English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

The focus of the English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) serves to encompass our district’s diverse population and is designed to increase English Language proficiency for students who have a second language influence. The district led ESOL program is an integral part in creating student-centered learning environments that encourage the assimilation into second language and culture, while maintaining a respect for students’ linguistic and cultural heritage. Through professional development, guidance, and collaboration, the district office helps schools to ensure that English Language Learners (ELLs) have access to the full content area curriculum through effective DoDEA aligned ESOL programs. The direction of the ESOL program has also served to deliver comprehensive instruction that promotes the success of students attaining goals and outcomes aligned to DoDEA’s Blueprint and standards.

Within the Pacific East District ESOL program and included in every school:

• The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services provide ESOL academic and instructional support for schools within the Pacific East District.

• The ESOL services support the implementation of the ESOL WIDA program and assessment to include training and working with the DoDEA Accountability and Assessment team to ensure fidelity to service and testing protocols.

• The ESOL services provide Pacific East guidance concerning ESOL instruction, learning, and assessment as aligned to DoDEA standards

• We have established ESOL programs that support consistent, cohesive, and collaborative instructional and programmatic practices across the Pacific East by providing intentional and data-based professional learning opportunities, continuous and timely support, and promoting student/teacher agency.

• The ESOL program provides unlimited opportunities to reach high expectations, equal access to quality, standards-based education, new and motivating challenges to inspire excellence, and total accountability through differentiated instructional practices based on WIDA Screener and ACCESS data (went from LAS LINKS to WIDA Assessments to align with national best practices and to create seamless transitions for DoDEA’s highly mobile learners)

The Pacific East District has created a comprehensive ESOL professional learning structure that provides learning opportunities through headquarter and regional developed College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) training. Professional learning sessions align with school-specific objectives, district goals, and continuing education courses that include:

• University of San Diego (USD) ESOL courses for credit with a focus on improving instruction and learning

• Quarterly CCRS Social Studies module training sessions that assist ESOL teachers with content integration of social studies into ESOL teaching and learning

• Ongoing job embedded or school specific professional development designed to meet the needs of ESOL teachers or general education teachers in supporting ELLs.

Additionally, each year the district office helps to ensure that WIDA testing is conducted and completed adhering to testing guidelines, DoDEA expectations, and within the allotted testing window. The ESOL ISS helps to ensure that all testing administrators and coordinators have needed testing resources along with required assessment training.

Primary training for ESOL instruction occurs during the beginning of the year and continues via learning sessions offered by the district and DoDEA headquarters. The Pacific East District ISS then provides follow-up and ongoing support in the implementation of skills, objectives, strategies, and content present in those sessions. The follow-up support is inclusive of:

• Lesson planning

• Individual and small group coaching sessions

• Resource training

• ESOL school level team collaborations

• New teacher orientation

• Assisting with identifying potential ELLs

• ESOL service scheduling

The Pacific East has positively impacted services for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) as evidence by:

• Implementing new World- Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) English Language Development (ELD) standards for DoDEA ESOL students and providing training to educators regarding the new rigorous standards

• Implementing the WIDA Assessment for ESOL to better help identify secondary language levels within the focus areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing

• Outlining clear processes and procedures for the identification, assessment, support, and monitoring of ESOL students

• Allocating an additional ESOL/ World Language ISS for the Pacific East District and Guam South District to meet the needs of the large ESOL populations located within these two districts

• Providing Job-embedded professional development in assisting general classroom teachers and ESOL teachers in utilizing student-centered approaches to supporting all levels of second language learners

• Creating Professional Learning ISS positions to further assist all teachers in implementing best practices for ESOL instruction

Of the 922 (11%) recognized ESOL students, 45% do not require services. The 55% which do require services are provided assistance based on needs. Every school provides appropriate support for these students.

ESOL Program Guide

ESOL DoDEA Standards

ESOL Page (Schoology Access Needed)

Courses for ESOL Credit

• DoDEA ESOL Teachers -WIDA Supports for ELLS Course Syllabus SY 2020-2021

• Focus on Differentiation with Strategies for Success Course Syllabus SY 2021-2022

DoDEA Arc of Learning: The Arc of Learning includes a cover sheet for the professional learning cycle that provides the Enduring Understandings, Collaborative Practices, and Evidence of Learning statements. The Arc also provides the Learning Outcomes for each ESOL earning session in the implementation cycle.

English Language Proficiency Assessment

Assessments for English Language Learners