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About the Waunakee Community School District ELL Program
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The English Language Learner Department consists of teachers who have diverse skills, experiences, and backgrounds and who are certified to teach English Language Learners. They offer students extra support with their content classes as well as their English language learning, while holding them to high performance standards. Students develop content knowledge and language acquisition simultaneously. The content area and English language instruction that are provided are appropriate for the age, educational background and proficiency level of the student. ELL teachers not only provide support and instruction, but they also serve as case managers for ELLs, monitoring progress and acting as intermediaries among students, teachers, administrators, and parents. ELL teachers support the students in a variety of ways including: offering in-class support, cooperating with mainstream teachers to support students and modify curriculum and instruction, taking the students out of class at times to offer one on one support, helping the students with homework during study hall times, teaching English through direct instruction, working with Guidance to modify schedules and cluster students, and much more.
ELL students are mainstreamed at all of the schools within the Waunakee Community School District. ELL students are not taught separately from other students. They are all in regular classrooms. They may receive some individual help, but will be with their classmates for most subjects. There are two opportunities available to the students for direct ELL instruction. A summer school Transitional English program is offered, as well as a high school Transitional ELL class that focuses on directly teaching grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, and speaking to the students. We do not have a Bilingual language program, however, we do have two bilingual ELL teachers who can speak Spanish, and we try to send home information in Spanish and English. We encourage students to speak English as well as other languages at school in order to increase their comprehension. Beginning in fall of 2008, Spanish will be taught to all elementary students in grades 1-4. We believe that knowing more than one language is a great asset, and we want to promote language acquisition in all students! ELL students that have special needs receive support from the special education department as well as the ELL department.
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Program Goals
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The Waunakee Community School District ELL program is constantly being reworked as our enrollment changes. The following is a list of our current goals for supporting our English Language Learners:
1. Ensure that English language learners:
-receive age appropriate academic knowledge and skills as they acquire English
-receive support as they work toward grade level proficiency in both core content area classes and elective classes
-develop content knowledge while improving English language skills
2. Our ELL teachers will:
-help students to develop or improve English proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing
-facilitate the student's transition into all English instruction programs when an appropriate level of English proficiency is reached
-support cross-cultural learning in the school district
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ELL Services Offered
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The following services are available to students that qualify as English language learners. The ELL program options for each student will vary according to their language and academic needs and the services offered at different school sites:
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Staff Development/Consultation with Mainstream Teachers
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The ELL teachers work with the mainstream teaching staff in order to empower them and provide them with good strategies and modification techniques to help them work with students whose first language is other than English. The ELL teachers provide advice and suggestions to the teachers working with the students, and also help to modify and differentiate instruction, assignments, and assessments.
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Testing support
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The ELL teachers administer and provide accommodations on WKCE tests, MAPS tests, semester final exams, as well as administer ACCESS English proficiency yearly test.
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Student Support
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The ELL staff support students in their desire for enrichment and their pursuit of higher education. Teachers help students and families register for summer school and enrichment activities/workshops, apply for scholarships and financial aid, fill out college applications, etc.
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Scheduling
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ELL teachers help students put together their schedules. They work with the Guidance department to cluster students whenever possible and place them with similar teachers.
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Accommodations/Modifications made by the Mainstream Teachers
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Teachers modify assignments and assessments, as well as the way they teach to make the content more understandable. They use additional pictures, carefully adjust their speech, provide individual help, repeat directions, etc. These accommodations do not change the content students are required to learn.
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Bilingual Support
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The Waunakee School District is able to offer translation support to students, parents, and staff in English and Spanish. Information and communication is written or spoken in Spanish to better serve our Spanish speaking families that lack English skills. The Waunakee School District ELL staff can help with translation of documents into Spanish, as well as other languages in order to better support our families.
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Pullout Services
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The student leaves the classroom to receive one-on-one/small group English language instruction. Students leave class during free/work time so that they don’t miss valuable class instruction. Certified teachers who additionally have ELL certification provide this instruction. Topics may include social/academic English vocabulary, English reading and writing, math, homework support, etc.
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In-Class Support/Cooperative Teaching
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The ELL teacher comes into the classroom to work with the students. The teacher works with students in small groups in collaboration with the classroom teacher. Cooperative teaching is also an option that ELL teachers and mainstream teachers can consider. ELL teachers can collaborate with mainstream teachers and go into classes with struggling students in order to offer modified instruction as well as support the students in the class.
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ELL Resource
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ELL students report to the Resource class instead of study hall in small groups in order to receive support. Students can receive support with the English language, homework, projects, assessments, etc.
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English Instruction/Transitional ESL Class
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The ELL class is meant to offer additional English language instruction to levels 1-3. ELL teachers collaborate with mainstream teachers in order to pre teach vocabulary, read assignments aloud, reinforce concepts learned in class, and provide extra support. English language topics may include vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, speaking, listening, study skills, content support, etc.
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Monitoring of Successful Academic Progress
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The ELL teachers monitor the student's academic progress, reviewing English and academic testing results and classroom teacher reports/grades. Parents will be notified if the ELL teacher identifies that the student may be in need of additional ELL or Special Education support to ensure successful academic progress.
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Follow the links below to see all of the pages on ELL:
English Language Learner (ELL) Services
About the ELL Program
ELL Resources for Staff
ELL Resources for Parents
Translation Resources
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| Last Updated: 8/23/11 |
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