Students receiving ESL services have moved here from other countries and they may have difficulty understanding and speaking English. Services must be provided to these students regardless of what their native languages are and regardless of whether or not the district has staff who speak their languages.
All incoming students are given a Home Language Survey that must be completed and returned to the Office of Accountability, whether a student is eligible for services or not. The survey is one of the measurements used to determine the level of service a student requires. Initial assessments are completed once children have been registered to attend school.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Accountability at 216.230.2880.
Educational Goal for English Learners
Warrensville Heights City School District’s goal for English Learners (EL) is to provide supplemental services that focus on the language proficiency skills:
(1) listening,
(2) speaking,
(3) reading and
(4) writing to support EL linguistics, academic and social emotional development.
Identification Process of English Learners
The district adheres to the guidelines outlined in Identifying English Learners in Ohio. New enrollees language experience and educational background and parents/guardians preference of communication is determined through the completing the Home Language Survey available in the district’s student information system (SIS) Infinite Campus Registration Portal. The Ohio English Language Proficiency Screeners (OELPS) is administered by a certified TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher to students whose home language survey indicates English is his/her second language.
Parent/Guardian Notification of English Learners (EL)
Parents/Guardians of EL will be notified within thirty days of the start of the school year that their child will receive EL services. Students who are not determined EL prior to the beginning of the school year, a notification will be sent out within two weeks of the identification process. The notification will outline EL’s proficiency level based on the five communication skills:
(1) listening,
(2) speaking,
(3) reading,
(4) writing and
(5) comprehension, and EL Program Services offered.
Notification will be communicated to parents/guardians in the preferred language.
Programs Services for English Learners (EL)
TESOL services are contracted with PSI to provide the following supplemental services:
- Shelter Instruction: A collaborative effort between the TESOL teacher and classroom teacher to address academic and social linguistic content; and
- Pull-out Model: The TESOL teacher provide small group or individual instruction based on the EL Individual Learning Plan of Service (ILPS) and Student Learning Objectives (SLO).
Progress Monitoring of English Learners (EL)
Ballard & Tighe IPT-IDEA Proficiency Test is used to monitor EL progress on the four language domains:
(1) listening,
(2) speaking,
(3) reading and
(4) writing to identify
EL Language Acquisition (i.e. pre-functional, beginner, higher beginner, intermediate, and advanced). ILPS and SLO’s will be developed based on the student language proficient level for the fall administration, and re-administered in the spring to determine the students’ progress.
Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA)
OELPA is a statewide assessment administered in the spring to measure EL English language proficiency and determine their performance level (i.e. proficient, emerging, and progressing) when assessed in the four domains. This assessment tool will also be used to identify EL who are ready to exit the EL program based on meeting the proficient level in the four domains.
Exiting the EL Program
Upon a student achieving the proficient level in the four language acquisition domains:
(1) listening,
(2) speaking,
(3) reading and
(4) writing, on the statewide assessment OELPA,
he/she will be exited from the program and no longer be classified as EL. Although the student has exited the program, he/she will still be monitored for the next four years using a monitoring form. If it is determined that the student still has a language deficit, a team will review the performance data and a re-test will be administered to determine if the student should receive additional language services or interventions.