ESOL
English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
The Mitchell County ESOL Program is designed to help students achieve their full social and academic potential within the culture of an American school. We are committed to developing our students’ communicative confidence and skills in the four main areas of language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition, the ESOL program seeks to create supportive learning environments in your child’s classroom and school which value and build on students’ academic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.
For more information about Georgia’s state funded ESOL Language Program follow this link to the State ESOL Language Program Webpage.
ESOL Program Goals:
ESOL Program Goals:
- The ESOL teachers work in collaboration with classroom and other special programs teachers to support the acquisition of language and content skills.
- The ESOL program promotes each student's appreciation of their ability to perform a wide variety of intellectual and physical activities.
- The ESOL program encourages the student's positive recognition of a variety of cultures, recognizing similarities and differences
Identifying ESOL Students:
The Georgia Department of Education provides the following guidelines for identifying students who may be identified as an English Language Learner (ELL):
1. Students whose native/home/first language is other than English
2. Students who have difficulty listening, speaking, reading, writing or understanding the English language to the extent that their language skills are a barrier to their success in a regular classroom.
Parents complete The Home Language Survey for his/her child when registering in the Mitchell County School System. The Home Language Survey is included in the registration form packet. The HLS helps to determine if there is the influence of a language other than English in the child’s environment. This survey contains four questions and will identify any languages other than English that are:
1. most frequently spoken in the home by adults
2. most frequently spoken in the home by the student
3. student currently understands or speaks
4. prefer notices of school activities to be sent home
Eligible students are screened with the state-adopted proficiency test, the WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs Placement Test (W-APT) and are determined to be either proficient in English or at a level of English proficiency that can benefit from ESOL services.
Program Delivery Models:
Push-In - Push-in is a model of instruction in which English Language Learners (ELLs) remain in their general education class where they receive content instruction from their content area teacher and language assistance from the ESOL teacher.
Pull-Out - Pull-out is a model of instruction in which English Language Learners (ELLs) are "pulled" from their regular classrooms for a class period of intense English language instruction.
Sheltered Content - Sheltered content is a model that can be used in grades 6-12. It uses ESOL strategies to deliver the content of a specific course to English Language Learners (ELLs). Sheltered content instruction aims to facilitate mastery of academic content that is taught through English, as well as promoting the learner's English language development.
Scheduled Class - Scheduled class period is a model that can be used at the secondary level. Students are scheduled for elective classes which focus on speaking, listening, reading and writing. Composed only of English Language Learners (ELLs), students receive instruction specifically targeted to their level of language proficiency.
The Georgia Department of Education provides the following guidelines for identifying students who may be identified as an English Language Learner (ELL):
1. Students whose native/home/first language is other than English
2. Students who have difficulty listening, speaking, reading, writing or understanding the English language to the extent that their language skills are a barrier to their success in a regular classroom.
Parents complete The Home Language Survey for his/her child when registering in the Mitchell County School System. The Home Language Survey is included in the registration form packet. The HLS helps to determine if there is the influence of a language other than English in the child’s environment. This survey contains four questions and will identify any languages other than English that are:
1. most frequently spoken in the home by adults
2. most frequently spoken in the home by the student
3. student currently understands or speaks
4. prefer notices of school activities to be sent home
Eligible students are screened with the state-adopted proficiency test, the WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs Placement Test (W-APT) and are determined to be either proficient in English or at a level of English proficiency that can benefit from ESOL services.
Program Delivery Models:
Push-In - Push-in is a model of instruction in which English Language Learners (ELLs) remain in their general education class where they receive content instruction from their content area teacher and language assistance from the ESOL teacher.
Pull-Out - Pull-out is a model of instruction in which English Language Learners (ELLs) are "pulled" from their regular classrooms for a class period of intense English language instruction.
Sheltered Content - Sheltered content is a model that can be used in grades 6-12. It uses ESOL strategies to deliver the content of a specific course to English Language Learners (ELLs). Sheltered content instruction aims to facilitate mastery of academic content that is taught through English, as well as promoting the learner's English language development.
Scheduled Class - Scheduled class period is a model that can be used at the secondary level. Students are scheduled for elective classes which focus on speaking, listening, reading and writing. Composed only of English Language Learners (ELLs), students receive instruction specifically targeted to their level of language proficiency.
Upon attainment of English language proficiency, as measured by the "ACCESS for ELLs 2.0" assessment, EL students exit from language support services.
For more information about Georgia’s EL Entrance and Exit Criteria follow this link to the State ESOL Language Program Webpage.
Title III is a federally-funded program that provides eligible school systems with funding to supplement those ESOL services already in place. MCSS does not receive Title III federal funds, school year 2018-2019.
As the state transitioned to compliance with the ESSA law, it was necessary to remove the ESOL notification elements of the letter - leaving only those elements required under Title I. This resulted in a need for a new "ESOL services" letter to be developed for dissemination to parents. This letter, or a district developed version of this letter, must be sent to the parents of every student who is found to qualify or continue to qualify for ESOL services after July 1, 2017. Parent Notification Letter for ESOL Services
This letter, or a district developed version of this letter, must be sent to the parents of every student who is found to qualify or continue to qualify for ESOL services after July 1, 2017.
Contacts
Tina Sharp
Federal Programs Coordinator
[email protected]
Jenny Collins
ESOL Teacher/Facilitaror
[email protected]
Jacqueline Young
ESOL Teacher
Parent resources
- World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA)
- Georgia Department of Education
- Georgia Department of Education Title III/ESOL
- Council of La Raza
- The National Center for Family Literacy
- Colorín Colorado Family Resources
PARENT MEETINGS