ESOL Program Overview

The ESOL Program of the Burlington School District supports students whose home language is a language other than English in learning English so they may access the curriculum and achieve academic success in the mainstream classroom.

Eligibility

Students are eligible for ESOL services when they (a) indicate that they speak a language other than English at home on the Home Language Survey, and (b) demonstrate that they have limited English proficiency as measured by the English language proficiency assessment.

Parents will be informed each September whether their student continues to be eligible for ESOL services. Students who score as limited English proficient on the annual English language proficiency assessment will continue to be eligible to receive services. Students who score as fluent English proficient on the annual English language proficiency assessment will no longer receive services and will no longer be tested; they will be monitored for two years. Parents have a right to refuse services at any time. Parents should contact the school or the ESL teacher at the school if they want to refuse services for their student.

Services

ESOL services are offered at all the schools in the district by well qualified and certified teachers of English as a Second Language.

At the elementary schools, students are mostly pulled out of their regular classrooms for small group instruction with ESL teachers. Instruction focuses on oral language and literacy development.

At the middle schools, students are scheduled for at least one class of ESOL instruction. Instruction focuses on continued oral language and literacy development, as well as the development of academic language and study skills necessary for success in content area classes. Both middle schools offer a sheltered ELL math class for students needing support in learning math and English.

At the high school, students are scheduled for at least one class of ESOL instruction. Students may also enroll in specially designed ESOL social studies, math, and science classes where instruction is sheltered and students are supported in learning the language and the content.

Assessment

Vermont is a member of the WIDA Consortium and uses the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® test to measure students' progress in learning English. The test measures students' social and academic language proficiency at their grade level, K-12. It assesses students' skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and comprehending English. All students who are eligible for ESOL services, regardless of whether they receive services, must be assessed with this test each year.

Reclassification

The goal of the ESOL program is to teach students English so they can succeed academically. When students score as fluent English proficient on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® test, the ESL teacher may reclassify or change the status of the students from limited English proficient to fluent English proficient. This means the students no longer receive ESOL services. Students who are reclassified are monitored for two years. The ESL teachers and classroom teachers monitor the student to see that they continue to achieve well academically.

 

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