Champlain Valley School District ELL Program
Multilingual Learners learning English comprise an increasing segment of the student population in the Champlain Valley School District. ML enrollment has grown in every school in our district since 2003 our student numbers have grown from 14 to over 110 students.
The eight CVSD English language teachers are certified English language instructors and are trained to develop appropriate programs and interventions, as well as provide individual, small group and in-class instruction to ML students throughout the school day. Students from families that have recently arrived in the United States and speak no English receive intensive individual support, while those who have been in American schools and part of an ML program for several years receive ongoing instructional services in varied formats, ranging from individual, small group, and support within the regular classroom. ML students’ English language acquisition is specifically assessed using a national test called the WIDA ACCESS. Scheduling English language instruction and assessment, arranging for interpreting at parent conferences, and supporting homework completion and social adjustment are a few of the additional complexities teachers of multilingual students address.
Additionally, English language teachers foster awareness of Multilingual Learners throughout the school and encourage general education teachers to take part in professional development related to ML instruction. An overarching goal of the CVSD ML Program is to inform all educators, including regular education generalists, content area teachers, special educators, guidance, and administrators about the unique needs of ML students and best practice instruction that enhances learning for both regular education students as well as ML students.
Moving from a school district that once had just a few ML students to our current numbers presents both challenges and rewards. Once it was the sole job of the English language teacher to acculturate and tutor the ML student; now, the whole school is involved and shares the educational responsibility of our ML population. In the end, everyone benefits from the rich blend of cultural heritage and family tradition shared in a classroom setting and we find new meaning in the wise words, "it takes a village".
CLD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) Student Centers at WCS & CVU
The CLD Student Centers support all culturally and linguistically diverse students by fostering self esteem and cultural pride, and increasing the cultural competence of CVSD schools.