Summary of the District English Language Learner (ELL) Plan The ESOL Program Lee County School District

I. Identification of the ESOL Student Step 1. Upon registering a child, the parents must indicate if their child understands or speaks a language other than English. The parents complete a home language survey at the student assignment center.

Step 2. At the school, the child is then given a Language Assessment Battery (LAB) test within 20 days of the first day of attendance. Depending on grade level, students are tested in speaking/listening, reading/writing. A 32%ile or lower in any section indicates a deficiency in the English language and the child is then placed in the ESOL program. Parents are then notified.

Note: It is possible for a student to pass the LAB test, but still experience difficulties with the English language. In this case, a child can enter the ESOL program through the decision of an ELL committee (a group consisting of teachers, guidance counselors, ESOL educators and parents).

II. Instructional Programs The School District of Lee County has implemented various instructional programs for ESOL students. ESOL instruction represents a tool through which students will acquire English language skills and subject area content. The child may be instructed through one of these models:

A certified teacher will provide comprehensible instruction with or without the use of a bilingual educational paraprofessional. Students are included in regular classes. Some classes may also use clustering, or grouping of ELL students. Inclusion with ESOL strategies

Equal Access ESOL students have the right to participate fully in all courses and programs for which they qualify, regardless of English language proficiency. This includes access to ESE programs, advanced and honors courses, gifted, vocational, magnet schools, etc.

III. State mandated Exams All ESOL students are required to take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). For students who are in the program two years or less, exemption from mandatory retention in the third grade occurs when the student has demonstrated grade level performance in the native language. Spanish speaking students are also tested using the Aprenda test. Other languages use the Review of the Educational Background form. All ESOL students taking the statewide assessments are offered and receive the following accommodations:

Statewide Assessments Accommodations Additional time on tests Flexible setting when desired Access to home language speaker where desired and available Use of a bilingual dictionary where desired

IV. Exiting the ESOL program The CELLA (Comprehensive English Language Learner Assessment) is used as an exit tool as well as achieving a score of Level 3 on the FCAT. If a student was entered through an ELL committee then the student must also exit through the ELL committee. An ESE student whose handicap does not allow passing of the exit tests may also be exited through the ELL committee. Parents are notified when the student exits the ESOL program.

V. Monitoring Procedures All students that have exited from ESOL must be monitored for two years from the date of exit. Report cards are reviewed. If the report card shows an unsatisfactory grade, an ELL committee must be held to determine if the failing grade was due to a language barrier. If it is discovered that language is a barrier for obtaining a passing grade, the student may then re- enter the program. Parents are invited to ELL committee meetings and are notified of ESOL program re-entry.

VI. Parental/Student Notification and Rights Whenever feasible, the school district provides assistance to parents of ELL students in their heritage language at time of registration, ELL committee meetings, and at parent/teacher conferences.

Parents Notified of the Following Testing information and program placement Program delivery model options State testing and accommodations Retention/remediation, exit, re-classification (re-entering) and monitoring procedures

Parent Leadership Council (PLC) Parents are also informed of opportunities to meet with the Parent Leadership Council (PLC) to discuss improvement in the ESOL program. Information about the schools’ adequate yearly progress is released to the press. Schools publish these results in newsletters to let parents know where they can obtain further information

Use of Heritage Language The district may not subject the student to disciplinary action based solely on the use of the student’s native or heritage language. Use of the heritage language is encouraged in classroom situations where students need to clarify academic content in order to master skills. Teachers may encourage students to use English at times, but only to the point where the student is comfortable. Students may however, be subject to disciplinary action if they are disregarding classroom or school rules (talking loudly, talking out of turn or at inappropriate times, being rude, or using vulgarity in any language). In such cases, discipline is based on the students’ behavior rather than the language in which the behavior occurs.

VII. Personnel Training Elective and exploratory teachers need a total preparation of 18 hours of ESOL in-service training. Academic teachers, guidance counselors and administrators need 60 total hours. Language Arts/English teachers must complete a total of 300 hours in-service points, or 15 semester hours. ESOL educational paraprofessionals must complete an 18- hour training course. When a school has fifteen or more ELL students that speak the same home language, an ESOL paraprofessional is hired to assist the content area teachers with the delivery of comprehensible instruction.

Additional Questions Comments Please contact: School District of Lee County The District Intervention Programs ESOL Program (239) Colonial Boulevard Fort Myers, Florida