• A Home Language Survey
     
    A Home Language Survey (HILS) will be sent to the parent/guardian of all newly registered students from which a list of Primary Home Language Other Than English (PHOLTES) can be identified.  It is imperative that the survey be properly and fully completed at the time of registration.  If this is not done, the ESL coordinator will follow up on all incomplete or unreturned HILSs and see that there is a 100% completion for all grades.
    • When PHOLOTE are identified, the English as a Second Language (ESL) coordinator will notify the building principal by telephone, in writing, or in person whether or not an ESL need is present and will discuss the recommendations for implementation and instruction of the ESL plan.
    • The ESL coordinator will administer diagnostic testing to determine the level of proficiency of the student utilizing either the Woodcock-Munoz or Idea Proficiency test.
    • The ESL coordinator will notify the building principal whether or not an ESL need is present and will discuss the recommendations for implementation and instruction of the ESL instructional plan.
    • The principal will then schedule a time to meet with the ESL coordinator, the classroom teacher(s), and the certified ESL instructor to discuss the ESL implementation plan and the role each will play.
    • All assessment results, schedule changes, etc. will be placed in the ELLs permanent file.
     
    Entry and Exit Criteria
     
    Based on the information gathered from the home language survey, a child is identified as possibly in need of ESL services if one or both parent's primary language is one other than English; if the language spoken most often in the home of the student is being raised in is other than English; if the first language the student learned to speak is other than English.  In accordance with federal law and to insure academic success, the district will administer an English language proficiency test to identify students who qualify for English as a Second Language (ESL) services.  Once a student's level of English language proficiency is determined, an appropriate program will be prescribed.  Students will be exited from the ESL program when they indicated, through Multiple Measures (grades, anecdotal comments from teachers, report cards, authentic assessments, English Language assessments, etc.) and placed into monitoring for at least two years.
     
    Assessment Process
     
    The formal assessment instrument that will be used to determine English language proficiency will be the Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey and IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT).
     
    Instructional Program
     
    The Blacklick Valley School District ESL program will be based on the needs of the students as determined by their level of proficiency as a result of administering the assessment instrument.  Appropriate ESL instruction will be provided to the student during the class period that they would be assigned Language Arts in an ESL classroom form a certified ESL instructor.  If additional instruction time is needed, an appropriate class period will be assigned.  The focus of the program will be acquisition of the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  The ESL instructional program for culturally and linguistically diverse students is designed to provide social and academic development, explicit instruction and practice in using learning strategies to acquire both declarative and procedural knowledge that can be applied to the contend areas, and finally to integrate grade appropriate content topics into the language learning environment.  The amount of time per week devoted to ESL instruction will be the same as that outlined in the PDE publication "Guidebook to ESL Program Instruction."