English as a New Language (ENL) refers to the study of the English language by students who are non-native speakers of English. In ENL instruction, students develop conceptual content knowledge and gain English proficiency simultaneously. Students engage in subject specific analytical practices and language development in all modalities (listening, speaking, reading and writing).
English Language Learners in the North Rockland Central School District engage in an educational community that values multiculturalism, biliteracy, safety and healthy relationships. We believe that learners that are actively involved in rich, relevant, rigorous learning experiences develop solid language and academic foundations engage in responsible decision making and acquire 21st century skills that prepare them to achieve their college and career goals. We believe that:
Transitional Bilingual Program
Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) programs offer students of the same home language (Spanish for our district) the opportunity to learn to speak, understand, read, and write in English while continuing to learn academic content in their home language. The students’ home language is used to help them progress academically in all content areas while they acquire English. The goal of a TBE Program is to provide students with the opportunity to transition to a monolingual English classroom setting.
ENL Program
Instruction in this program emphasizes English language acquisition. In an ENL program, language arts and content-area instruction are taught in English using specific ENL instructional strategies. Some content area classes are Integrated ENL classes. Integrated ENL classes are taught by a teacher dually certified in the content area and ENL or are co-taught by a certified content area teacher and a certified ENL teacher. In a Stand-alone ENL class, students receive English language development instruction taught by a NYS-certified teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in order to acquire the English language needed for success in core content areas. This program typically serves ELL students from many different home/primary language backgrounds whose only common language is English and therefore cannot participate in a bilingual program.
North Rockland Program Structure
Grades K-6: Two receiving schools for grades 1-6 bilingual students
Each school typically has one transitional bilingual classroom per grade level, some years depending on enrollment there may be two classes in a grade level.
Grades 7-12: Transitional bilingual and ENL content classes
NRCSD’s ENL and Bilingual Programs:
Guiding Principles: Congruence & Seamlessness
The Haverstraw Stony Point Central School District’s administrative process to enroll/register, screen, identify and place ELLs in appropriate programs follows the NY State's CR Part 154 procedures to determine English proficiency during the initial enrollment or reentry process.
Step 1: All new entrants to the district are screened as part of our central registration process. At registration, parents complete the Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ). The Office of ELL services for the district is informed of students who enroll whose parents indicated that they speak a language other than English.
Step 2: Receiving schools and certified ENL teachers review the HLQ. He/She determines if the new entrants have an active IEP. If a new entrant has an active IEP, the school administrator is alerted that an Language Proficiency Team (LPT) must be held to determine if the student should or should not be screened with the New York State Identification Test for English Language Learners (NYSITELL). Once HLQ is reviewed, the certified ENL teacher conducts an oral parent and student interview.
Step 4: The NYSITELL is administered to students whose HLQ and interview results indicate that there is a language other than English spoken at home and that there is a potential English language development need.
Step 5: Identified ELLs are placed in either transitional bilingual or in mainstream classes with ENL support depending on their English proficiency level.
Step 6: Students are provided with the mandated ENL/Spanish service requirements depending on their proficiency level. During the course of the year, progress is measured with diagnostic and monitoring tools and informal formative assessments. At the end of the year, all ELL students are assessed with the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT), which is administered by certified ENL teachers.
The district annually measures and tracks the academic progress and English language proficiency of ELLs using multiple measures to ensure there are multiple data points to drive the instruction of all students. The initial New York State Identification Test for English Language Learners (NYSITELL) and yearly New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) assessment data is used to identify students’ language proficiency levels and areas of strength and weakness in the reading, writing, listening and speaking modalities.
In order for student to exit ENL/Bilingual services they must meet one of the following criterias:
Grades K-12: Scoring at the Commanding Level on the NYSESLAT
Grades 3-8: Scoring at the Expanding Level on the NYSESLAT, and 3 or above on the NYS ELA assessment in the same school year
Grades 9-12: Scoring at the Expanding Level on the NYSESLAT and 65 or above on the Regents Exam in English
Commanding students are no longer considered ELL students, but are entitled to receive two years of Former ELL services