ELL program information
Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) is for English language learners who have not reached the language proficiency criteria required by the State. Students participate in the mainstream classroom for most of the time and receive ESL instruction in a small group setting in a Push-in or Pull-out model (if required). The program helps students acquire English language skills that will help them succeed in the core academic areas in the mainstream classroom.
Students in the ELL program speak 15 different languages at home!
Registration and placement
When your student is enrolled in a CPS school for the first time, you are given a Home Language Survey to complete. The Home Language Survey, or HLS, asks two questions:
Is a language other than English spoken in your home?
Does your student speak a language other than English?
The answers given on the HLS are used to decide whether or not the student is screened for admittance into a program for ELs. Students who must be screened are given a test of their English language proficiency level in some or all of the following categories: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The categories for which they are tested depend on the student’s age and grade level.
If, based on the test score, your student is considered an EL, your student will then be placed into a Transitional Program of Instruction. An overall score of 4.8 is required to exit the ELL program.
wida screener
WIDA Screener is an English language proficiency assessment given to new students in grades K–12 to help educators identify whether they are English language learners (ELLs). It is a flexible, on-demand assessment that can be administered at any time during the school year. WIDA Screener is available in two formats – online (U.S. only) and paper (U.S. and International).
Click here for more information on the WIDA screener online.
Click here to find more information on the WIDA paper Screener for Kindergarten.
Access for Ells
ACCESS for ELLs is an English language proficiency test designed to measure English learners' social and academic proficiency in English. This assessment is used to determine the English language proficiency levels and progress of ELs in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Click here for more information on ACCESS for ELLs Kindergarten test
Find more information about the ACCESS for ELLs online format (grades 1-12)
Click on this link to open the ACCESS for ELLs test demo
You can find resources to help you understand your student's ACCESS for ELLs scores here