ELL Program Overview

Who are ELLs?

Educators use many terms when referring to English-language learners, including English learners (or ELs), limited English proficient (LEP) students, non-native English speakers, language-minority students, and either bilingual students or emerging bilingual students.

ELLs are students who often come from homes where languages other than English are spoken and who typically need specialized instruction in the English language. At WNESU, we provide language support in the classroom and through one-on-one instruction that is dependent on the needs of the student. Additionally, we provide linguistic and cultural support through our network of translators and interpreters to students and their families. If families or community members have questions, comments or are interested in joining our network of translators or interpreters please email our ELL Coordinator, Olivia Clark - see the "About Our Coordinator" page for her contact information.

Student Placement

  1. Upon registration of any grade all families will fill out the Home Language Survey (HLS).

  2. All HLS's with anything other than English on them will be referred to the ELL teacher.

  3. The ELL teacher will conduct a more in-depth screening of each potential ELL’s linguistic, educational, and cultural backgrounds.

  4. When a potential ELL is identified, screening will take place within two weeks.

  5. After screening, the ELL teacher, in coordination with the classroom teacher, will determine a student's instructional needs based on their English Language proficiency.

Assessment

All ELLs will participate in an annual statewide English language proficiency assessment (WIDA ACCESS for ELLs). This test along with statewide achievement, district achievement, and classroom assessments in content areas such as reading, social studies, science and math will determine the student’s need for continued participation in the ELL Program. The ELL teacher will continue to monitor the student as they move through the system and support the classroom teacher to the best of their abilities with supporting the student without direct ELL services.

Historical Precedent for English Language Education

In 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States determined that in order for public schools to comply with their legal obligations under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), they must take affirmative steps to ensure that students with limited English proficiency (LEP) can meaningfully participate in their educational programs and services. The Office for Civil Rights was given the authority to establish compliance regulations. The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA), 20 U.S.C Section 1703 (f) defines “the failure by an educational agency to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students in its instructional programs” as noncompliance.

1. Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974

  • “No state shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual on account of his or her race, color, sex or national origin”.

  • The failure of an educational agency to rectify appropriately a limited English proficient student’s English competencies is a denial of equal educational opportunity and access.

2. Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI

  • “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funds. Any institution or agency receiving federal funds is covered by Title VI. Most educational activities of a recipient agency or institution are covered, including activities or programs not in direct receipt of federal funds.

  • The May 25, 1970 Memorandum, Dept. of HEW, 35 Fed. Reg. 11505 (1970) clarified how Title VI applied to national origin minority students: “Where inability to speak and understand the English language excludes national origin-minority group children from effective participation in the educational program offered by a school district, the district must take affirmative steps to rectify the language deficiency in order to open its instructional program to these students.”

  • Further, the memo states: “Any ability grouping or tracking system employed by the school system to deal with the special language skill needs of national origin-minority group children must be designed to meet such language skill needs as soon as possible and must not operate as educational dead-end or permanent track.”

  • The memo places equal emphasis on (1) placing students in appropriate programs and (2) removing students from these programs once their linguistic needs are met.

3. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) -Title III

  • This is the newly adopted law reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and replaces No Child Left Behind. It focuses on equity, academic standards, assessments, innovations, and accountability.

  • Under Title III, the Vermont Agency of Education awards sub-grants to supplemental English language instructional needs and programs for Limited English Proficient (LEP) and immigrant students. The state provides these funds through eligible sub-grantees. Sub-grantees may be composed of a single or multiple districts large enough to qualify for the minimum $10,000 Title III allocation.

  • Accountability of Funded Title III Programs Every sub-grantee funded under Title III is subject to federal rules of accountability. In order to evaluate the performance of funded Title III programs each school year, Vermont conducts ACCESS® for ELLs statewide assessment. In a similar way, the annual required statewide and district-wide academic assessments is used to determine the levels of proficiency being reached by these students in academic content areas. Vermont is currently a member of the WIDA Consortium for English Language Proficiency Assessment.