QUEST Grant Summary

The number of LEP students in the Burlington School District has increased by more than 400% in the past decade. Teacher training sadly has not kept pace. Only 18% of the District's 330 teachers and 440 other District personnel have received training in ESL classroom instructional techniques. More than two-thirds of teachers surveyed in November 2000 noted their limitations in teaching LEP students, adapting content material and communicating with families.

QUEST is a two-step teacher-training program that over five years will serve 70% of the District's core curriculum teachers, staff and selected pre-service general education students from our higher education partner and an international leader in Teaching English as a Second Language, St. Michael's College.

The program features:

• An intensive summer Institute that will provide comprehensive, coordinated instruction about teaching LEP students. The Institute curriculum will introduce teachers, other District staff and pre-service students to the Burlington School District's LEP population and needs; provide in-depth instruction in the stages of language emergence, language awareness and adaptation, cultural awareness, family involvement and language methods and techniques; and require participants to create a thematic curriculum unit applying the Institute's lessons. The Institute also will feature a practicum at a summer ESL program.
• Ongoing support to Institute-trained participants from three District ESL exemplar teachers. These ESL exemplar teachers will serve as peer educational leaders. They will offer model lessons, ongoing teacher support, shared problem-solving, activities, assessments, curriculum support and appropriate curricular resources such as books and supplies. The provision of ongoing support will - unlike the Institute alone - provide classroom teachers with the continuous feedback and help they need as they implement new ideas in working with LEP students.