Supporting English Learners

The Office of Civil Rights Toolkit for English Learners states we must offer EL services and programs until English Learners are proficient in English and participate meaningfully in educational programs without EL support. In other words, we must ensure access to the curriculum. Our current delivery service model includes both the incorporation of SIOP components and the support of an ELD teacher or an EL para depending upon the grade and proficiency level. It is critical that classroom teachers work in partnership with EL teachers and paras. One way to do this is to include EL teachers as co-teachers into your classroom. Their experience and expertise can support the students in your classes and help you make accommodations for students.

The resources and strategies in this section should be used to support English Learner students at various proficiency levels. In addition, ELD teachers and EL paraprofessionals should be provided shared access to courses to aid with co-planning, identifying lesson scaffolds, and providing student support in all content areas.