English Learners

3/19/2021

Dear Families,

As we navigate all the exciting changes ahead, we would like to inform you of our plans for EL services for the next few weeks. (Please bear in mind, we are getting new information/mandates on a daily basis, so all of these plans are subject to change).

Bridge Weeks (3/22-4/2): No changes - we will continue with the current EL schedule. We understand that your child may have to miss one session/week due to Bridge Week activities, if participating.

April 5th - 9th: No EL services this week. This will allow students to acclimate back to their classroom, or their new online service model, without interruptions/pull-outs. The EL Team will be working to create a new schedule to accommodate all of our students and their new in-person or online service model.

Spring Break (4/12-4/16)

More information will follow after Spring Break!

All the best,

Lockwood EL Team
Cheryl McFarlane and Janice Merdgen

Welcome to the Lockwood ELL Website
(English Language Learners)

The ELL program exists to serve English learners as they develop English language proficiency while striving to access grade level academic content. Put simply, the goal of ELL is to provide access to what's going on in the classroom. ELL's receive varying levels of support based on their language proficiency and grade level.

Students in the ELL program are given language support in their classrooms. An ELL specialist works with the child, providing him or her with instruction to build their English skills for listening, speaking, reading and writing. The ELL specialist uses pictures, games, graphic organizers, books, realia, first language translations, GLAD and other ELL strategies to enable students to understand class instruction and participate in class activities.
Guidelines for ELL instruction are based on the Washington English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards that connect to the Common Core State Standards. Instruction is designed to meet students at their different proficiency levels while challenging them to advance to the next level. Active communication in English through listening, speaking, reading and writing is at the heart of instruction.In the classroom, students work in individual, small group and classroom settings. We strive for a 'safe' learning environment where students are free to make mistakes, are confident in their ability to succeed and find the content of the class relevant to their lives.
Learning a new language is a fun, but difficult task. As the teacher, I will guide the students as much as I can, but the responsibility for learning is with the students. The following practices will help students to be successful learners.
· Pay attention
· Participate in all class activities
· Practice speaking English outside of class
· Attend class regularly with a good attitude
· Finish assignments
· Ask questions
· Take risks - Don't be afraid to make mistakes - you'll learn from them. The more you try, the faster you'll learn
· HAVE FUN! We do our best to make the class interesting and challenging. Students will learn the most when they relax and enjoy the activities.

English Language Development (ELD) services, in combination with general education, provides students (K-12) with linguistic development accessing grade level academic content as they acquire English language proficiency. Multilingual students who qualify for ELD services receive appropriately differentiated levels of direct services based on their language proficiency and grade level.

Annual English Language Assessments

Multilingual students who qualify for services in Northshore will soon take the annual WIDA Access English Language Proficiency Assessment or the WIDA Alternate Access Assessment for students that qualify based on their IEP. The State of Washington requires that students who are eligible for ELD services take an assessment yearly to measure students’ continuing progress in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English. This includes students who are eligible but whose parents have refused services. Parents may still opt-out of services for the next school year if they wish.

WIDA testing will take place in-person and at school between Feb. 1, 2022 and March 25, 2022.

By fall of 2022, you will receive your student’s score report. Please contact the ELD staff at your child’s school for more information.

Our Belief & Vision

We BELIEVE that every student has the capacity to achieve academic success and make a positive contribution to society.
We VALUE the diversity of our community and recognize the importance of celebrating this diversity within the learning environment.
We RECOGNIZE that systemic barriers exist and are key contributing factors in the pervasive, disparate student achievement outcome within our school system.

Our diverse population of learners will have equal access to rigorous academic content while acquiring language proficiency through sheltered instruction so that they are ready for lifelong success after graduation. As a community we will create awareness that it takes from 5-10 years to achieve academic language proficiency and we assume simultaneous development of language and content-area knowledge.

Elementary School

ELD support is provided in all Northshore Elementary Schools. Emerging and Progressing ELD students are in general education classrooms and will receive additional assistance from a certificated ELD teacher or an ELD paraprofessional based on their student data. Classroom teachers will provide support to Proficient ELD students within core content by using language development strategies to support listening, speaking, reading and writing. ELD staff provide supplemental academic vocabulary instruction through push-in or pull-out, small, flexible groups. In addition, Newcomers (0-2 years in the U.S.) receive instruction to build essential English language communication skills.

ELD staff collaborate with classroom teachers to monitor students who have exited from ELD services. Students are monitored for 2 years to ensure they continue to make academic progress in school. Assistance is provided as needed for proficient ELD students.

Middle School

ELD support is provided at all middle schools. Emerging and Progressing ELD students follow the general education plan and also receive one ELD class period a day from a certificated ELD teacher. Progressing ELD students with academic needs can also enroll in this ELD class period. The ELD class is designed to provide intensive English language development to develop all skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and comprehension.

ELD Paraprofessional staff provides supplemental academic vocabulary instruction through push-in or pull-out, small, flexible groups. Students receive assistance within their general classrooms. Students who have exited ELD services in the past 2 years are also provided support if there are academic needs.

High School

Emerging and Progressing ELD students follow the general education plan and also receive up to two EL class periods a day from a certificated ELD teacher including:

Daily ELD English: Beginning and Intermediate students receive English credit while developing English proficiency skills (and/or)
Academic English Language: Beginning, Intermediate (and Advanced, depending on needs) ELD students receive academic content support focusing on the academic language necessary in core content classes.

Additionally, ELD Paraprofessional staff provide supplemental academic vocabulary instruction through push-in or pull-out, small, flexible groups. Students receive assistance within their general classrooms. Students who have exited ELD services in the past 2 years are also provided support if there are academic needs.