Talawanda
School District
Description of Programs of Limited English Proficient
Students
English as a
Second Language (ESL) is an educational approach
which
addresses the
needs of limited English proficient students through
tutoring
and
classroom instruction in English rather than a
student’s native language.
Students may be
pulled from their classrooms in order to work
individually
or
in small groups with an ESL teacher. For the remainder of
the school
day, students
learn with their peers in a general education setting.
ESL
classes focus
on language acquisition, English grammar, and
promote
natural
communication activities (ie. free conversation, games,
and
discussions
surrounding familiar topics). Reading and writing are
practiced,
as
well as oral communication skills in English.
Student are
identified for Talawanda’s ESL program based upon the
results
of
the Idea Proficiency Test (IPT), which is administered to
any student
whose family
indicates a second language on the Home Language Survey.
If
a
child’s scores indicate moderate to advanced levels
of English proficiency,
students may be
monitored through consultation with general
education
teachers.
However, if a student scores in the low range on the
IPT,
additional
support will be provided through the ESL teacher.
In
addition to participating in state achievement and
graduation tests, all
English
Language Learners (ELLs) are required by law to be assessed
in the
spring in order
to measure their progress regarding language
acquisition.
Talawanda
students in grades K-12 are annually tested using the
OTELA
(Ohio Test of
English Language Acquisition) between the months of
January and
March.