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Mission
Program Description
International Student Enrollment
Language Assistance Services
Contacts and Links
Mission
The mission of the Hall County English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program is as follows:
- To
provide each English Language Learner with the academic and social
skills necessary to insure academic achievement and facilitate
productive life-long learning
- To provide services to
assist international parents and students in becoming an integral part
of the school and community
- To provide ongoing staff development for ESOL teachers, content area teachers, and parent liaisons
Program Description
Students with 36 different primary home languages attend Hall County
Schools. The ESOL Program serves more than 5,500 English Language
Learners who originate from more than 25 countries. The program offers ESOL
classes for 3,808 ELL students who are instructed by 103 ESOL teachers
providing services in all Hall County schools.
English
Language Learners (ELLs) in need of support may receive daily direct
instruction from an ESOL teacher, other language assistance teachers,
or instructional interventions in the regular classroom. ESOL teachers
collaborate closely with other teachers, sometimes in a co-teaching
setting, to provide comprehensible instruction for English Language
Learners in acquiring English proficiency while continuing to learn
content. The ultimate academic goal for ELLs is achieving success with
the Georgia Performance Standards.
ESOL instruction addresses
listening, speaking, reading and writing skills needed for academic
achievement in language arts, math, social studies, science and social
interaction. In addition, students are introduced to American cultural
concepts needed for school success while they are encouraged to value
their first language and culture.
International Student Enrollment
Upon
entry into the school system, each student completes a Home Language
Survey as part of the registration form. If the Home Language Survey
reveals that the student’s primary language is anything other than
English, the student must be assessed using the state English
proficient test, WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT). Students
whose primary language is any language other than English as determined
by the Home Language Survey are encouraged to register at the
International Center. The International Center is able to provide bilingual assistance and community resources, as well as administer assessments. Parents of students new to US schools should call the Hall County International Center for an appointment (770-534-9123). At
the International Center, families will be interviewed by bilingual
staff to complete necessary school forms, and students will be assessed
for English language proficiency and math skills. If students have
transcripts from previously attended schools, they should bring those
with them to enroll.
Language Assistance Services
Following the guidelines established by the Georgia Department of
Education, Hall County provides language assistance services for
eligible English Language Learners (ELL). WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test
(W-APT) results below proficiency Level 5.0 deem a student as ELL and
therefore, eligible for language assistance services. These services
are often provided by the school’s English to Speakers of Other
Language (ESOL) program using a pullout, push-in (co-teaching) or
sheltered instructional model. The program is designed to help these
students develop and improve English proficiency and provide them with
the language foundation to participate successfully in mainstream
classroom instruction.
ESOL
eligible students are tested annually with the WIDA-Assessing
Comprehension and Content in English State to State (ACCESS) for
English Language Learners. The test measures academic language across
the content areas of language arts, math, science and social studies.
Scores are used to measure student progress from year to year and to
determine when English language learners no longer need language
assistance. Once ready to exit language assistance services, students
are monitored for a two-year period to assure continuation of academic
and language progress.
Contacts and Links
Dr. Sandra Perry, ESOL Coordinator
Mrs. Cindy Tu, ESOL Teacher on Special Assignment
Rebecca Scroggs, International Center Coordinator (770-534-9123)
Other informational links:
GADOE (Georgia Department of Education) http://www.gadoe.org/ci_iap_esol.aspx
OELA (Office of English Language Assistance) – www.oela.edu
NCELA (National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition)
CAL (Center for Applied Linguistics) – www.cal.org
NABE (National Association for Bilingual Education) – www.nabe.org
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) – www.tesol.org
GATESOL (Georgia Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) – www.gatesol.org
CREDE http://crede.berkeley.edu/
SIOP www.siopinstitute.net
Pew Hispanic Center www.pewhispanic.org
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