete the Annual Training for ELL Identification (BTC) module.

Step 2: The BTC completes the LOC as scheduled with the instructional team.

Step 3: Once the LOC has been completed, the BTC will review the checklist for the following:

• 5 or more No’s in Part A

Or

• not at grade level proficiency
• 2 signatures (testing coordinator, instructional staff member with knowledge of the student)

Step 4: If the criteria are all present then the student will be screened using the WIDA screener.

Step 5: The Building Test Coordinator completes the WIDA screening.

Step 6: The Building Test Coordinator will score the WIDA screener and notify LYSD's Director of Assessment

Step 7: The Director of Assessment or the Director of Federal Programs will determine if the student qualifies for ELL services.

Step 8: If the student qualifies for ELL services, the Director of Assessment will send the BTC an Initial Letter of Identification to the principal and BTC. The letter will include eligibility criteria for ELL established by the state. The letter will be mailed to the parent/guardian as soon as possible. The BTC will verify that the letter was sent and the date it was sent with Director of Assessment. Director of Assessment will update PowerSchool with the student's designation as an ELL.

• All students who have a Home Language Survey completed that indicates that another language is present at home OR students who have been identified using the staff LOC method , then these students must be screen using the WIDA screener within 30 days of start of school or with in 2 weeks of LOC or HLS identification.

• Within 30 days from the start of school, parents/guardians of continuing EL students, must receive a letter notifying them that their student will continue to receive EL services. The letter must include WIDA scores and current achievement data (i.e MAP Spring scores or grades).

• Review the WIDA ACCESS testing schedule for this school year. Ensure all ELL students participate in ACCESS - if absent attempt retest.

• Review WIDA scores with staff to determine the areas of the WIDA test that need the most focus for each student or groups of students.

• Spend some time reviewing the WIDA CAN DO descriptors (what students currently can do and what is next for their development by grade level).

• Review accommodations for EL students on standardized tests and classroom tests. Staff will use accommodations for all testing situations, including classroom-based tests and assessments.

• Recruit and serve EL students through extended day tutoring and summer school.

• Title IIIA budgets will be released to each site once site Title I plans have been completed.

How are the languages similar?

• Express ideas and thoughts

• Describe our experiences,

• Gives voice to people.

How are the languages different?

• etters and sounds

• Guttural sounds that don’t exist in English language (r, rr, q, qerr)

• 4 Yup’ik Vowels (a,e, i, u)

• Sentence structure

• Origins - these are the origins of “Village English” and the impact on test scores, however this is not a measure of intelligence only English usage proficiency.

• Recognize times when students need to practice and use English in Academic settings versus Informal settings and when to use both.

• Always remember Yup’ik is a beautiful alive language with words and ideas that do not exist in English and those ideas and concepts need to be continued for all of us.

• Learning English is an opportunity to add another language making individuals who know both powerful in the area of communication.

• Translating requires time to process – Need time to fully complete the translation (30 secs) vs. quick response (2 secs) - Higher brain function which takes more time.

• Two areas of focus:

• Developing Vocabulary (Total Physical Response- using body movements and chants)

• Sentence Structure/Sentence Building

• Guidance for English Learner Identification
• Home Language Survey (HLS)
• Language Observation Checklist (LOC)