• Entering: Non-speaker and beginners - the student understands and speaks his/her native language, has limited ability in understanding and speaking English, and has limited or no ability to read and/or write English
• Emerging: Intermediate - the student understands and speaks English on a limited basis but is unable or has limited ability to read and/or write English
• Transitioning: Intermediate - the student understands and speaks English on a limited basis but is able to read and/or write English with moderate support
• Expanding: Advanced - the student understands and speaks English but needs support in the content areas
• Commanding: Proficient

The district recognizes the importance of utilizing sound, research-based educational strategies to assist ELL students in acquiring English language proficiency. We strive to maximize student learning through exposure to English balanced with individual and small group sessions.

ELLs Instructional Program:

Non-speakers & Beginners:
• develop oral language
• develops basis vocabulary and reading skills
• develops basic grammar and usage skills

Intermediate:
• further develops listening, speaking, reading and writing skills

Advanced:
• develops reading and writing skills specific to content areas
• develops higher level grammar and usage skills
 

What are the principles that guides the 'blueprint' for ELLs?

1. ALL teachers are teachers of ELL and need to plan accordingly by:

• designing and delivering instruction that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for ALL diverse learners
• Providing integrated language and content instruction to support language development through language-focused scaffolds. Bilingual, ESL, and other content-area teachers must collaborate purposefully and consistently to promote academic achievement in all content areas.
• Utilizing materials and instructional resources that are linguistically, age/grade appropriate, and aligned to the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS).
• Collaborating with school support personnel and community-based human resources in order to address the multiple needs of ELLs.

2. Districts and schools engage all English Language Learners in instruction that is grade-appropriate, academically rigorous, and aligned with the New York State Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core and P- 12 Common Core Learning Standards by:

• Articulating specific content and language objectives.
• Integrating explicit and implicit research-based vocabulary instruction.
• Providing opportunities for students to discuss content and problem-solve with peers.
• Anchoring instruction by strategically using research-based practices (e.g., multimedia, visuals, graphic organizers, etc.)
• Providing special education supports, services, accommodations and specially-designed instruction to meet the specific instructional needs of ELLs with disabilities.
• Designing, selecting, and implementing a high-quality curriculum that meets the needs of Early Learning ELLs, and supports the New York State Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core.
• Using academic language and content-area supports to strategically move ELLs along the language development continuum utilizing New York State Bilingual Common Core Progressions, Standards Resources and Supports

3. Districts and schools value all parents and families of ELLs as partners in education and effectively involve them in the education of their children by:

• Providing parents with resources that enable them to make informed decisions about their children’s education.
• Providing parents with all pertinent information about their rights and program choices in a language and format that parents can easily understand and access.
• Providing training to parents in English and in their home language on effective strategies to support their children’s learning in and out of school.
• Engaging parents as active participants, contributors and cultural liaisons to the school community.
• Sharing with parents and family members the high expectations that schools have established for the education of all ELLs and engaging them in the pursuit and achievement of these expectations.
• Collaborating with the school support personnel and immigrant community-based organizations in order to address the multiple needs of families of ELLs.

4. Districts and schools use diagnostic tools and formative assessment practices in order to measure ELLs’ content knowledge as well as new and home language development to inform instruction by:

• Using State assessments in conjunction with formative assessments.
• Using State language proficiency data (from the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test [NYSESLAT] and the New York State Identification Test for English Language Learners [NYSITELL]) to understand where ELLs are along the continuum of language development, and how to provide appropriate scaffolds for them according to their proficiency level.
• Employing authentic assessments that require sophisticated uses of language embedded in authentic and rich content.
• Utilizing appropriate tools to assess the needs and progress of ELLs with disabilities.
• Utilizing analytical rubrics that provide feedback on content knowledge and language development.

English Language Learner Strategies:

Instruction:

• seat student close to front of the room and/or teacher
• allow the student ample / additional time to complete the assignment
• provide alternative instruction (different activities, projects)
• speak clearly and simplify vocabulary and grammatical structures to match student's language proficiency
• provide background / prior knowledge
• identify and teach essential vocabulary before lesson / unit
• present new information in small sequential steps
• write instructions on board so student can refer to them
• utilize a variety of visual materials which support multi-sensory approach
• utilize outlines, charts, and graphic organizers during class presentations
• use oral techniques such as cueing, modeling, and chunking
• provide frequent repetition and review
• assign peer tutor / buddy
• use hands-on activities

Materials adaption:

• reduce non-essential details
• present concrete ideas first
• use visual representation: maps, charts, timelines, thinking maps
• provide outlines / cloze passages / word banks
• use manipulatives
• have students use bilingual dictionary
• have students create and use vocabulary notebook
• use role play

Assessment modifications:

• modify number of questions. Allow students to answer fewer questions as long as they acquire the key concepts
• provide word bank
• modify test format: matching, cloze, multiple choice, labeling and fill-ins
• dictionary allowed
• open-note, open-book
• flexible setting
• extended time
• alternative assessments such as oral tests, rubrics, portfolios, individual or group projects