Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District

English Learner Program

Welcome to MMUUSD ELL

Mount Mansfield Unified School District embraces the linguistic and cultural diversity of all students and their families. Together, we are one community, with a wide range of varied lenses, experiences, knowledge, and expertise.

Our English Learner Program assists English learners in reaching academic language proficiency in English, and achieving the same high standards in the same challenging state academic standards that all students in the district are expected to meet. EL students have the right to the same education as peers, and to participate in any and all extracurricular activities, clubs, and programs. It is the responsibility of the district to ensure access is possible.

State Compliance

Upon enrolling a child in grades K-12, all parents must complete a Home Language Survey. When a language other than English, or in addition to English is listed, the district has 30 days upon a student’s start date from the beginning of the academic year (14 days when enrolling in the middle of the year) to determine whether the student is an English Learner, and if so, to notify parents and provide them with a written English Plan. Parents have the right to attend a meeting in person to ask questions, and ultimately to accept or decline EL services.

In order to determine English Learner eligibility, the district EL teacher reviews the Home Language Survey responses, reviews previous school records, and screens the student’s English language proficiency using the WIDA Kindergarten Screener or grades 1-12 WIDA Screener. If a student has already been identified by another school district using the WIDA Screener or WIDA ACCESS Assessment, then these scores will be sufficient.

If it is determined that the student qualifies for EL services, the District EL teacher will develop an EL service plan, which outlines the nature and frequency of EL services provided to the student that year. The plan will be revisited throughout the year and may be revised to meet the changing needs of the student. A student's EL plan will include the following:

Name, language background, and grade level
Current English proficiency level
Instructional team members
Student strengths and needs
Language proficiency descriptors of current proficiency level
Language acquisition goals for the current academic year
Scaffolding and programming considerations
Description of EL services that will be provided
Instructional modifications and assessment accommodations
Plan for monitoring progress
Roles and responsibilities of team members

All identified EL students grade K-12 are required by the State of Vermont to participate in the yearly WIDA ACCESS Assessment. The WIDA ACCESS Assessment window typically runs from January to mid March. The assessment determines academic English proficiency in the language domains of: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Results of the assessment determine EL eligibility for the following school year. An overall composite score of 5.0 is considered to be fluent. Students in grade K who meet the ACCESS proficiency criteria are required to take the ACCESS in 1st grade. Students in grades 1-11 who meet the ACCESS proficiency criteria are not required to repeat the assessment but will be monitored for the next two years. Parents will be provided with a copy of the student’s WIDA ACCESS test results by the end of the school year.

WIDA provides the following descriptions of English proficiency levels:

1 : Entering: Knows and uses minimal social language and minimal academic language with visual and graphic support

2: Emerging: Knows and uses some social English and general academic language with visual and graphic support

3: Developing: Knows and uses social English and some specific academic language with visual and graphic support

4: Expanding: Knows and uses social English and some technical academic language

5: Bridging: Knows and uses social English and academic language working with grade-level material

MMUUSD’s Multilingual Learner Programming Plan (Lau Plan)

Click here for the full text of MMUUSD's Lau plan.

Systems of Support

Multilingual Learners are entitled to access all support provided through general education and the district's Multi-Tiered System of Supports. School personnel will provide extra support in ensuring that students are able to access programming and support offered at each school.

School Counselors: Multilingual Learners and their families are supported in registration, placement, social emotional supports, and other school supports through their school counselor.

Intervention: Multilingual Learners should be considered for intervention services in collaboration with the EL teacher. The school team will need to look at comprehensive school assessment data in the context of the student’s linguistic background and skills to determine whether the student meets criteria for intervention. Intervention services cannot replace the first instruction in English language instruction by the EL teacher.

Special Education Services: If a Multilingual Learner is found to have a disability, that student is eligible for a 504 or Individualized Education Plan and the services and accommodations associated with that plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Parents Right to Language Translation & Interpreting

The school district will provide an interpreter in the parents' heritage language so they may fully access and participate in parent conferences, school open houses, and any meeting pertaining to the child. Parents will also be provided with an interpreter for calling and receiving calls from the school and school nurse. In addition, any printed school notices, progress reports, and report cards will be translated or communicated to parents in a language and format they can understand. The MMUSD main website provides the option of switching the viewing language from English to a wide variety of languages.

Using the Heritage Language to Access Curriculum

Research has shown that English language learners who already read and write in their heritage language reach English language proficiency more rapidly when they are able to utilize their heritage language for the purpose of accessing academic content and demonstrating knowledge. Utilizing the heritage language is most beneficial during the first 3 years of English language acquisition.

Realistically, what does this look like?

Classroom & EL teachers will provide English learners who already read & write in their heritage language with dual-language learning material as needed to ensure equal access. This includes: text readings, articles, homework assignments, quizzes and tests in both the heritage language and English. Students may also view websites and videos related to the content being introduced in their heritage language. In addition, students who are not yet writing in English may write assignments in their heritage language using Google Docs, and translate it into English by using Google Translation Tools. Once a student is reading and writing in English, this form of scaffolding will be discontinued.

This right to this type of scaffolding comes from the fact that by law, EL students have the legal right to fully access and fully participate in the same content curriculum as peers.

The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974 prohibits discrimination against students and requires school districts to take action to ensure equal access and participation for all students. This includes ELs right to access their grade-level curriculum and participate in the core curriculum, as well as receive comprehensible instruction from all teachers in all content areas.

EL Teacher Qualifications & Responsibilities

Vermont school districts who have English learners in their population are required by law to employ an EL teacher who holds a valid Vermont teachers license, which includes at the minimum an Multilingual Learner endorsement. It is the EL teachers job to:

Plan and deliver lessons in a variety of settings
Collaborate with classroom teachers, specialists and administrators
Provide support and guidance to EL students, faculty and parents
Administer formative and summative assessments, and monitor student progress
Assist classroom teachers in differentiating instruction for different language proficiency levels
Ensure students have appropriate accommodations for assessments and for instruction
Ensure students are graded in accordance to their English proficiency level capabilities. (WIDA CAN DO Descriptors)

Note: Other staff in the district, such as literacy & math interventionists and other specialists, special educators, & SLPs, may provide direct EL support to EL students as long as there is ongoing EL teacher consultation.

Further Questions?

Any questions related to Mount Mansfield Unified School District EL Program can be directed to:

The MMUUSD EL Coordinator - Jenn Cote - jenn.cote@mmuusd.org

EL Teacher - Katherine Wolff - katherine.wolff@mmuusd.org

Superintendent - John Muldoon - john.muldoon@mmuusd.org

MMUUSD Central Office: Phone 802-434-2128

In addition, questions related to the rights of EL learners and their families can be answered by Title III and EL Programs Director at the Vermont Agency of Education, Stephanie Vogel:

Stephanie.Vogel@vermont.gov , (802) 828-1533

English Learners - Vermont Agency of Education Web Link:

https://education.vermont.gov/student-support/federal-programs/english-learners