PINE-RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT K-12 E.S.L. PROGRAM NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

1. Statement of Program Goals and Objectives

The K-12 English as a Second Language (ESL) Program provides Pine-Richland School District students with the language skills they need to participate successfully in all content area classes. To meet this goal, ESL instruction addresses the ESL (TESOL) and PA state standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening to enable full participation. The emphasis placed on various benchmarks is adjusted to the needs of the individual student and the level of language proficiency throughout the ESL curriculum and mainstream content classes.

An underlying objective is to provide a source of support as the student seeks to understand and adapt to his or her new cultural and academic setting. The teachers work to develop an appreciation of their student’s strengths within the school setting and to ensure full access to the range of educational opportunities available in the schools.

2. Students and Parent Orientation Procedures

All parents/guardians of new students receive an informational packet including information about Pine-Richland School District including:

 Overview of all district building and grounds  Home Language Survey  Overview of extracurricular activities  School calendar outlining all school days, activities and meeting times for various parent and student groups

Several resources and detailed information regarding the ESL program and procedures can also be located on the Pine-Richland homepage under the “Programs” section. This provides a comprehensive overview of the program, placement procedures, curriculum, exiting qualifications, and websites with many helpful resources for families and students moving into the district.

When a new student registers for school, the Principal and/or Guidance Counselor meets with the student and his/her parents or guardians and an English speaking contact, if necessary, to provide a tour and basic school information, a description of the ESL program, what content classes the student will attend, what special programs are available, home and attendance policies, and district-wide assessment practices and procedures. ESL teachers may also explore the addition of other orientation procedures that may support students and parents.

3. Identification and Placement Evaluation Procedures: All parents registering new students in the Pine-Richland School District must complete a Home Language Survey to determine if a language other than English was the student’s first language, or that a language other than English is the predominant language spoken in the home, and if the student was born or a citizen in a country other than the United States. If any of these situations exists, the student will be eligible for an ESL placement evaluation using the WIDA W-APT Placement Tests.

An evaluation is determined to be necessary based upon the responses to the Home Language Survey that the district administers to all students upon enrollment, as explained in the BEC Circular for ELL students. The ESL teaching staff, employed by the Pine-Richland School District, conducts the evaluations using the WIDA W-APT Placement Test, evaluating the student’s English proficiency in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the student’s English language proficiency and then proceeds to appropriate placement and ESL instruction.

Based on the WIDA W-APT placement scores, if a student does not pass all sections of the evaluation or does not obtain a passing composite score high enough in the range levels for passing in the grade level that the evaluation was taken, the student will be placed into an English as a Second Language Program within the Pine-Richland School District. The ESL teacher writes a report on the student’s level of English Proficiency (Level 1-Level 6), proposing instructional goals in ESL, and the mainstream classroom and curriculum materials. Results are filed and scheduling and instruction may begin at this time.

A.) On-going Assessment

The initial assessment and recommendations guide the initial ESL instruction. The student’s ESL teacher continues the assessment process by documenting narrative reports evaluating progress in each of the area described above each nine weeks. A content-based curriculum is used in each grade level and instruction is modified to adhere to the needs and proficiency of each student. The ESL teachers, classroom teachers, parents and students should maintain open lines of communication and frequently collaborate main objectives and goals for the students, both in the ESL and mainstream classrooms. Teachers are given ESL progress reports/report cards each nine weeks for students that are currently participating in the program, as well as observation and summative forms to complete. In the secondary grades, ESL is considered to be a credited English course and the students receive grades on their report cards each nine weeks. The secondary teachers are also given observation forms to complete indicating student progress, strengths and weaknesses. The WIDA ACCESS Tests for ELL students is a state mandated test that is given annually (Jan.- March) and is used as one component of an end-of-year measure for all English Language Learners. Students MUST score a passing score on all portions of a Tier Level C component of these tests in their grade level to be considered for Exit of the ESL program.

B.) Exit and Monitoring

As a student begins to achieve academic and grade-level expectations, program exit is considered. There are many factors to be considered when a student reaches the possibility of being exited from the ESL program into the mainstream classroom.

 Level of skills and abilities demonstrated in the ESL classroom  Achievement and grades/indicators in the content area classes  Results on the WIDA ACCESS Tests for ELL’s (A student must pass a Tier Level C test in their grade level with a composite score of 5.0 or higher.  Scores on standardized tests administered within the district  PSSA scores of a Basic or Above  Observations and anecdotal information

District personnel are required to monitor the progress of each student who leaves the program for two years to ensure that they are successful in achieving academic standards. The ESL teachers will document grades and give classroom teachers a brief evaluation form of exited students each nine weeks, until the two year monitoring time lapse has occurred. Reinstatement of ESL instruction can be considered if a concern exists.

4. Instructional Program

The Pine-Richland School District uses English as a Second Language rather than bilingual education, in view of the diverse linguistic backgrounds of our students. The ESL instruction is provided by teachers that hold the ESL Program Specialist K-12 Certificate and are also state accredited with certifications in elementary education, English, or foreign language.

Students are grouped when age and ability permit. The Pine-Richland School District uses primarily a pull-out ESL and Content-Based ESL service program. The total number of hours of ESL instruction varies according to the student’s needs. Recommended amounts of ESL instruction can be used as a reference and are aligned with the LEP/ELL/BEC.

A.) Curriculum

ESL teachers focus on specialized vocabulary, learning strategies, writing skills, and literacy as they consider the PA standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Instructional materials that are used in the ESL program are thematic and content- based with a curriculum that includes a combination of the following materials, but is not limited to, according to the student’s abilities and needs:  EDGE Reading, Writing and Grammar Series (Grades 9-12) Hampton-Brown  Writing English in Context (Grades 9-12) Saddleback Publishing  Writer’s Workshop Series (Grades 9-12) PCI Publishing  High Point Series for ELL’s (Grades 6-8/9-12) Hampton-Brown  Accelerated English Language Learning (Grades 6-8) Scott Foresman/Pearson  Avenues Series for ELL’s (Grades K-5) Hampton-Brown  Grammar and Usage English in Context (Grades 6-8/Grades 1-5) Saddleback  Reading Skills and Strategies Upper Elementary/Middle (Remedia Publications)

There is also a use of a wide variety of technological and online resources and supplemental materials and activities that are used on a daily basis.

B.) Amount of Time in Content Classes

ESL instruction is scheduled to occur during the Language Arts, English, Reading, or Foreign Language periods on a student’s schedule. In some cases, a student may be given additional ESL support as a push-in during the content area class. When students participate in content area classes, the classroom teachers will collaborate with the ESL teacher to make the proper accommodations or modifications, as necessary for the student to advance in English proficiency and become successful in the mainstream classroom.

5. Student Participation in Related Extracurricular Activities

Students have access to and are encouraged to participate in all aspects of the academic and extracurricular opportunities available at the District. Information is disseminated to the students and their parents regarding such activities. If necessary, an interpreter can be located to assist with this process. English language learners have access to any course of study available. It is the responsibility of the classroom teachers, working in collaboration with the ESL teachers, to make the necessary accommodations. Vocational students who are English language learners must be provided ESL instruction appropriate to their level of proficiency during the times they remain in the District.

6. Pupil Personnel Services

A.) Counseling

A full range of counseling services is available to all English Language Learners. These services include, but are not limited to, individual and group counseling through the Guidance Departments and classroom sessions and activities that the counselors provide within the District. If necessary, someone may be appointed to help the family in understanding the terminology or processes of such services. B.) Special/Support Education

If a student is referred for a multi-disciplinary evaluation, every effort will be made to provide testing in the student’s native language. Once it has been determined that a disability exists and this disability is not solely due to lack of instruction or proficiency in the English language, students who are English language learners are eligible to participate in special education programs and the established procedure and timelines for determining the disability and developing the IEP are followed. There is not a required waiting period for students who are enrolled in an ESL program to be evaluated for special education programs. The same guidelines should be followed as native English speaking students for placement and evaluation of special/support services for an ELL, other than providing an interpreter and test in the student’s native language. These students will continue to receive ESL instruction at the appropriate proficiency and developmental level in addition to the goals and objectives that are outlined in the IEP. Communication with the parents of these students must be clear and understandable. The school district will ensure that parents are aware of all the options available to them.

Students who are dually enrolled in both ESL classes and special educational support will still be required to participate in the WIDA ACCESS State Evaluations for English Language Learners annually. Currently, there are no alternative WIDA ACCESS Tests available specifically for special needs students, but accommodations may be made accordingly.

C.) Other Related Services

Students with limited English proficiency may participate in all the federal or other programs available within the school for which they qualify. Collaboration among programs to provide services to students should maximize the benefits to the students. If necessary, someone may be provided to assist the family with this process.

D.) Services/Parochial Schools

If a student is attending a Parochial school outside of the Pine-Richland School district, but the family resides within the district and qualifies for the ESL program, it is the responsibility of Pine-Richland to provide the appropriate services through Title III. The options for services would be the parents of the student would be responsible for transportation of the student to the district for services, or monies from the Title III fund would be used to purchase materials to be used by the Parochial school the student is attending. The parents also have the choice of opting out and declining all services if the student attends a parochial school.

If a student qualifies for the ESL program and is attending a Parochial School within the Pine-Richland School district, but resides elsewhere outside of the Pine-Richland School District, it is then the responsibility of the district where the student resides to follow the same guidelines as listed above. 7. Staff Development Related to Program

The Pine-Richland School District is committed to providing content areas teachers with training and information, which highlights best practices in meeting the needs of English Language Learners.

Based on a review of the educational and professional development needs of the District, the following goals have been established for the professional education plan:

 To have certified professional staff use effective educations practices based on current research and sound learning principles to maximize the learning of all students, including ESL/Special Education and Gifted Education students.  To have certified professional staff be highly skilled in the use of technology that will maximize the learning of all students.  To take advantage of opportunities when they become available to participate in a session related to ELL’s and their learning processes or an overview of the program.  To become aware and sensitive to culturally diverse students and cultures within the classroom and plan lessons accordingly  Staff, parents and students are able to access an entire overview of the ESL program, pages with resources, information and websites for ELL students at all grade levels and proficiency levels through the Pine-Richland Homepage under the Programs section.

8. Community Involvement

A.) Communication with Students/Parents

A Home Language Survey is completed for all Pine-Richland School District students. Responses to questions of the Home Language Survey are completed by parents at the beginning of the school year. For all new students enrolling at Pine-Richland School District, the Home Language Survey is completed as part of the enrollment process.

ESL teachers are expected to maintain frequent and close contact with parents regarding the needs of their children and the goals and objectives their children will meet and accomplish in the ESL program. Means of communication may result in face to face meetings, Email correspondence and the Pine-Richland website. Parent orientations and overviews of the program are offered when needed by the ESL teachers. ESL teachers also schedule meetings to discuss progress with parents and classroom teachers on scheduled Act 80 days, team meetings, IEP meetings and any other days that may be necessary throughout the school year. B. Complaint Resolution Process

If parents or guardians do not believe their child’s ESL program is helping their child develop the adequate level of proficiency or services, they can request a meeting with the ESL teacher and building principal to discuss altering the child’s program. If an agreement is not reached, the team may request a meeting with the district’s ESL program director.

9.) Program Evaluation Procedures

How are English proficiency levels evaluated?

A. Success in the ESL program (observations, participation, grades, activities, progression)

B. Success in the content area classrooms (observations, participation, grades, activities, progression)

C. WIDA ACCESS State ELL Tests (Must pass a Level C Tier in grade level)

D. District Assessments

E. PSSA Scores (Basic or Above)