English Language Learners

Eligibility

When students initially enroll in the District, all families are required to complete a Home Language Survey, which is a short set of questions used to gain more information about the language/s spoken by the student and/or their family members. Students who either speak another language or have a family member who speaks another language at home are then screened for services no later than 30 days after the start of the school year.  These results are used to determine if the student is eligible to receive EL services at school and are reported both to the parents and to the State of Illinois. 

Once identified, students are provided with EL services until they have reached proficiency on the ACCESS exam, which is a state mandated language proficiency test that assesses students reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. For more information on the ACCESS exam, click HERE. 

Programming

The District is committed to supporting all students, including those eligible as English Language Learners, as they develop social, cultural, and academic competence by creating a learning environment that: 

• Expects students to meet high academic standards
• Facilitates effective Communication in English through reading, writing, speaking, and listening
• Encourages risk taking and inquiry 

In order to meet these standards of success, the ELL teacher works collaboratively with all teachers and support providers to plan appropriate instruction for students. The district offers the following English Language (EL) services, which are based on student need: 

• Consultation 
• Push-In Support (Inside the General Education Classroom)
• Pull-Out Support (Outside the General Education Classroom)  

Exiting the English Language Learner Program

Students remain eligible for EL supports and services until they have reached proficiency on the ACCESS for ELL assessment. Once students exit the program, they continue to be monitored to ensure they are successful in the classroom without additional support.