Thomas County ESOL Program

Did You Know? Home Languages used by Thomas County students include: Spanish, Kazakh, Chinese, Gujarati, Q’anjob’al, Russian, Bengali, Arabic, Pilipino, and Vietnamese?

What is the ESOL Program?• ESOL stands for English to Speakers of Other Languages. It is a

state funded instructional program for eligible English Learners (ELs) in grades K-12 (Georgia School Law Section 20-2-156 Code 1981, Sec. 20-2-156, enacted in 1985).

• The ESOL Program is a standards-based curriculum emphasizing social and academic language proficiency.

• The curriculum is based on the integration of the WIDA Consortium English Language Proficiency Standards with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards.

• This integration will enable English Learners (ELs) to use English to communicate and demonstrate academic, social, and cultural proficiency.

• It is critical that instructional approaches, both in ESOL and general education classes, accommodate the needs of Georgia’s ELs.

• Each EL will receive instructional and testing accommodations for the classroom, as appropriate.

• It is appropriate to use the home language as a means of facilitating instruction for English language learners and parental notification.

• The program is instructed by a state certified teacher with the ESOL endorsement.

Ms. Amy Lacher

ESOL • Vision Statement: We will lead Georgia in improving the academic

achievement of English Learners.

• Mission Statement: The ESOL Program will ensure the equal worth and

dignity of all English Learners making available the opportunity to fully gain access to programs and services provided by the State and Local Education Agencies so that English Learners can achieve to high standards, in both English language proficiency and content mastery, as needed to be successful at the postsecondary level and/or when entering the workforce.

ESOL vs. Migrant Ed The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is a federally funded supplemental education program for children of

migrant farm workers. The MEP personnel work as a liaison between home and school, as well as offer tutorial assistance.

• To qualify for the MEP, a student must meet all three eligibility requirements: 1. Is one who is a migratory worker, or whose parent, spouse, or guardian is a migratory worker. 2. Has moved from one school district to another to seek or obtain agricultural or fishing work within the last 36 months 3. Depends on agricultural work as an important part of providing a living for his or her family.

• Language is NOT a factor for MEP eligibility.• Serves children and out of school youth from ages 3-21.• Any further questions, please contact Dr. Bob Dechman or Thomas County MEP personnel-Erika Franklin and Karen Paulino

229-225-4380 ext 135 or efranklin@thomas.k12.ga.us kpaulino@thomas.k12.ga.us

REMEMBER- ALL ESOL students are not Migrant, and not all Migrant students are ESOL!

Who is identified as an ESOL/ELL student?

• An EL (English Learner) student is classified as one:

(A.) who identifies a language other than English on the Home Language Survey/Student Application, which is maintained in the permanent file

And

(B.) who scores below a 5.0 on the W-APT Language Screener

What is the W-APT?

• W-APT stands for the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test. It is the English language screener used by the state of Georgia.

• It is administered to students in grades K through 12. It is used to identify, for placement purposes, those non-native speakers whose limited English proficiency may interfere with their classroom instruction.

• Used as a guideline to let the general ed. teacher know what that student can do in the classroom and their proficiency level.

The WIDA Levels of English Language Proficiency

ENTERING

BEGINNING

DEVELOPING

EXPANDING

1

2

3

4

5

BRIDGING

Performance Definitions for Language Proficiency Levels appear in the WIDA ELP Standards Resource Guide

R

E

A

C

H

I

N

G

6

Can Do Descriptors

• This information is used as a guide as to how the EL will perform in your classroom.

• These “Can Do” descriptors are WITH SUPPORT.

• Cognitive development, age, educational experiences should be considered with these guidelines.

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Process, understand, interpret and evaluate spoken language in a variety of situations

Process, understand, interpret and evaluate written language, symbols and text with understanding and fluency

Engage in written communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences

Engage in oral communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences

Language Domains

Language Domains

Support Examples

Specific Examples of Sensory Supports

Example Use of GraphicOrganizers

State Approved ESOL Instructional Models

The following are instructional models used in Thomas County Schools. Models depend on student needs, teacher needs, and schedules.

• Inclusion• Pull-Out• Monitor/ Consult• Class Period

This year the Thomas County ESOL Program will be serving: Hand-in-Hand, Garrison-Pilcher, Cross Creek, TCMS, TCCHS, and Bishop Hall.

Cross Creek’s ESOL Instructors

• Ms. Jackson Mrs. Aracri

The ESOL teacher will consult and provide…

• A variety of techniques, accommodations, and activities designed to teach ELs the appropriate grade level standards, making learning comprehensible and accessible.

• Language objectives to incorporate with the CCGPS in the classroom

• Assistance in parent involvement and conferences• Provide resources for student, teacher, and family• Assistance in building a culturally supportive

classroom

The general education teacher will provide….

• Content area and grade level knowledge• A language enriched environment• A cultural supportive classroom• Opportunities for ELs to use the language• Instruction in written and oral language• Testing and instructional accommodations as

decided on each EL’s plan

Academic Language

Proficiency• Language-based • Reflective of the varying

stages of second language acquisition

 • Representative of social

and academic language contexts

  • Tied to the WIDA

language proficiency standards

• Ex: describe

Academic Achievement

• Content-based

• Reflective of conceptual development

• Representative of the school’s academic curriculum

• Tied to Common Core Georgia Performance Standards

• Ex: photosynthesis       

QUIZ:

Successful Practices for ELLs

1. Get to know your student- Have informal conversations with your EL

2. Use visuals, gestures, graphs, charts3. Modify the complexity of content using simplified material4. Encourage interaction among students5. Have meaningful communication with students daily6. Cooperative learning7. Allow students to use their native language to facilitate

learning as needed8. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition9. Hands-on manipulative10. Frequent comprehension checks

ACCESS for ELLs• ACCESS for ELLs™ stands for Assessing

Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners.

• It is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners’ social and academic proficiency in English.

• It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains.

• The four language domains are: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.• The ACCESS for ELLs™ test is given during a specific window each year. • ELs who register during the testing window must take the ACCESS.• Those ELs who are monitored do not take the ACCESS test.• A student may exit ESOL after scoring a 5.0 composite score on Tier B or C of

the ACCESS OR A student may exit ESOL after scoring a 4.0 composite score AND a 4.5 or

higher literacy score of the ACCESS for ELLs test AND pass the English Language Arts portion of the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). At which point a LAC (Language Assessment Committee) form would be completed and approved by the LAC team.

• Each grade cluster has three tiers (A,B,C): K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

What language do students need What language do students need to be able to participate in your to be able to participate in your class?class?

•In social contexts ?In social contexts ?

•In Language Arts ?In Language Arts ?

•In Math ?In Math ?

•In Science?In Science?

•In Social Studies?In Social Studies?

WIDA’s ELD Standards

Academic Language

Standard 1 Standard 2 Standard 3 Standard 4 Standard 5

English Language Proficiency Standard 4:English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of SCIENCE.

Language Domain

Level 1Entering

Level 2Beginning

Level 3Developing

Level 4Expanding

Level 5Bridging

Listening identify scientific facts about weather or environment depicted in pictures or photographs (such as temperature, seasons, precipitation) from oral statements

find examples of scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from pictures or photographs and oral descriptions

respond to oral questions about weather or environment using pictures or photographs

predict results related to scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from pictures or photographs and oral scenarios

interpret results, along with reasons, based on scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from pictures or photographs and oral reading of grade level materials

Speaking use words or phrases related to weather or environment from pictures/photographs (such as temperatures, seasons, or precipitation)

restate scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from pictures or photographs

ask WH- questions about weather or environment from pictures or photographs

predict results and provide reasons based on scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from oral or written information

evaluate and weigh options related to scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from oral or written information

Reading locate scientific words about weather or environment from pictures or photographs (such as seasons, temperature, precipitation)

select scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from pictures or photographs with text

respond to scientific questions about weather or environment from visually supported text

match predictions and reasons related to scientific hypotheses about weather or environment to written text

infer results and reasons based on scientific hypotheses about weather or environment based on grade level text

Writing produce scientific words or diagrams about weather or environment from pictures or photographs (such as seasons, temperature, precipitation)

(re)state scientific hypotheses about weather or environment from pictures or photographs

answer scientific questions about weather or environment from pictures or photographs

make predictions and/or give reasons based on scientific hypotheses about weather or environment

explain results and provide reasons based on scientific hypotheses about weather or environment

Grade Level Cluster: 1-2

What happens after an EL exits the program?

• When an EL meets the criteria for exiting the ESOL program, they are monitored for two consecutive years.

• A student may re-enter ESOL when the classroom teacher feels a student is falling behind academically due to language and has gone through the RTI process.

• A EL who is monitored may still need accommodations in the classroom!

Mrs. Ross’ ESOL Website:www.RossESOL.weebly.com

How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment:www.colorincolorado.org/educators/reachingout/welcoming

CREDE- Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence:www.crede.ucsc.edu

Resources about Language and Culture:www.cal.org/resources

WIDA:www.wida.us

Department of Education:www.doe.k12.ga.us

Help! They Don’t Speak English Starter Kit:www.edvantia.org/products/pdf/HelpKit.pdf

Math Support- includes a Spanish glossary and parent guide in Spanishwww.keymath.com

"Doing What Works" site offers a user-friendly interface to quickly locate teaching practices that have been found effective by the department's research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences, and similar organizations.

http://dww.ed.gov/

Parent Communication

• TransAct- free web-based program with templates that can be translated in many languages.

www.transact.com• Translation services www.translate.google.com• Language Line

Who is TransACT?

TransACT provides parent notices in multiple languages to help school districts comply with complex federal parent communication mandates.

GenEd Collection: Available Languages*

TransAct Tool Kit

• Each School has a login:– Hand in Hand:– Garrison:– Cross Creek:– TCMS:– TCCHS:– Bishop Hall:

The Elements of the MPI

The Language Function

The Content Stem/Example Topic

The Support

Think…

Follow oral directions to design area maps using manipulatives and illustrated examples in small groups

Content Stem/Example Topic

Language Function

Instructional Support

I AM HERE TO HELP!

What’s the ACCESS again?

1.Practice looking at an ACCESS Score Report-What’s important?-What do I compare?

2. Look at your student’s scores as a group and analyze

3. Plot your scores on the Can Do Descriptors chart

Let’s plot Jose Carlos’ ACCESS for ELLs results on the CAN DO Descriptors:

Listening 4.1 Speaking 6.0 Reading 5.0 Writing 3.8

4.1

6.0

3.8

5.0

ESOL Endorsement

• Annual cohorts through CaseNex• Free for Title III Consortium members• 3 courses, online• Course titles: ESOL and Multicultural Education Issues ESOL Applied Linguistics Methods and Materials for Teaching ESOL

The “key” to our success with EL students is

planning, flexibility, and communication with parents

and co-teachers!