Preface

The handbook provides ESOL program guidelines, regulations, and a district description of  English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services for English Learners (ELs) in the Trion  City Schools as required by GaDOE (p. 9, 2011-2012 GaDOE Resource Guide). It is the district’s intent to utilize Title III funding to fully implement and continue to develop a strong content-based ESOL program and curriculum that prepares our students to be academically successful beyond social English fluency.  

“Thus, an important part of leadership in culturally diverse schools is to ensure that an explicit policy is in place with respect to teaching language across the curriculum and that all teachers are prepared (in both senses of the term) to promote academic language development among bilingual students” (Cummins, 1996).

Updated : June 18, 2024 AB

Angie Bowman, Ed.S.

Director of Federal Programs and Curriculum

angie.bowman@trionschools.org

 ESOL Program Staff

Table of Contents

Acronyms and Key Terminology        7

Instruction and Instructional Materials        11

The EL Process from Registration to Post-Exit Monitoring        13

The Registration Process        13

Parent Communication Language        13

Home Language Survey        13

Student Primary Language        13

Maintaining the Home Language Survey        14

Procedures for New Potential English Learner Students        15

Initial English Language Proficiency (ELP) Processes        15

State Approved ELP Screeners        15

ELP Screener Costs        15

Kindergarten Screener        15

Online WIDA Screener        16

Reporting ELP Screener Results        17

Identifying English Learners with Known or Suspected Disabilities        17

WIDA Certification        18

EL Eligbility Criteria and Flowchart        18

Identification Processes for Transfer Students        20

Identification of In-State Transfers        20

Identification of Out-of-State Transfer Students        20

Special Scenarios: Identification  Foreign Exchange Students and Enrollment Gaps        21

Compliance with Parent Notification Requirement for English Learners        21

Data Analysis        22

ESOL Language Program Structures and OCR Obligations        24

Georgia School Law § 20-2-156 – Program for English Learners        24

ESOL Teachers and Staff        24

Professional Learning        24

ESOL Teacher Expectations        24

Teacher Expectations in the Push-in Model        25

ESOL Program Structure        26

ESOL State Funded Segments        26

ESOL Class Sizes State Guidance        26

ESOL State Funded Courses        26

ESOL Approved Delivery Models of Instruction        27

Access to Core Content        27

English Language Development Standards        29

WIDA ELDS Framework, 2020 Edition        29

Can Do Descriptors        29

Proficiency Level Descriptors        29

Local Instructional Resources        31

Digital Language Resources        31

EL Instructional Best Practices        31

Resources        32

Additional Services for English Learners in Gifted,  EIP, and Special Education        33

English Learners with Disabilities        33

English Learners and Gifted Identification        34

Data Quality Controls and Responsibility for Reporting        35

ESOL Folders and Permanent Records        35

Annual Assessments for English Learners        36

ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs        36

Georgia Milestones        36

Testing Accommodations        36

EL Assessment State Reporting        37

Communicating Test Results with Parents        37

ESOL Parent Communication and ESOL Meetings        38

Annual Parent Notification of ESOL Language Program Instruction        38

Parental Waiver Procedures        38

Test Participation Committee (TPC)        39

Assessing Students with Less Than Four Domains        39

ESOL Program Information Parent Meetings        39

EL Exit and Reclassification Procedures        41

State Guidance        41

Trion City Schools: EL Exit & Reclassification Procedures        43

Kindergarten Students        43

Students in Grades 1-12        44

Students in Grades 1-2        44

Students in Grades 3-12        44

Alternate ACCESS        44

ESOL Reclassification Form        44

EL Reclassification Criteria and Process        44

Steps for Completing the ESOL Reclassification Form:        45

Step One        45

Step Two        45

Step Three-Reclassification Meeting for Student Who Took ACCESS 2.0        45

Reclassification for English Learner who took Alternate ACCESS        46

Parent Communication        48

State Reporting Details        48

Post-Exit Monitoring Procedures        48

MTSS/RTI and the Student Support Team Process        50

ESOL and Referrals for Speech and Language Development Services        52

Brief Description of Disorders        53

Articulation Disorders        53

Possible Causes of an Articulation Disorder        54

Language Disorders        54

Possible Causes of Language Disorders        54

Other Considerations in Assessment of ESOL Students        54

Working with the Families        55

What can the ESOL teacher do?        55

Special Education Services        56

Overview of Considerations for ESOL Students with Special Needs        56

How are ESOL and Students with Disabilities Different?        56

Comparing Their Characteristics        56

ESOL Program Evaluation        58

Cycle of Continuous Improvement        58

Data Analysis        58

Annual ELP Assessment Participation Rates        58

Annual EL Exit Rates        58

Accountability/CCRPI        58

ACCESS Score Reports        59

ACCESS SGPs        59

Special English Learner Populations        59

Maintenance of ESOL Records and Documentation        60

Core Documentation:        60

Annual Documents:        60

Exiting Documents:        60

Monitoring Documents (M1 and M2):        60

Compliance Documents:        60

End of Year Documentation and Procedures        61

Appendices        62

Historic EL Exit Criteria        62

Trion City Schools ESOL Form Bank        62

ESOL Forms        62

Core Documentation:        62

Annual Documents:        62

Exiting Documents:        62

Monitoring Documents (M1 and M2):        63

MTSS Pyramid        63

All ESOL forms are available in both English and Spanish. All forms are located within the ESOL Form Bank link located in the the Appendices.

The form links embedded within the ESOL Manual text are in English.

Acronyms and Key Terminology

WIDA ​ACCESS is administered annually to all English learners in Georgia. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​WIDA ​ACCESS is a standards-based, criterion-referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English learners’ social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​WIDA ​ACCESS meets the federal requirements that mandate​ states evaluate EL students in grades K through 12 on their progress in learning to speak English.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​WIDA ​ACCESS is used to determine the English language proficiency levels and progress of ELs in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

WIDA Alternate ACCESS is an individually administered test for EL students in grades K - 12 with significant cognitive disabilities. It is intended for EL students with significant cognitive disabilities that are severe enough to prevent meaningful participation in the WIDA ACCESS assessment. Decisions regarding a student's participation must be made by an IEP team.

Instruction and Instructional Materials

It is the policy of Trion City Schools that data be used to drive the instruction of ESOL students.  Any planning for instruction for EL students must begin with knowing the English language proficiency level (ELP) for the student: Level 1-Entering, Level 2-Beginning, Level 3- Developing, Level 4-Expanding, Level 5-Bridging, and Level 6-Proficient. The WIDA ACCESS for  ELs assessment provides teachers and administrators with the proficiency level for Listening,  Speaking, Reading, and Writing as well as an Overall (Composite) ELP level.  

These ELP levels are used to indicate the proficiency within each domain. Proficiency levels are interpretive scores. They are interpretations of scale scores that may be used to show what students can do with their language development, based on their performance on the assessment. Proficiency level scores are reported from 1.0 to 6.0. They describe the student’s performance in terms of the six WIDA English Language Proficiency Levels. Proficiency Level Desciptors allow the teacher to determine the skill level of the student in each domain as related to the Georgia standards. The WIDA Standards at that ELP level can then be used to “transform” the WIDA  Standards into the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) [see pages RG-34 through RG-41 of the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards and Resource Guide]. Teachers can transform the language function, the topic (content), and/or the support from the Model  Performance Indicator inside the WIDA standards with language function or content to reflect the Georgia Standards of Excellence and then plan instruction accordingly.  

The need for standardization of instructional materials for English language learners has become a district-wide priority. Further, it is a district-wide priority to provide that instruction in the least restrictive environment possible. ESOL curricula consist of plans of instruction that are adapted to the English language proficiency of students and are designed to develop: 1)  listening, speaking, reading, writing, and American cultural concepts and 2) the language of academic instruction used in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.  

The Trion City School System designed and created its own reading program for kindergarten based on Fundations Phonics Instruction and H&H Reading Basic Skills and Comprehension and other supported resources. The established design of the scope and sequence provides instruction that addresses phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, and provides a cumulative and controlled sight word approach to reading. Elementary and middle school teachers of language arts and literacy utilize Words Their Way to support the teaching of spelling and establish word studies when necessary. Elementary and middle school teachers utilize guided reading techniques to provide reading instruction at the instructional level. Each student in K-2  is assessed using the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to determine their instructional reading level and then are matched to an appropriate text level for reading instruction. Writers  Workshop is used in grades K-5 to assist students in achieving the Georgia Standards of Excellencein writing.  The WIDA Can Do Philosophy and the Five ELD Standards are used as a guide for all instruction delivered to ESOL students. Education City for ELs, Fast ForWORD, Starfall, and  Edmark are four computer programs utilized in the classrooms for ESOL students. Additionally,  the Mango web-based computer program and Hampton-Brown materials have been added to the high school as instructional materials and support for English Language Learners.

Under ESSA, parents of English language learners (EL), can expect:  

The EL Process from Registration to Post-Exit Monitoring

The Registration Process

Registration for Trion City Schools is a centralized, online process. Trion City Schools provides a bilingual assistant to aid parents in the enrollment process. Trion City Schools makes every attempt to provide documents in the parents preferred communication language.

The Trion City Schools District requires the same documentation for registration of all students, whether they be United States citizens or foreign nationals:  

1. Birth certificate or other acceptable legal proof of birth date  

2. Proof of residency in Trion City  

3. Certificate of Immunization  

4. Academic records (if available)

Parent Communication Language

To identify the parents’ preferred communication language (as described using the data collections codes), the following question is asked:

• In which language would you prefer to receive school information?

Home Language Survey

In accordance with the State Board Policy for identification of a student’s primary or home language, and to assist in the identification of ELs for ESOL services, the following questions are included during the registration process:

Home Language Survey

(Form A)

Student Primary Language

From the information collected from the home language survey questions during the registration process, the students’ primary language is identified and, if applicable, a language-screening test will be administered within 30 calendar days of enrollment.

In the event that a home language is incorrectly identified, a Home Language Survey (HLS) addendum will be required. Prior to providing an addendum to parents, a written request from the school administrator must be submitted to the director of federal programs. For multilingual language learners, consideration of the need for English services will be given based on the additional information provided by the parent. When applicable, clarification and explanations will be discussed with parents in the preferred language. Any documentation related to these situations will be uploaded to the student’s English language records.

Maintaining the Home Language Survey

The original signed and dated registration form (including the home language survey questions) is filed at the school level. Trion City Schools maintains the document in the student’s permanent file as well as the student’s ESOL folder, if identified as an ESOL learner. In the event a student is enrolling in Trion City Schools from another district, the HLS from the student’s initial enrollment/district must be honored.

Procedures for New Potential English Learner Students  

All Home Language Surveys (HLS) are reviewed by the administrative assistant at each school. Multiple attempts are made to retrieve prior ESOL program eligibility documents of any student transferring from another school that has been indicated speaking any language other than English. When records are obtained, ESOL data and test scores will be utilized. Copies are made and placed in the student’s  ESOL folder. If the student was enrolled in an ESOL program in a non-WIDA Consortium state at the time of transfer, there is NO need for screening. The student is deemed eligible by virtue of his/her screening in the other state and should begin receiving services immediately. (GaDOE  Resource Guide, p. 27)  

The administrative assistant at each school receives at a minimum of an annual training on the implementation and interpretation of the Home Language Survey. If a question arises, the principal of the school is contacted along with the ESOL Director. . All training regarding the use of the HLS is maintained by the ESOL Director.

If the student was not identified with English Learner (EL) = Yes status by the transferring school, the Initial ESOL Referral / Eligibility process will  begin with the completion of the ESOL Referral form (TCS Initial ESOL Referral/ Eligibility (Form B).  A copy of all Initial ESOL Referral Forms will be sent to the ESOL FTE Coordinator and Director of  Federal Programs for documentation purposes.

Initial English Language Proficiency (ELP) Processes

State Approved ELP Screeners

Trion City Schools administers state approved ELP screeners for students in Grade K and 1-12. Previously, retired screeners include K-WAPT, WAPT, and remote. These screeners are no longer used, but records are kept for current students. For information on these historical entrance screeners and allowable entrance criteria, please consult the appropriate year’s manual.

ELP Screener Costs

Local funds will be used to cover any costs associated with the screening process.

Kindergarten Screener

First semester kindergarten through first semester first graders who are identified as potential English learners based on the Home Language Survey questions shall be administered the WIDA Kindergarten Screener within the first 30 days of enrollment to determine their English language proficiency level.

The screening instrument used at Trion City Schools for students entering kindergarten and first semester first graders is the WIDA Kindergarten Screener. The ELP screener for these students is a paper based test individually administered. WIDA Kindergarten Screener meets U.S. federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for reporting ELLs progress toward English language proficiency and establishing a baseline to monitor students; future growth. The test measures English language proficiency in the four domains: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.

Consistent with WIDA test administration guidelines, the procedures from first semester kindergarten are as follows:

1. Administer the Oral Language Section (Listening and Speaking portions) of the Kindergarten Screener.

2. If the student’s combined Oral Proficiency Level (Listening and Speaking) is ≥ 5.0, the student Does Not Qualify (DNQ) as an English learner and is coded EL=No.

3. If the combined Oral Proficiency Level (Listening and Speaking) is < 5.0, then the student qualifies and is identified as an English learner and is coded EL=Yes.

4. A score calculator for the WIDA Screener is available on the WIDA website.

Consistent with WIDA test administration guidelines, the procedures from second semester kindergarten through first semester first grade are as follows:

1. Administer all four components of the WIDA Kindergarten Screener.

2. If the student’s combined Overall Composite Score is ≥ 5.0, the student Does Not Qualify (DNQ) as an English learner and is coded EL=No.

3. If the student’s combined Overall Composite Score is < 5.0, then the student qualifies and is identified as an English learner and is coded EL=Yes.

If a student is screened and does not qualify for language services, the student should be identified as Non EL in PowerSchool, and the testing documents should be placed in the student’s  permanent record..

Online WIDA Screener

Students enrolling as second semester, first graders and beyond who are identified as potential English learners based on Home Language Survey questions shall be administered the online WIDA Screener. The criteria for eligibility are as follows:

1. Administer a lower grade cluster form for students in the first semester of the year in a grade level cluster.

2. Administer all four components of WIDA Screener.

3. If the student’s Grade Level Adjusted Overall composite score is ≥ 5.0 or higher on the WIDA Screener, the student Does Not Qualify (DNQ) as an English learner and is coded EL=No.

4. If the student’s Grade Level Adjusted Overall Composite score is < 5.0 on the WIDA Screener, then the student qualifies and is identified as an English learner and is coded EL=Yes. Screener Administration Guides

Reporting ELP Screener Results

It is the responsibility of the ESOL FTE coordinator to enter the date of ELP screener and ELP screener results in on the appropriate tabs in PowerSchool.

If a student is screened and does not qualify for language services, the student should be identified as Not EL in PowerSchool, and the testing documents should be filed in the student’s permanent record.

Identifying English Learners with Known or Suspected Disabilities

WIDA eligibility assessments may not be valid assessments for eligibility determinations made for students who have been identified as non-verbal or having a significant cognitive disability. To establish such students’ eligibility for ESOL services, the Director of Federal Programs and the Director of Student Support Services should be notified. After guidance is provided, a committee consisting of the parent, the ESOL teacher, the classroom teacher, a special educator, and a school administrator should be convened to discuss the best educational option for the student. The committee meeting minutes (including notes supporting the committee’s decision on ESOL placement) should be documented on the Trion City Schools’ Eligibility  Meeting Documentation form and the student’s IEP, if appropriate. All documentation will be filed in the student’s permanent record. This decision may be revisited at any time and must be revisited yearly.

Currently, the district does not authorize early screening prior to enrollment in kindergarten.

The Lead ESOL teachers have been charged to review data collections documentation. The teachers also meet with ESOL FTE coordinator and school and district administrators to ensure compliance. Additional information related to data collections is included in the Data Quality Controls and Responsibility for Reporting.

WIDA Certification

Only certified personnel who have completed the annual WIDA training modules for the WIDA Screeners are permitted to administer the assessment. The Georgia Department of Education ESOL Unit requires annual WIDA certification for all certified personnel who will administer the WIDA ELP Screener. All educators administering the WIDA Screener and/or ACCESS for ELLs or Alternate ACCESS for ELLs are required to maintain the security of all testing materials and documentation. Test administrators participate in annual assessment training prior to test administration. Irregularities are reported immediately to the School Testing Coordinator and documented with the System Testing Coordinator and the Georgia Department of Education, as necessary.

Some common test irregularities include:

• Incorrect grade-level screener administered
•  Incorrect language domain subtests administered
• Screener administered by non-WIDA certified or untrained staff
• Screener administered without appropriate accommodations to a student with disabilities or with suspected disabilities
• Screener administered to an English-only student
• Screener administered to a transfer student with existing EL status, such as EL=YES, EL=1, EL=2, EL=3, EL=4, and EL=F.

EL Eligbility Criteria and Flowchart

Trion City Schools follows the GaDOE guidance regarding kindergarten and grades 1-12 eligibility criteria. The flowchart can be found by accessing the links below.

Kindergarten Eligibility Criteria Flowchart link

Grades 2nd Semester 1-12 Eligibility Critieria and Flowchart link

Identification Processes for Transfer Students

Identification of In-State Transfers

Potential English learners transferring to Trion City Schools from within the state of Georgia will be identified and served based on the sending districts’ transfer records and information obtained from the EL History GUIDE service. Trion City Schools personnel will communicate, as needed, with the transferring LEA to ensure appropriate information is received. In addition, the district’s data personnel will utilize SLDS assessment history to further ensure a smooth transition of services within 30 days of enrollment. The ESOL FTE Coordinator will contact the ESOL Director before any In-State student is transferred to ensure all required documentation has been obtained and clarity of eligibility has been established.

Identification of Out-of-State Transfer Students

English learners who transfer from another district within the United States or from a Department of Defense school and there are official records to support their pre-determined eligibility and services within the past year, the school must accept these records and place the student accordingly in language assistance programs.

If an ELP Screener or ELP assessment is not available for a potential English learner who has transferred from out-of-state, or records cannot be obtained within the federal timeline, it will be necessary for the school system to take steps to ensure that it meets the appropriate deadlines for notifying parents of a student’s placement in a language instruction education program.

• If a student was screened in a WIDA state and Did Not Qualify (DNQ) as an English Learner, the student may not be screened again at a future date for reconsideration of eligibility without prior state approval.
• If a student was screened in a non-WIDA state and Did Not Qualify (DNQ) by that state’s eligibility criteria, the school district may consider rescreening (with approval from the director of federal programs) the student using the appropriate WIDA eligibility assessment if there is evidence that the student’s level of English language proficiency will be/is a barrier in meeting Georgia’s Standards of Excellence.

However, the district may not consider rescreening when the DNQ non-WIDA transferring student:

• was screened for English language support assistance more than 24 months (or the equivalent of two academic years) prior to enrollment in the current school, and
• was enrolled and was successful in the general education program in the school he or she previously attended; and
• performed at the met or exceeded level on the state’s content assessments.

The ESOL FTE Coordinator will contact the ESOL Director before any Out -of-State student is transferred to ensure all required documentation has been obtained and clarity of eligibility has been established.

Special Scenarios: J-1 Visa,  Transfer Students, Foreign Exchange Students and Enrollment Gaps

J-1 Visa/Foreign Exchange Students 

According to CFR 22 § 62.10 Program administration, J-Visa student sponsors are responsible to “establish and utilize a method to screen and select prospective exchange visitors to ensure that they are eligible for program participation”, and that the foreign exchange visitor “possesses sufficient proficiency in the English language, as determined by an objective measurement of English language proficiency, successfully to participate in his or her program and to function on a day-to-day basis.”

A sponsor must verify an applicant's English language proficiency through a recognized English language test, by signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school, or through a documented interview conducted by the sponsor either in-person or by videoconferencing, or by telephone if videoconferencing is not a viable option.

Thus, it is expected that all J-1 exchange visitors are proficient enough in English to participate successfully in their exchange program and to function on a day-to-day basis in U.S. schools. Whether to follow statewide, standardized EL Entrance Procedures and possibly provide English language services or not to exchange students can be a local decision if sponsors provide the LEA with evidence of English proficiency in one of the following ways:

• Results of a recognized English language test

• Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school A documented interview conducted by the sponsor

According to  ESSA, an exchange students are not be exempt from any Title I required assessment, specifically, in this case, the ELP assessment. An EL student, who happens to be a foreign exchange student, would also be included in an LEA’s count of EL students for purposes of allocating funds. If the HLS responses for a foreign exchange student indicate a primary language other than English, the student must be screened for eligibility for language assistance services. A sponsor must verify an applicant’s English language proficiency through a recognized English language test, by signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school, or through a documented interview conducted by the sponsor either in-person or by video conferencing, or by telephone if video conferencing is not a viable option.

Guidance from the United States Department of Education states that the typical ESOL screening procedures would apply to any foreign exchange student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school in the United States whose Home Language Survey indicates the influence of a language other than English. If qualified, ESOL/supplemental language support services and related testing would necessarily apply.

Trion City Schools System Testing Coordinator, school administrators, and ESOL Director will follow statewide, standardized EL entrance procedures and provide English language services to exchange students as long as sponsors provide the district with evidence of English proficiency in one of the following ways:

• results of a recognized English language test
• signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school
• a documented interview conducted by a sponsor

It is essential that appropriate records be kept to document the decision. Out-of-country enrollment gaps will be considered when reviewing transcripts.

Transfer Students

Transfer students from another district within the United States or from a Department of Defense school who were receiving ESOL services in their previous school may be determined eligible based on official records to support the student’s pre-determined eligibility and services within the past year. This student does not need to be retested. 

a. If the transfer student has been enrolled in a Georgia public school, ESOL staff will contact the previous school for an ACCESS, W-APT, or WIDA Screener score and

ELP level for placement in the ESOL Program.

b. For students that transfer from a WIDA state (found on the WIDA web site:

www.wida.us) ESOL staff will use their ACCESS, W-APT, or WIDA Screener score and WIDA ELP level for proper placement in the ESOL program.

c. The ESOL staff must check with the sending school to see if a transfer student was screened with the W-APT or WIDA Screener before leaving that school. If so, ask

that the W-APT or WIDA Screener results be sent.

The W-APT and WIDA Screener may only be given one time. If the sending school did not administer the W-APT or WIDA Screener to the transfer student, then it must be administered at the receiving school.

d. If there is no record available or records cannot be obtained within the time frames described above, it will be necessary for the school to ensure that it meets the appropriate deadlines for identification and screening of transfer students.

Compliance with Parent Notification Requirement for English Learners

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Subpart 5 Administration, part C Section 3302 states that local education agencies (LEAs) provide information to a parent in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that the parent can understand. In order to assist LEAs with compliance with this requirement, the Georgia Department of Education provides documents in multiple languages. These forms are available on the Georgia Department of Education English to Speakers of Other Languages webpage as well as Trion City Schools website. Additionally, Trion City Schools employs an interpreter to assist in the translation of documents.

To maintain evidence of communication in the parents’ preferred language, the schools will document the use of language translation services using PowerSchool, district SIS.  In addition, the English version of parent communication forms is filed in the student’s permanent record, which is stored at the school level.  

Data Analysis

Annual ELP Assessment Participation Rates

It is the responsibility of the director of assessment and compliance to monitor the district’s annual ELP assessment participation rates. Title I, Part A has established a 95% minimum participation rate threshold.  If the established participate rate is not met, the System Testing Coordinator collaborates with the ESOL coordinator and principals to establish a plan of action to address the root cause of the lack of participation. The corrective action plan is implemented and monitored by the System Testing Coordinator in conjunction with the ESOL coordinator and identified school principal.

Annual EL Exit Rates 

Annual EL exit rates are published by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. It is the responsibility of the ESOL director to monitor the district’s exit rates.

Accountability/CCRPI

The System Testing Coordinator and district members  review accountability and CCRPI progress on an ongoing basis. Information about Content Mastery, Progress Toward English Proficiency, and Closing the Gaps are monitored, discussed, and shared with stakeholders. This data is used to make informed decisions about program effectiveness.

ACCESS Score Reports

ACCESS score report data by district, school, grade level, and proficiency level are scrutinized annually. These reports are used to make informed decisions when planning and implementing programs. The System Testing Coordinator provides technical assistance regarding the relevance and best use of each report.

ACCESS SGPs 

The System Testing Coordinator will provide the Student Growth Percentiles reports to the ESOL Dirctor.

Special English Learner Populations

Continuous efforts are made to address the needs of Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE), Long-term English learners (LTEL), and English learners with disabilities (EL/SWD).

ESOL Language Program Structures and OCR Obligations

Georgia School Law § 20-2-156 – Program for English Learners

The State Board of Education (SBOE) shall create a program for limited-English-proficient students whose native language is not English, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. The purpose of this program is to assist such students to develop proficiency in the English language, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, sufficient to perform effectively at the currently assigned grade level. The state board shall prescribe rules and regulations regarding eligibility criteria and standards as may be needed to carry out the provisions of this Code section. This program may also be referred to as the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.

ESOL Teachers and Staff

Staffing and resources are vital to the success of the Trion City Schools’ ESOL program. Trion City Schools’ ESOL teachers must meet the district’s professional qualifications. It is further recommended that ESOL teachers are ESOL endorsed or hold an ESOL certification. In certain circumstances, a provisional ESOL endorsement or strategic waiver may be utilized for teachers providing ESOL services. Due to teacher shortage, employing highly qualified employees in the area of ESOL continues to be a concern.  

Professional Learning

The Director of Federal Programs ensures that all ESOL and general education teachers are trained on topics that include best practices for students with limited English, ACCESS data analysis as related to classroom practice, and the WIDA Frameworks. Trion City Schools’ ESOL and general education teachers are invited and encouraged to actively participate in professional learning training/workshops throughout the year. School administrators participate in ongoing discussions with the Director of Federal Programs about ESOL expectations. Google forms are utilized to provide and document ongoing professional development with teachers, administrators, and support staff. Teachers who attend off-site professional development are expected to redeliver acquired knowledge with pertinent stakeholders.

ESOL Teacher Expectations

The expectations for Trion City School’s ESOL teachers are to:

• develop and implement language instruction that includes vocabulary-rich activities and supports language development and academic content.
• carry out highly focused, innovative, and appropriately planned activities that expand or enhance existing language and academic instruction,
• increase English proficiency,
• increase student achievement in the core academic areas,
• Plan collaboratively to ensure that ELs and English proficient students receive the same academic instruction,
• ensure that all required paperwork and ESOL records are completed as mandated in the district’s ESOL manual, and Georgia Department of Education ESOL Language Program- State Board Rule Summary Guidance and  Federal Programs Handbook.
• to administer the Kindergarten Screener, WIDA Online Screener, and ACCESS for ELLs 2.0.

Teacher Expectations in the Push-in Model

The ESOL push-in delivery model allows the teachers to collaborate in order to facilitate meaningful language instruction within the content classroom and to appropriately plan differentiated instruction and tasks to meet the various proficiency levels of the ELs.

The ESOL teacher and the content teacher are co-equals in the classroom, but each have a distinct role. The ESOL teacher is responsible for language support, while the content teacher is responsible for academic content. Research indicates that strong teaching partnerships occur when teachers know each other’s curriculum, share responsibilities, plan together, share strategies, and share teaching equally.

ESOL Program Structure

ESOL State Funded Segments

Segment length will follow the same guidelines as all state-funded subject areas: one-sixth of the instructional day. The Georgia Department of Education ESOL Resource Guide provides instruction for ESOL that equates to:

ESOL Class Sizes State Guidance

(TCS Strategic Waiver Class Size Guidance)

ESOL State Funded Courses

State Board Rule 160-4-2-.03 outlines a variety of state funded ESOL courses that can be used to design effective ESOL programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

ESOL Approved Delivery Models of Instruction

Per Georgia State Education rule 160-4-5-.02 Language Assistance: Program for English Language, there are seven approved delivery models for providing language assistance services to ELs. Trion City Schools consider the following models to avoid segregation of English learners:

1. Pull-out model outside the academic block – students are taken out of a general education class for the purpose of receiving small group language instruction from the ESOL teacher.
2. Push-in model within the academic block - students remain in their core academic class where they receive content instruction from their content area teacher along with targeted language instruction from the ESOL teacher.
3. A scheduled class period – students at the middle and high school levels receive language assistance and /or content instruction in a class composed of ELs only.
4. A scheduled class at the newcomers’ academy – English learners participating in a Newcomer Program for recently arrived immigrants receive instruction in foundational social/instructional English and the academic English of mathematics, science, social studies, or English language arts in a class composed only of ELs taught by an ESOL teacher.
5. A sheltered content class – Students at the middle and high school levels receive both academic language and content instruction from a content teacher who is ESOL endorsed or certified in a classroom composed only of ELs.
6. A sheltered content class at a newcomers’ academy – EL students at the middle and high school levels participating in a Newcomer Program for recently arrived immigrants receive both academic language and content instruction from a content teacher who is ESOL endorsed or certified in a classroom composed only of ELs
7. An innovative delivery model approved in advance by the Georgia Department of Education through a process described in the ESOL/Title III Resource Guide. Charter districts are not required to submit innovative proposals; as such innovation is considered a permissible component of all district charters.

Access to Core Content

 English learners are entitled to instruction in the school system’s core curriculum, including specialized and advanced courses. One way to meet this obligation is to provide meaningful access to grade-appropriate core content from the start of the ESOL program while using appropriate language scaffolds and instructional strategies. Placing ELs in age-appropriate grade levels will provide meaningful access to programs designed to help them meet grade-level standards within a reasonable time and with an equal opportunity to graduate. Grading policies/procedures correspond with the general education classroom grading policies and procedures. ESOL students are provided accommodations (per their TPC) to access grade-level materials. For additional information on grade placement, contact the director of federal programs. Trion City Schools does not currently provide a virtual delivery option for students unless extenuating circumstances arise.

English Language Development Standards

WIDA ELDS Framework, 2020 Edition

WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards are designed as a curriculum and instruction planning tool. They help educators determine student's ELP levels and how to appropriately challenge them to reach higher levels. The five standards encompass the areas of Social and Instructional language; the language of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies.

The WIDA ELD Standards are:

• English language learners communicate for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting.
• English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.
• English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Mathematics.
• English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science.
• English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Social Studies.

Can Do Descriptors

Information regarding the Can Do Descriptors may be found on WIDA’s website (https://wida.wisc.edu/teach/can-do/descriptors). These descriptors provide teachers with examples of students’ skills at each proficiency level. They allow teachers to differentiate instructional tasks to fit the needs of individual students. Trion City Schools currently do not utilized Can Do Descriptos as they are not as compatible as Proficency Level Descriptiors.

Proficiency Level Descriptors

Trion City Schools selects to utilize Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) when planning for the needs of EL students. The Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) provide an overview of the stages of English language development through which English learners (ELs) are expected to progress as they gain increasing proficiency in English as a new language. The PLDs depict student knowledge, skills, and abilities across a continuum, identifying what ELs know and can do at early stages and upon exit from each of three proficiency levels: Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging. These descriptors are intended to be used as a guide for teachers and curriculum developers to provide ELs with targeted instruction in English language development as well as differentiated instruction in academic content areas.PLDs describe how multilingual learners use language toward the end of each language proficiency level (PL) until they reach PL6. PL6 is open ended: it indicates that for all of us, language development continues throughout life. Each end-of-level descriptor includes and builds on previous proficiency levels (e.g., PL4 = PL1 + PL2 + PL3 + PL4). TCS teachers utilize the data to scaffold learning and resources across all levels of language proficiency.

Below are some non-exhaustive examples of ways the PLDs may be used.

• The PLDs might be used during
• Collaboration between language development and content area educators
• Professional learning activities about language development
• School team discussions about the language growth of multilingual learners
• Conversations with families in their preferred language

The PLDs might be used to

• Help design and scaffold classroom instruction and assessment tasks—as one tool among others
• Support teacher and student discussions around language performance in relation to learning goals
• Monitor progress of multilingual learners as they show language growth over time
• Evaluate evidence from student work (portfolio of speaking and writing samples) as part of the eligibility process for special services

Local Instructional Resources

Digital Language Resources

Trion City Schools utilizes Fast ForWord in grades K-2 to provide intensive language acquisition and reading instruction for EL students.  Fast ForWord is an evidence-based, personalized, and adaptive reading and language program that produces 1-2 years gains for any struggling learner in as little as 40-60 hours of use. Enrollment in the program is determined based on student need. The ESOL Instructional Lead Teacher monitors student use and progress.

EL Instructional Best Practices

The following list of strategies, approaches, and ideas are beneficial for English learners:

• Pace speech, speak clearly, use gestures and facial expressions
• Act out or illustrate the meaning of words, using repetition and rephrasing
• Model behavior repeatedly.
• Maintain eye contact
• Reduce idiomatic expressions
• Think aloud, letting the students hear the thought process they are using to solve the problem
• Relate lessons to students’ prior learning
• Use many visuals such as videos, photos, drawings, pictures and posters as tools of instruction
• Have a special lesson on high-frequency vocabulary
• Teach key academic vocabulary by creating word puzzles and game
• Create a word/picture wall with current vocabulary terms
• Collect many of the comic books available that portray historic and cultural events in simplified language
• Deemphasize speed and emphasize accuracy of work
• Limit the number of variables in laboratory experiments.
• Have students prepare individual card files of subject area specific vocabulary
• Use a variety of graphic organizers regularly to chunk textual information, focusing on important points and higher order thinking skills of the lesson
• Allow students to interact with the content in cooperative learning groups
• Provide concrete examples to assist the students in understanding complex concepts and skills
• Ask questions in simple language that encourages students’ reasoning abilities, i.e. “What will this story tell us?” which is not a complex question, but elicits higher order thinking skill of predicting

Resources

Resources that enhance student learning will be purchased for teacher and student use. Additional supports to help improve students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as support the academic needs include: Google documents verbal dictation, books/periodicals, literacy and content materials, and software/instructional technology. These items will be used in the classrooms to assist in the development of vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.

Additional Services for English Learners in Gifted,  EIP, and Special Education

English learners are eligible for services in the gifted, EIP, special education programs.  

English Learners with Disabilities

Students can be served in both the Special Education and English to Speaker of Other Languages programs. Depending on the extent of the student's disability, it is appropriate for the general education teacher, ESOL teacher, and special education teacher to work collaboratively in order to meet the needs of the student. The fact that an English learner has a disability does not replace the need for language assistance. The plan for continuing to provide language assistance and support should be delineated in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). In almost all cases, English learners should be dually served through both programs. In the event it is determined that another means of support will be more beneficial to the student, the special education team and the ESOL specialist should work together to determine the most effective plan and to provide needed support for implementation.

If an English learner is determined eligible for special education services, the IEP team will determine the type and degree of services (Special Education and ESOL) the student will receive. The ESOL teacher will be included as an active member of the IEP team for English learners with disabilities. If it has been determined through testing that the student qualifies for special education services  including speech, the English learner should be served in both programs. If the student qualifies for both programs and the  disability is deemed so profound that the severity of the student’s disability indicates a greater intensity of special services, the students will receive special education to address the needs as determined by the committee. With the exception of students who participate in the Georgia Alternate Assessment, all students who qualify for both services will receive both ESOL and special education services. The Directors of Federal Programs and Student Support Services should approve these extenuating circumstances. If it is determined the student’s needs will best be met by being served in multiple segments of special education, the ESOL specialist should work with school and district personnel to set up a consultative plan for that student’s language development.

All English learners with an IEP must have a plan for language assistance services documented on the IEP. Per Georgia Department of Education and ESOL/Title III agreement: The IEP should document the participation of the ESOL teacher in the IEP meeting for students eligible for both programs and the provided language services. Adding language goals and services as a part of the Individual Education Program (IEP) for a child is only appropriate for students whose language impairment or need is a result of the student’s disability.

English Learners and Gifted Identification

All English learners are given equal opportunity to be identified and evaluated according to the  the Gifted policy and procedure handbook. English learner are given the MAP universal screener along with all students to determine eligibility for referral for evaluation. Alternate non-verbal language assessments are given to students with have identified English as a second language. TCS ultized the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT-3).  TCS continuously provides professional development opportunities for school personnel about effective policies and procedures to support equitable representation of ELs in gifted and talented programs.

Data Quality Controls and Responsibility for Reporting

The Director of Federal Programs collaborates with teachers, administrative assistants, ESOL FTE Coordinator, Data Coach, System FTE Coordinator, and school administrators to ensure accurate data is reported during data collections. At the beginning of the school year and as students are identified, the ESOL FTE Coordinator records FTE Segments on an established ESOL digital document and English Learner Rosters. These are shared with the Director of Federal Programs via a shared Google Drive and a Google Web Platform. Each semester, the Director of Federal Programs and System FTE Coordinator meets with the school principals, district administrators, and administrative assistants to review the student record data elements. Comparisons are made with the information shared from the ESOL FTE Coordinator to data located in PowerSchool prior to the elements submitted to the Georgia Department of Education.

ESOL Folders and Permanent Records

Student information relevant to English learners and the ESOL program will be recorded and uploaded to Power School by the ESOL FTE Coordinator and school administrative assistants.

In addition, information that is to be included in the permanent record should be placed in each student’s green ESOL folder.

Annual Assessments for English Learners

ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs

The ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is administered annually to all English learners in Georgia. It is a standards based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners’ social and academic proficiency and progress in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context and across the four language domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 meets the Title I mandate in the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 that requires states to evaluate all English learners in grades K through 12 on their progress in learning to speak English.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, as determined by the student’s IEP team or 504 Plan, if the disability is directly related to a domain for which there are no appropriate accommodations, the student may be exempt from taking that language domain assessment.

The Alternate ACCESS for ELLs (Alternate ACCESS) is a large-print, paper-based test individually administered to students in grades 1-12 who are identified as English learners (ELs) with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Alternate ACCESS is intended for ELs who participate, or who would be likely to participate, in their state's alternate content assessment(s). It is the responsibility of the school testing coordinator to make the System Testing Coordinator Director aware of students who will be completing the Alternate ACCESS.

Georgia Milestones

All English learners will participate in state mandated testing, with appropriate accommodations as needed. Newly arrived ELs (i.e., those enrolling in a U.S. school for the first time) will participate in all mandated assessments during their first year of enrollment. Newly arrived English learners are no longer eligible for a one-time deferment from English language arts and social studies End of Grade assessments.

Testing Accommodations

In certain situations, the individual needs of English learners may warrant accommodations. Any accommodations offered must be consistent with current instructional and assessment accommodations made in the classroom. Accommodations will be determined by the English Learner Testing Participation Committee (EL/TPC) and will be made only when appropriate documentation is filed for each eligible student. Only state-approved accommodations may be considered and included on the EL/TPC form. Accommodations for identified students with disabilities should be consistent with accommodations included in the student’s IEP and/or 504. For additional information regarding testing accommodations for the ACCESS for ELLs and Georgia Milestones, see the Georgia Department of Education’s Accommodations Manual.

EL Assessment State Reporting

All scores of newly arrived ELs will be removed from all statewide accountability calculations based on coding in state-required data collections. During the second and all subsequent years of enrollment, the growth (i.e., progress) made by said students will be included in statewide accountability calculations. During the third and all subsequent years of enrollment, the achievement (i.e., content mastery) and growth (i.e., progress made by said students) will be included in statewide accountability calculations.

Communicating Test Results with Parents

Trion City Schools makes every effort to communicate student test results to parents in a format and language they understand. When available, score and growth reports are sent home in the preferred language. It is the practice of the district to send home informational letters in the preferred language with instructions for contacting the school if additional information is needed.

ESOL Parent Communication and ESOL Meetings

Annual Parent Notification of ESOL Language Program Instruction

Parents are provided information about the ESOL program to ensure informed decisions are made. The following documents are sent home and/or explained using a translation service at both the initial placement into the English to Speakers of Other Languages program and annually in the preferred language of the parent, as feasible:

• Parent Notification of Student Eligibility/ Continuation of Services (Form  C) (with the program delivery model noted)
• TPC English Learning Testing Accommodations (Form  F)
• Parent Waiver of ESOL Services (Form E)  (when applicable)
• Notification of Exit from ESOL Services English (Form H)  (when applicable)
• ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 scores

Parental Refusal/ Opt Out Parental Waiver Procedures

Section 3302 of NCLB provides parents of EL students the right to refuse ESOL services or opt students out of the ESOL program. Parents are notified of the right through the Parent Notification of Services letter. Parents who wish to opt their EL student out of the ESOL program must meet in person with the ESOL lead teacher, who will explain the benefits of the student remaining in the ESOL program. If the parent still wishes their student to opt out of the program, the parent must sign the Parental Waiver of ESOL Services letter.

Parents of students identified as English learners may choose to waive language assistance services for their child; however, Trion City Schools is still held responsible for providing language support under Office for Civil Rights law. Parents have the right to decline or opt their children out of the school’s ESOL program or specific services within that program. A parents’ decision to opt their child out of ESOL must be knowing and voluntary. Parents who waive services must do so in writing on an annual basis and the district must maintain evidence of the written documentation (in the preferred language of the parent). This documentation of the parent waiver is maintained in the student’s ESOL folder and the waiver date is noted in PowerSchool.  The parent must refuse/opt out of ESOL services each year by signing a new Parent Refusal Form for that school year.

Neither the child, nor their parents have the right to waive the annual assessments (ACCESS for ELs) required by the GDOE and the USDOE.  Parent waiver of services should be documented using the Parent Waiver of Direct ESOL Services (Form E).  

Although the parents may have selected to waive the formal language assistance program, the student has been identified and coded as an EL and will continue to be coded as such until the student reaches an English proficiency level that meets the state requirements for existing language assistance services. ELs whose parents have waived services are still eligible for accommodations on standardized tests and their English language proficiency skills must be assessed on an annual basis until they meet eligibility criteria. Under OCR law, school districts are still held responsible for providing language support within the mainstream classroom.

Test Participation Committee (TPC)

Each local school system is required by the State of Georgia to develop procedures outlining the responsibilities of the EL/Test Participation Committee (EL/TPC) (TPC English (Form F). Trion City Schools Test Participation Committee shall be made up of a minimum of three members, one of whom is a teacher certified by the Professional Standards Commission, the parent, and ESOL teacher currently serving the student with English language assistance.  The school principal and the ESOL director must be included on the invitation to participate on the TPC as a matter of notification.

The remaining members shall be chosen from the students’ regular language arts, reading or English teacher, student’s parent or legal guardian or the student, if 18 years or older, the school counselor, the student’s other content area teachers, and school psychologist.  

Each EL student’s accommodations must be reviewed each year and revised based on current State mandated test scores, English Language Proficiency level, classroom performance, and determined needs of the student.  Accommodations for testing must also be carried out in classroom instruction.  Accommodations are usually broken down into the following categories:

• Setting: adjusting the place in which testing normally occurs
• Scheduling: adjust the time allowance or scheduling of a test
• Presentation:  adjust the presentation of test material and/or test directions
• Response:  adjust the manner in which students respond to or answer test questions.

Assessing Students with Less Than Four Domains

Under the ESSA, as determined by the student’s IEP team or 504 Plan, if a student’s disability is directly related to a domain for which there are no appropriate accommodations, the student may be exempt from taking that language domain assessment.

Note: Students who are deaf, blind, and non-verbal would be considered as having a disability that precludes assessment in one or more language domains. Beyond these reasons, the System Testing Coordinator should seek counsel from the GaDOE Assessment Division who would consult with Special Education and EL Learner Programs.

Trion City Schools will utilize the EL/TPC form provided by the Georgia Department of Education (TPC English (Form F). A document including all EL accommodation based on the EL/TPC will be provided to the classroom teacher(s) of the ESOL student.  A copy of the TPC form will be retained in the ESOL file of each ESOL student.  

ESOL Program Information Parent Meetings

Parents Make the Difference

ESEA legislation mandates that all school-home communication be provided in a language that is understood by the parents or guardian. In Georgia, one out of every 10 residents over the age of 5 lives in a home where a language other than English is spoken with Spanish having the largest representation. Spanish is also the dominant language spoken by the EL population at Trion City Schools.

Trion City Schools strives to utilize communications in both English and Spanish in the schools as well as provide some information in dual languages on the district’s website. This strengthens the communication between the schools and EL families while introducing volunteering, communication, strategies, and academics in a language the parents can understand. In addition, information about the ESOL program is also available online at www.trionschools.org.

EL Exit and Reclassification Procedures

State Guidance

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) allows for the State of Georgia to offer flexibility to local educational agencies (LEA) in exiting students from the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program in grades 1-12.  The LEAs are charged with ensuring that students who are exited using this flexibility are selected for exit based on uniformly executed procedures.

ACCESS Report

The assessment, called ACCESS for ELs – Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English from State to State for English Language Learners is given annually to our EL students. At the end of each year, Trion City Schools send home a report to all EL parents indicating their child’s English language proficiency scores in their home language. This report gives information on a student’s English language proficiency, the language needed for school success; it does NOT give information on a student’s academic achievement, the knowledge and skills of the content areas. It gives family members and students a graphic representation of the extent to which English language learners listen, speak, read, and write English as well as their comprehension and overall score based on the English language proficiency standards.

When made available by the Georgia Department of Education, parents of EL students are provide an English Proficiency Growth report in both English and Spanish.

Every ESOL student who attains a designated composite proficiency level (D- CPL) equal to or greater than 4.3 and less than 5.0 (between 4.3-4.9 )will be considered for exiting ESOL services based on the same set criteria, data, and evidence; page 1 of the English Learner Reclassification form must be completed and signed by ESOL personnel who verified ACCESS score.

The following states are not WIDA member states and as such will not have an ACCESS score: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.  Trion City School District will honor the exit criteria of these states for any English Learners who enroll in one of its schools.

In Georgia, the standardized statewide EL Exit Procedures are as follows:

1. LEAs must administer the annual ELP assessment to all English Learners (Kindergarten ACCESS, Grade 1-12 ACCESS for ELL 2.0, & Alternate ACCESS, as applicable) per Title I, Part A requirement. In collaboration with Title III, Part A, Title I Part A will be monitoring each LEA’s EL ACCESS Participation Rate on an annual basis.

2. LEAs must follow the standardized statewide ACCESS for Ells® 2.0 Overall Composite Proficiency Level criteria as well as the Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing language domain criteria (when applicable) to identify EL students who have met the criteria to exit EL status.

1. Kindergarten EL Exit Flowchart:

Must exit all Kindergarten EL students who score CPL 5, and Listening, Speaking, Reading 5, and Writing 4.5 on the Kindergarten ACCESS.

2. Grades 1-12 EL Exit Flowchart:

1. Must exit all EL students who score Overall CPL 5 on the ACCESS for Ells 2.0
2. LEAs may establish written procedures an EL Exit minimum criterion within the state-approved range ACCESS Designated Composite Proficiency Level (D-CPL) equal toor greater than  4.3 and less than 5.0 (4.3-4.9). An LEA may include additional measures in its standardized exit procedures that are valid, reliable, objective and applied and weighted consistently across the LEA.
3. Therefore, in order for LEA input to be applied and weighted consistently across the state, LEAs must convene an EL Reclassification Team to complete an EL Reclassification (Form  G) on all EL students scoring at or above the LEA-established minimum exit criterion, when this criterion is in the 4.3-4.9 range.

• Using the EL Reclassification Form (form G), the EL Reclassification Team will decide whether to exit the EL student or not. (Federal guidance states that any additional measures used for this decision should not be measures that do not measure English language proficiency, such as the results of the mathematics content assessment.)
• The final decision (whether to exit or not) must be recorded on the EL Reclassification Form, which must be maintained in the exited EL student’s permanent/cumulative file (DO NOT PURGE).

3. Alternate ACCESS EL Exit Procedures using the English Learner IEP Alternate Reclassification/IEP Team Rubric (Form G).
4. Exit Procedures for ELs that precludes assessment in one or more language domains.

Notes:

• An English Learner must be exited from EL status for ESEA purposes (i.e. for purposes of Title I and Title III requirements) when the student satisfies the state’s standardized statewide exit procedures.
• The LEA may no longer use Title III funds for services for that exited student. However, an exited student may continue to receive English language services with local or state funds after exiting EL status.
• But, if many exited students are needing continued language support, an LEA should verify that ELs are not be exited prematurely due to a score of proficiency on the state ELP assessment (ACCESS for ELLs) that is set too low to ensure actual English language proficiency and, therefore, a student’s ability to succeed in the classroom.

Trion City Schools: EL Exit & Reclassification Procedures

When an English learner has obtained sufficient proficiency in English (based on their ACCESS score) and demonstrates an understanding of regular education course material, they are eligible for reclassification and exit from the district’s program.

Kindergarten Students

The Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs student report contains one proficiency level for each of the four domains and four composite scores. The composite proficiency level reported is the accountability score. For determining whether a Kindergarten student has met the requirements to exit language assistance services, the ACCESS for ELLs Composite Proficiency Level scores and the individual language domain scores must be utilized.

In order to exit English language assistance services, Kindergarten ELs must score a Composite Proficiency Level (CPL) ≥ 5.0 with at least a 4.5 in the writing domain and at least a 5.0 in each of the remaining domains.

Kindergarten ELs who score less than a 5.0 overall or whose writing domain is < 4.5 or listening, speaking, or reading domain is < 5.0 are not eligible to exit language assistance services.

Students in Grades 1-12

The student must be administered all components of the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0/Alternate ACCESS assessment.

Students in Grades 1-12

If the student achieves a Overall score of 5.0 or greater, the student must be exited from the ESOL program.

If a student in Grades 1-12 achieves a Designated Composite Proficiency Level (D-CPL) score equal to or greater than 4.3 and less than 5.0 (4.3-4.9),  he or she should be considered for exiting through reclassification from the ESOL program.

If the records on a newly enrolled student indicate that the student previously received language assistance services in another state or in a private school setting and was formally exited in accordance with exit criteria utilized in the other state or private school, Georgia Department of Education considers the student as “exited”, despite the fact that the criteria may not match that of Georgia’s guidance. The federal two-year monitoring requirement remains in place. If the exit criteria from the other entity are different from that of Georgia, particularly diligent monitoring of the student’s progress is recommended.

Graduating seniors who are eligible to exit language assistance services should be exited according to normal procedures. Documentation of exiting services must be completed for compliance with state and federal regulations. Proper coding, documentation and records ensure accuracy for computing district graduation rates, EL graduation rates, and exiting ELs.

Alternate ACCESS

Students scoring an overall CPL P2 (Emerging) for two consecutive years on the Alternate ACCESS or any other Alternate ACCESS Overall CPL – the same score - for three consecutive years may exit the ESOL program on the recommendation of the IEP team.

ESOL Reclassification Form

Reclassification Conference  determines if certain English language learners are ready to exit from ESOL (or an alternative) or if they continue to need language assistance.

A reclassification is considered  when a student achieves a borderline score which is approaching a 5 on the ACCESS assessment.   This conference is documented using the English Learner Reclassification Form (Form G) and uses data gathered from the English Learner Skills Checklist  (Form J).  

EL Reclassification Criteria and Process

A reclassification review must be held for all English learners with a CPL score equal to or greater than 4.3 and less than 5.0 ( 4.3 and 4.9.) The meeting should be documented on the English Learner Reclassification Team Review (Form G) and filed in the students permanent green ESOL file.

Steps for Completing the ESOL Reclassification Form:

Step One

The ESOL teacher will complete page one of the English Learner Reclassification form for all ESOL students who score is equal to or greater than 4.3 and less than 5.0 (4.3-4.9 )on the ACCESS 2.0.  This includes student demographic data, noting which assessment was taken, and determining if a student is eligible for reclassification.  The date of the actual Reclassification meeting is entered in the student demographic section if the student is eligible for reclassification.  

ELs who are eligible for reclassification must have one of the following scores on the ACCESS 2.0:

• Grades 1-12 ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 Composite Proficiency Score of 4.3-4.9
• Alternate ACCESS Composite Proficiency Score of P2 (Emerging) for two consecutive years with IEP Team recommendation*
• Any other Alternate ACCESS Overall CPL for three consecutive years with IEP recommendation*

*In order to make this recommendation, the IEP team will have documented evidence that the EL student’s English proficiency is no longer a barrier to full participation in the student’s individualized program of instruction with support as established in IEP.  This is documented by the IEP committee on the EL Reclassification/IEP Team Rubric.

Step Two

If the student IS NOT eligible for Reclassification review, the ESOL teacher will circle “NO” on page one, sign and date the form, and place the form in the student’s ESOL folder on the first tab.  Evidence of this decision must be maintained in the student’s permanent folder.

If the student IS eligible for Reclassification review, the ESOL teacher will circle “YES” on page one, sign and date the review form, schedule the Reclassification meeting and invite:  the ESOL Coordinator, the general education and/or content classroom teacher(s), the student’s special education teacher (if the student has an IEP), a school administrator where the student is enrolled and the parent.  An interpreter will be arranged for this meeting if the parent’s preferred communication language is not English and the parent indicates that they will be present for the meeting.

The process for Step One and Two are the same for students who took ACCESS 2.0 or Alternate ACCESS.

Step Three-Reclassification Meeting for Student Who Took ACCESS 2.0

(There is a separate form for student who took Alternate ACCESS)

Page two of the Reclassification form is the section in which to document the inclusion of school instructional staff with current knowledge of the student in the decision of reclassification.    The ESOL teacher is the facilitator for this meeting and asks all participants to sign in beside their respective job title.  Additional staff or parents may be included in this meeting.

The ESOL teacher will facilitate the discussion of the student’s listening and speaking skills.  The discussion is based on listening and speaking  skills observed by the content/classroom teachers where English is the medium of instruction. A small section of page two is provided for adding notes about the listening skills of the student.

Next, the team will review English literacy and achievement on assessments by reviewing the following:

• Scores on Georgia Milestones End of Grade, ELA score
• ACCESS 2.0 Literacy sub score
• ACCESS 2.0 Comprehension sub score
• May include scores from other assessments like:  DRA, MAP, etc. that are literacy focused

It is important for the committee to consider the performance of non-EL’s in similar settings that have similar characteristics to the student being considered for reclassification (e.g., disability, grade level, educational background, etc.).  The ESOL teacher will record the scores for each literacy assessment discussed in this section.

Then, the English learner’s overall classroom performance in English is discussed.  Classroom/Core Content teachers are called upon to comment on the ability of the student to achieve in a classroom where the primary language of instruction is English.  The ESOL teacher records the group’s decision as

1) all or most of the time

2) some of the time, or

3) rarely.

 In a like manner, this team considers the overall performance in English on assessments and the ESOL teacher records the group’s decision as

1) all or most of the time

2) some of the time, or

 3) rarely.

Finally, the committee considers all of the data reviewed and determines if the student has the ability to participate successfully in the classroom where English is the language of instruction.  The ESOL teacher records the committee’s answer: “yes” or “no” in regard to allowing for the reclassification of the English Learner for existing ESOL services.

Reclassification for English Learner who took Alternate ACCESS

The IEP committee will make the determination for reclassification for ESOL students who take the Alternate ACCESS.  The ESOL teacher of the student MUST be included as a member of the IEP committee, but does not take on the role of facilitator for the IEP committee meeting.  This meeting is a function of the Student Support Services department and will be conducted by the personnel that typically conduct the IEP meetings or as assigned by the Student Support Services director.  The ESOL teacher will need a copy of the IEP Alternate Reclassification/IEP Team Rubric (Form G) upon completion of the meeting for the student’s ESOL file.  The ESOL teacher will add the rubric to page one of the English Learner Reclassification Review form in the student’s ESOL folder.  A copy of the EL Reclassification/IEP Team Rubric must be maintained in the student’s permanent record.

The rubric is made up of 6 questions that the team must answer and provide justification for each question.  The questions are:

1. Is an ESOL or 2nd language acquisition specialist a member of the EL Reclassification Team?  Please note that the term specialist is designated to cover several different personnel (ESOL Teacher, ESOL Coach, ESOL Coordinator/Director, etc.)
2. Is the EL student eligible for Georgia’s Alternate Assessment 2.0? (See GAA 2.0 eligibility criteria)
3. Has the EL student performed at Alternate ACCESS Overall Composite Proficiency Level P2 for two consecutive years?
4. Has the EL student performed at Alternate ACCESS CPL ___ for three consecutive years?
5. Is the EL student’s rate of language acquisition primarily attributed to the student’s disability rather than to English language proficiency?*
6. Is English language proficiency no longer a barrier to full participation in the student’s individualized program of instruction, as specified in IEP goals?*

*A “yes” answer to questions 5 and 6 require justification that contains evidence that the student meets the criteria.  The Team’s final determination must consider the performance of English-only students in similar settings that have similar characteristics to the EL student being evaluated for reclassification (e.g., disability, grade level, educational background, etc.).

Please refer to Flowcharts in Georgia ESOL Resource Guide

Kindergarten and Grades 1-12 Flowchart. Parents are notified of their student’s eligibility to exit by the ESOL program by receiving the Notification of Exit from ESOL (Form H).

Parent Communication

Once a determination has been made that a student will exit the program, the Notification of Exit from ESOL (Form H) is sent to the parent and a copy filed in the students green ESOL folder.

State Reporting Details

The EL exit date for students exiting the program is June 30. It is the responsibility of the District FTE Coordinator and ESOL FTE Coordinator to collaborate in the reporting of  the local EL exit criteria to the Georgia Department of Education on the state collection form.

Post-Exit Monitoring Procedures

Monitoring the success of English learners who have exited the ESOL program is vital for sustained proficiency. Upon reaching ineligibility, students are monitored for four academic years with allowable classroom and testing accommodations for year one and two. The ESOL teacher documents the progress of the EL student at the end of the fall semester and at the end of the spring semester for two consecutive years.

Transfer Students-  If an exited student transfers from another state and the two-year monitoring was not completed prior to enrollment, the district is required to monitor the student’s academic progress for the remainder of the monitoring period. Trion City Schools maintains documented evidence that the student was monitored throughout the two-year monitoring phase.

It is important for regular education teachers to recognize that exited English learners will need ongoing support as they continue to work toward grade-level academic language performance. It is the goal of Trion City Schools that all second language students function as proficient learners in the classrooms.

Monitored ELs may be granted standard accommodations on state standardized tests; however, conditional accommodations are not allowed. After the two-year monitoring period ends, monitored students are no longer eligible for any ESOL related testing accommodations. Once the two-year monitoring period has ended, the student’s coding for Data Collections Student Record purposes will change for an additional two years. Then, the student will be coded EL-F (Former EL) and remain as such as long as they are enrolled.

It is the responsibility of the ESOL teacher to monitor students who have exited the ESOL program. The ESOL teacher will collect information using the ESOL Monitoring (Form K) for exited ESOL students and file the documentation in the student’s green ESOL folder.

Classroom/Content teachers document the Exited ESOL student’s performance using the ESOL Monitoring (Form K).  Also, at the end of each semester, the ESOL teacher collects and reviews the following data to complete the appropriate Post-Exit Monitoring form:

• grades
• standardized test scores
• attendance
• appropriate use of differentiated instruction
• study habits
• level of parental involvement

If monitoring shows that the student is not progressing at the expected rate compared to similar peers in classroom despite varied support and Tier 2 interventions,

• The student should be referred to Tier 3 interventions.
• Referral to the MTSS program is a requirement before students can be re-evaluated for ESOL program placement  or placement in other support programs.

Monitored students who are not successful in the regular education program should be placed in the Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process.

MTSS/RTI and the Student Support Team Process

 “Although the nature of the RTI Pyramid (MTSS)  indicates all students begin at Tier 1 and move upward through the tiers only if the interventions at the previous tiers are not sufficient to allow them to achieve, Title III under ESEA does not permit delayed eligibility testing for language minority students. Neither should language assistance be delayed in order to allow students to progress "normally" through the tiers. (See section on Eligibility)

Eligibility for ESOL services automatically should be considered a Tier 3 Intervention.

A MTSS brochure is provided to all parents and students. The brochure is available in both English and Spanish.  A graphic representation of MTSS/RTI: Georgia’s Pyramid of Interventions is located in the Appendix. (MTSS Pyramid )

For the purposes of serving the student effectively and efficiently, the language minority student enters the Pyramid at the Tier 3 and as the student progresses with language development and academic proficiency; the level of interventions needed to support the student will decrease accordingly.

However, it is also important to remember that many ESOL students spend most of their school day in the general classroom with accommodations provided according to the EL/TPC. During this time in the general classroom, ESOL students should receive the same Tier1 interventions as other students in the class.

The accommodations provided in the Presentation or Response categories of the EL/TPC are considered Tier 2 interventions appropriate to the student's English language proficiency needs and improvement in language development and academic achievement should be noted as data for progress monitoring results. Please remember, ESOL teachers must be active participants in RTI meetings for ESOL students and their signature found on the appropriate RTI forms.

For the purposes of ESOL services as support for second language acquisition and development, the MTSS/RTI Pyramid functions as a regressive model, rather than as a model of progressive interventions.  As students near grade level proficiency, it is probable that Tier 1 interventions, appropriate for all students, will be the only additional support needed.

These students face unique obstacles, due to their lack of English proficiency, and it is essential that they receive immediate services and assistance in order to provide them with the educational support they require.

Students learning English, because of their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, have special instructional needs.  When a student is having difficulty mastering specific skills, it is important for the teacher to differentiate the instructional strategies and/or instructional pace for the student.  Just because the student requires differentiated instruction in his/her program or class, does not necessarily mean that he/she may have a disability and should be referred to special education.  

Providing extensive interventions, using diverse teaching methodologies, and differentiating the instruction using researched based strategies in the regular education environment often meets the academic needs of many ESOL students along with the support of the ESOL teacher.  

If, however, the student continues to have difficulty after consistent differentiated  instructional strategies  have been implemented over a reasonable amount of time, the student may be referred to MTSS (Student Support Team).  The ESOL professional is included as a vital member of the team for the ESOL student and should make every effort to be active in the process.  

With the implementation of IDEA 2004 and Georgia’s implementation of the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE), curriculum standards are the foundation for the learning that occurs in each classroom.  All students are exposed to Tier 1 type of instruction/learning which focuses on the Georgia Standards of Excellence and includes evidenced based instruction that is differentiated according to the student’s various needs.  Progress monitoring is utilized to guide and adjust instruction.  ESOL instruction and accommodations are in addition to the progress monitoring in the classroom.  For students with speech/language concerns, the MTSS process is followed and the speech/language pathologist consulted.  

Struggling students may receive Tier 2 needs based interventions with a greater frequency of progress monitoring.  Tier 3 interventions are put in place by the SST for students who are still not successful and require a more individualized systematic process.  The SST implements scientifically-based interventions that are appropriate for the student based on the analysis of his/her needs.  

For the ESOL student, data that should drive placement and instructional recommendations will come from a wide range of performance-based assessments in the classroom both formal and informal.  The performance may be compared to that of other ESOL students who have similar formal education backgrounds, and the opportunities to hear and use English.  Additional data will need to be gathered including observations over a period of time, careful interpretation of test scores, collaborative expertise of all teachers and administrators, and screening procedures that look at the ESOL student’s biographical information.  The biographical information should include:

• Place of birth
• Entry date to U.S. Schools
• Years of schooling in the native language
• Educational history
• Physical condition of student
• Review of home language survey and language background
• School records
• Entry date in ESOL program
• History of ESOL instruction
• Parent’s educational history and level of literacy in different languages
• Prior evaluations or testing

In the best interest of the student, the SST  should take careful consideration and consult with appropriate personnel, including the school psychologist, prior to making a referral to special education.  Factors to be considered prior to a special education referral may include:

• Stage of Acquisition and progression over time
• Biographical information (see above)
• Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions and validity of implementation
• Response to Scientifically based interventions at Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 levels over a  period of time
• Analysis and frequency of progress monitoring
• Classroom observations by additional personnel
• Progress in ESOL instruction
• Parent concerns in home environment
• Adaptive skills and social interaction with peers of native language and English

At the request of the parent or if a disability is suspected, appropriate protocol through the MTSS process and Special Education rules will be followed to determine if the student is eligible for services under IDEA.

ESOL and Referrals for Speech and Language Development Services

A disorder is present when listening and/or speaking skills are flawed to such an extent that it interferes with the student's ability to understand or convey messages clearly and effectively during conversations with people who speak the student's dominant language. The key difference between an ESOL student with a disorder versus normal second language acquisition is that the child's communication behavior interferes with or calls attention to itself within the student's indigenous culture or language group.

Second language acquisition follows a developmental sequence strikingly similar to that of first language acquisition (see section "Stages of Second Language Acquisition Compared to First Language). Sounds acquired late in the developmental sequence by monolingual speakers also tend to be acquired late by second language learners. It is normal for second language learners to experience hesitancy in English associated with lack of vocabulary, word-finding difficulties and/or anxiety.

The ESOL teacher is familiar with the "typical" speaking and listening errors second language students exhibit when using English:

1. generalization of grammatical rules (ex. adding "ed" to all past verbs)
2. interference of first languages grammar and vocabulary (ex. placing the adjective after the noun - as many languages do)
3. consistent pronunciation errors (ex. Spanish speakers confusing the "sh" and "ch" sounds or Japanese speakers confusing the "l" and "r" sounds - Note: Many English-speaking students do not "master" the "r" sound until around the age of seven. We cannot expect non-native speakers to do what native speakers cannot.)

Some of these differences may be linked to specific first language interference and some are experienced with all English language learners. But the disparity between a disorder and a difference is that differences are consistent and common among all English language learners and they are often overcome as the learner progresses in English. When a teacher realizes the student's difficulties lie beyond these differences, other services/special programs may be needed in addition to or in replacement of ESOL.

At this point a referral to the MTSS/ RTI is in order with the speech/language pathologist being a member of the team. Depending on the degree of the difference, the RTI would determine the amount of time the interventions are implemented and document the results.  At the request of the parent or if a disability is suspected, appropriate protocol through the SST process and Special Education rules will be followed to determine if the student is eligible for services under IDEA.

Brief Description of Disorders

The following describes disorders that are commonly found in school children.

Articulation Disorders

• Omission of sounds - deletions of sounds as in "do" for "dog" or "un" for "sun"
• Substitution - alternate sounds replace correct ones as in "dun" for "gun"
• Distortion - faulty production or lack of clarity in production of sounds as in a lisp or "wilsh" for "wish"
• Addition - insertion of extra sounds or sound added to the correct pronunciation of a word as in "boata" for "boat" or "stun" for "sun"
• Transpositions - rearrangement of sounds of syllables as in "tastastic" for "statistic" or "aminal" for "animal"

Possible Causes of an Articulation Disorder

• Hearing impairment (even a slight impairment can hinder a child's ability to pick up high frequency sounds - like those found in speech)
• Delay in development of phonological processes
• Organic abnormalities (weak musculature, nerve damage, etc.)

Language Disorders

• Language disorders exhibit severe deviations from the form (syntax, grammar, morphology), content (problems in communicating ideas about the world) or pragmatics (inappropriateness of language use). Normal language is the successful interaction among form, content and use.

Possible Causes of Language Disorders

• Malfunction of brain processes
• Brain injury*Other disorders that you may encounter include fluency disorders (stuttering), voice disorders, and hearing impairment.

Other Considerations in Assessment of ESOL Students

• Assessments must be conducted using both formal and informal measures.
• Language must be assessed in a variety of speaking contexts.
• Patterns of language use must be determined.
• If possible, the student's language performance should be compared to that of other bilingual speakers who have similar cultural and linguistic experiences, i. e., comparisons with members of the same cultural group who speak the dialect and who have similar opportunities to hear and use the language.
• Factors that may be contributing to the interruption of development in the native language must be identified. Just as was mentioned regarding the Special Education referral process, the ESOL student's history is essential. A complete assessment should include a case study that records individual and family medical history, educational values, and home environment. Physical impairments such as cerebral palsy or deafness may be hereditary.
• Our assessment of a communication disorder must not end with one or two standardized tests. This is not thorough enough. We must assess the abilities and background of the student using more qualitative assessment as well.
• A Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) should administer all of these assessments. We urge all districts to seek a bilingual SLP. If this is not possible, have an SLP work with an interpreter (see more information under the section "Interpreters in the Eligibility Process"). The ESOL teacher is a great help to the SLP in this process by pointing out "normal" English acquisition errors.

We can use the network of parents, teachers, and school specialists to:

• offer suggestions for qualitative assessment
• observe the student's language use in various settings (in the native and target languages)
• track student's process after therapy begins

Working with the Families

• ESOL teachers' understanding of cultural differences will help the SLP reach out to the families of children with communication disorders.
• Realize that some cultures may not deal with communication disorders as actively as we do. They accept the disorder more readily, without feeling the urgency to "fix" it. In many cases, this may be due to the lack of SLP services or the lack of money to pay for them.
• Be prepared to meet some resistance to communication disorder intervention. Know how to be diplomatic and considerate as you work in the best interest of the student..
• Remember that many parents do not understand how the school system works and may not understand that SLP services are offered at no extra cost. (Help them understand that they won't get a bill at the end of the year!)
• Make parents feel important and involved in the process of therapy intervention. Help them learn how to help their child at home and encourage them to report progress.
• Remember that the diagnosis of a communication disorder, especially more severe disorders, is devastating to parents. Be reassuring and encouraging.

What can the ESOL teacher do?

• Talk with the speech pathologist at your school and learn more about various communication disorders that you might encounter.
• Help the speech pathologist gather case histories and family information that could be helpful in a diagnosis and intervention plan.
• Help the speech pathologist communicate with the families of students who need speech therapy (this is especially helpful if you speak the native language). They may come from places where this sort of intervention is not commonly practiced and it can be unsettling.
• Encourage your school's speech pathologist, Special Education teacher, audiologist, and other specialist to work together with you as a team. This will allow you the chance to share ideas, support one another, and reinforce the student’s therapy.
• Stay updated on the student's therapy progress and give a lot of praise.

Special Education Services

Overview of Considerations for ESOL Students with Special Needs

As with other populations, one expects a range of abilities and disabilities among students whose English proficiency is limited. The difficulty often comes in determining whether the learning problem is related only to the English language issue or whether there is an actual disability present.

Students learning English, because of their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, have special instructional needs. When a student is having difficulty mastering specific skills, it is important for the teacher to provide differentiated instructional strategies and/or instructional pace for the student. Just because the student requires differentiated instruction to his/her program, does not necessarily mean that he/she has a disability or that he/she should be referred to Special Education.

If, however, the student continues to have difficulty after consistent language instruction and  have been a reasonable amount of time to learn, the student should be referred to the Student Support Team (SST). The ESOL teacher  should be in attendance during SST meetings. The ESOL teacher knows the natural order of English language acquisition regardless of the student's first language. She/He is also familiar with the usual rate and stages of acquisition and the "typical" errors to expect.

The ESOL teacher’s title and signature must be in the Eligibility Team Information section.  In the IEP, in the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance section, English language acquisition must be addressed in the “academic, developmental and/or functional strengths and needs sections”.  In the “Consideration of Special Factors” section, “yes” must be the answer for “Does the student have communication needs?”

How are ESOL and Students with Disabilities Different?

Comparing Their Characteristics

ESOL Program Evaluation

Cycle of Continuous Improvement

Georgia’s System of Continuous Improvement frames the work of EL Language Programs. First, daily English language instruction for EL students takes place within a Coherent Instruction System. Professionally qualified ESOL teachers and school leaders teach and assess EL students as part of the Effective Leadership and Professional Capacity Systems. Schools reach out to engage EL parents and their families within the Parent & Family Engagement System, and EL students are provided with wraparound, culturally responsive services within the Supporting Learning Environment of schools.

The process of Continuous Improvement is framed as a problem-solving cycle around these five systems. It includes identifying the needs of EL students, selecting appropriate language-focused interventions, planning to implement and then implementing such interventions, either within the core classroom instruction (ESOL) or as a supplemental language program (perhaps federally funded); and, finally, examining EL students’ progress on a continuous basis to make the necessary changes to the language interventions or programs as applicable. In participating local education agencies (LEAs), Title III, Part A Language Program funds provide supplemental language instruction to select EL students who may need additional language instruction and support beyond the core, OCR-required state-funded ESOL language program.

Data Analysis

Annual ELP Assessment Participation Rates

It is the responsibility of the System Testing Coordinator to monitor the district’s annual ELP assessment participation rates. Title I, Part A has established a 95% minimum participation rate threshold.

Annual EL Exit Rates

Annual EL exit rates are published by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. It is the responsibility of the Director of Federal Programs to monitor the district’s exit rates.

Accountability/CCRPI

The district reviews accountability and CCRPI progress on an ongoing basis. Information about Content Mastery, Progress Toward English Proficiency, and Closing the Gaps are monitored, discussed, and shared with stakeholders. This data is used to make informed decisions about program effectiveness.

ACCESS Score Reports

ACCESS score reports provide data by district, school, grade level, and proficiency level and are reviewed annually. These reports are used to make informed decisions when planning and implementing programs. The System Testing Coordinator  provides technical assistance regarding the relevance and best use of each report.

ACCESS SGPs

Georgia Department of Education is implementing the student growth percentile (SGP) methodology to describe the language proficiency growth an EL student has demonstrated relative to language-level-similar EL students from across the state. Growth percentiles range from 1 to 99, with lower percentiles indicating lower language growth and higher percentiles indicating higher language growth. With SGPs, all EL students, regardless of their level of ELP, can exhibit all levels of language growth.

Trion City Schools provide the parents and students a copy of the Student Growth Perentile report when made available by the GaDOE. The SGP report is provided in the parent’s preferred language.

Special English Learner Populations

Continuous efforts are made to address the needs of Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE), Long-term English learners (LTEL), and English learners with disabilities (EL/SWD).

Maintenance of ESOL Records and Documentation

It is the responsibility of the ESOL teachers to complete, collect, and provide the documents listed below (available on the district’s website) to intended stakeholders.

The ESOL teacher is responsible for completing and submitting  the Title III/ESOL teacher assurance form yearly as indicated on the form.  

Core Documentation:

• Home Language Survey (HLS) (Form A)
• Initial ESOL Referral/ Eligibility (Form B)
• WIDA Screener Scores (Individiual Student Copy)
• Parent Notification of Student Eligibility/ Continuation of ESOL Services (Form C)
• Student Cumulative Profile Form

Annual Documents:

• Parent Notification of Student Eligibility/ Continuation of ESOL Services (Form C)
• Testing Participation Committee (TPC) (Form F)
• English Learner Skills Checklist (Form J)
• EL Student Grading Conference (Form I)
• ACCESS Overall Composite Score Report (Individual Student C)
• Parental Waiver of ESOL Services, if applicable 

Exiting Documents:

• English Learner Reclassification Team Review Form (Form G)
• IEP Alternate Reclassification/ IEP Team Rubric (Form G)
• Notification of Exit from ESOL (Form H)

Monitoring Documents (M1 and M2):

• ESOL Monitoring Form (Form K)

Compliance Documents:

• Title III/ English Learner ESOL Teacher Program Assurance Form (Form M)

Additional Notes

Each form is provided to parents/guardians in the parents primary language.

End of Year Documentation and Procedures

At the end of the year, it is the responsibility of the ESOL teacher to review the students’ ACCESS scores, collaborate with the school administrator to schedule reclassification meetings, and finalize all ESOL related documentation including:

• EL Skills Checklist  (FORM J)
• English Leraner Reclassification Team Review Form (Form G), when applicable
• Notification of Exit from ESOL (Form H) ,when applicable
• ESOL Monitoring Form  (Form K), when applicable
• ACCESS Reports (letter, administrator’s affirmation)
• Title III English Learner ESOL Teacher Program Assurarnce Form (Form M)

Appendices

Historic EL Exit Criteria

Trion City Schools’s Exit criteria from 2015- current can be found by accessing the following link: Historic Exit Criteria.

Trion City Schools ESOL Form Bank

Trion City School’s ESOL forms can be found by accessing the following link: Trion City Schools ESOL Form Bank.

ESOL Forms

Core Documentation:

Annual Documents:

Exiting Documents:

Monitoring Documents (M1 and M2):

Compliance Documents:

• Title III/ English Learner ESOL Teacher Program Assurance Form (Form M)

MTSS Pyramid