ELL Support
ELL Mission Statement:
The mission of the ELL program is to promote and support academic language learning.
The mission of the ELL program is to promote and support academic language learning.
ELL Vision Statement:
Our vision is to ensure that our English Language Learners have meaningful access to rigorous instruction, materials, and academic choices. We will ensure equity for English learners while maintaining their cultural and linguistic identity.
Description of Services:
Services for English Language Learners in Summit Hill School District 161 consist of sheltered English instruction, small group push-in and pull-out services, provided by certified ESL education teachers. Services are provided to the student based on student’s English language proficiency level, literacy needs and teacher recommendations.
ELL Programs:
All programs promote accelerated academic achievement for English Language Learners focus on:
All programs promote accelerated academic achievement for English Language Learners focus on:
- Developing cognitive academic language proficiency as well as basic interpersonal communication skills (CALP and BICS)
- Teaching specific English language development (English as a Second Language/ESL)
- Training teachers in the development of specific instructional strategies for sheltered instruction
The goals of our programs are to develop academic proficiency in English, ensure achievement of grade level standards, and encourage students’ to continue using their first language as a resource for learning and social success.
Push-In Instruction:
- Collaboration with the classroom teacher
- Small groups
- Scaffolding instruction
The certified ELL teacher enters the general education classroom to provide instruction or assistance to an ELL Student. The ELL
teacher works in cooperation with the general education teacher.
teacher works in cooperation with the general education teacher.
Pull-Out Instruction:
- Removal of ELLs form the general education classes to pre-teach, teach, or re-teach English language skills and/or academic content covered by the general education teacher.
- Direct English language instruction
- Direct Instruction
The certified ELL teacher pulls the student out of the general education classroom for special instruction in ELL and content-based ELL.
Sheltered English Instruction:
- Instruction is in English, adapted to the students’ English proficiency levels and provides accommodation for the curriculum based content.
- Classroom teacher provides the accommodations.
- ELL teacher collaborates with the general education teacher
Sheltered English Instruction programs represent an approach to make grade level academic content more understandable for English Language Learners while promoting their English language development. This program serves students from different language backgrounds (generally low incidence languages) together in classes where teacher use English as a medium for providing content based instruction, adapting the English to the proficiency level of the students.
Eligibility Criteria:
Students are determined eligible for ELL Services based on the following criteria:
- Home Language Survey indicates a language other than English is spoken in the student’s home and whether the student speaks a language other than English
- Performance on the Pre-IPT Oral English Language Proficiency Test (PreK) or W-APT for K-8 screener
- Other indicators (Parent input and use of additional screening tools)
Parents will be notified of screening results if a student is determined to be limited English proficient (LEP), the district will inform parents in writing of the results of the assessment and the program placement recommendations, describing the services that are available to assist the student to become English language proficient.
Parent Refusal:
Parent can refuse services even if their child tested as limited English proficient (LEP). To refuse language support services, parents must provide the district with a signed, written statement that they are refusing services. However, this parental statement does not relinquish the district from administering the annual assessment of the student’s language proficiency with the ACCESS for ELLs.
Exit Criteria:
According to the Illinois School Code, Part 228.25, any student who meet or exceed a composite proficiency level of 4.8 and literacy (reading/writing) composite proficiency level of 4.2 on the ACCESS for ELLs (Tier B or C) are exited from the ELL program. Transitioning decisions for Kindergarten students must only be made using the accountability scores provided on the ACCESS for ELL English Proficiency Test and Kindergarten teacher report. Any student that does not achieve both of these minimum criteria is considered Limited English Proficient (LEP) and remains eligible for ELL services.
Consultation/Monitoring:
Any student who meets the exit criteria will be monitored for two consecutive years by the ELL staff. The monitor process will include:
Any student who meets the exit criteria will be monitored for two consecutive years by the ELL staff. The monitor process will include:
- Discuss the child’s performance in the classroom with the child’s general education teacher
- Review of ISAT, and MAP data
Any student who is not performing successfully will be provided Tier II intervention/supports to receive additional support services.
Parent Notification:
- Parents are sent a letter when their child is first determined eligible for ELL services.
- Parents are sent a notification after child completes their third year of receiving services and parental consent in necessary to continue programming.
- Parents are sent a letter every year after the third year for parental consent to continue programming.
- Parents are sent a letter with ACCESS scores annually.
- Parents are sent a letter when child meets the Illinois criteria and is placed on consult.
- Parents are sent a letter when their child is no longer monitored under the consultation criteria.