English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

ESOL Program Overview

Winslow Public Schools' English for Speakers of Other Languages Program serves Multilingual Learners in grades K-12. Multilingual Learners are students who use primary or home language other than English and are in the process of acquiring English language skills necessary for academic success in the general education classroom.

The basis of the ESOL instruction is the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards, which guide and inform English language curriculum and lesson planning for Multilingual Learners.

Identification and Placement

All incoming students in grades K-12 are screened for further language evaluation using the Home Language Survey. Potential Multilingual Students are formally evaluated using the WIDA Screener. Students who qualify for the ESOL Program services receive targeted English language instruction through the ESOL program as well as necessary English language support in the general education classroom. 

A Language Acquisition Committee (LAC) meets annually to review each Multilingual Learner's language needs and progress in the ESOL Program. Language Acquisition Committee is comprised of the ESOL teacher, classroom teacher, parents, and school administrator; Multilingual Learners in higher grades (7-12) also attend LAC meetings.

ACCESS for ELLs - English Language Assessment

Multilingual Leaners' progress towards achieving full proficiency in the English language is annually assessed using the ACCESS for ELLs test. The ACCESS for ELLs test assesses Multilingual Learners' English language skills in the four language domains: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. The test is aligned with the WIDA ELD Standards.

Exiting ESOL Services

Once Multilingual Learners reach a composite score of 4.5 on the ACCESS for ELLs test, they exit the ESOL Program. Their academic progress is further monitored for two years to ensure their full and successful access to education in the English language.