English Learner Services

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All English learners receive core instruction in the general classroom and therefore participate in district and state mandated assessments. Once identified, ELs are provided with a combination of pull-out and push-in instruction in individual and/or small group settings. This instruction focuses on the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. English learners receive a Test Plan that documents accommodations for assessments. The Test Plan includes linguistic and nonlinguistic as well as direct and indirect accommodations.

Virginia is a WIDA Consortium member. WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for linguistically diverse students through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional development for educators.

The WIDA standards include:

  • Standard 1 - Language for Social and Instructional Purposes: English learners communicate for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting.
  • Standard 2 - Language for Language Arts: English learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.
  • Standard 3 - Language for Mathematics: English learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Mathematics.
  • Standard 4 - Language for Science: English learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science.
  • Standard 5 - Language for Social Studies: English learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Social Studies.

Students receive services by an EL teacher and are assigned a homeroom with a general education teacher. Students receive language acquisition support based on their English language proficiency level. Students with lower levels of English receive more intensive language instruction. The more advanced students stay in the general education classroom the majority of the day with the ESL teacher providing assistance as needed. Testing and placement of English language proficiency determines how often and for how long each student receives services by the ESL teacher.

At the start of each year, EL staff meets with each student’s teacher and his/her language proficiency is discussed along with strategies and accommodations to assist the student.

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