The Columbia County ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) Program 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).
What are the goals of ESOL?
The English to Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) program goals are to help students obtain English language proficiency and to meet age and grade appropriate academic achievement standards for grade promotion and graduation. To reach this goal it is critical that instructional approaches, both in ESOL and general education classes, accommodate the needs of Columbia County linguistically and culturally diverse student and parent population.
K-12 ESOL INSTRUCTION IS:
Essential English language development for English Language Learners (ELL’s).
Planned, daily instruction for English language acquisition
Separate instructional time when ELL’s have the opportunity to express themselves
Sequential, strategic curriculum delivery using ESOL methodologies
Communication-based instruction with grammar provided as required for successful language development.
Teaching English that may include multi-cultural aspects, (i.e. recognition of students’ various cultural backgrounds and the impact of those backgrounds on learning.)
An essential, integral part of students’ academic program
Instruction coordinated with and reinforced by the classroom teacher.
How are English Learners assessed for language proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing?
There are two kinds of assessments. One is the WIDA Screener to assess eligibility for and placement in ESOL. The second is the ACCESS test conducted annually to assess progress in language proficiency.