ESL Program Description
Placement/Procedures
The difference between regular core classes and the ESL Program is that students are placed according to their educational background rather than their current English language proficiency. This provides more of a challenge to those students with a high level of content knowledge while also serving those students who are pre-literate or limited in their primary language.
Students are placed in various settings according to their proficiency levels and content knowledge. After initial enrollment in USD 457, the student’s guardians must complete a Home Language Survey, which indicates what language is spoken in the child’s home. Next, the student is given an IPT (Language Proficiency Test) which determines if the child qualifies for ESOL services, and if so, at what level. If the student qualifies for ESOL services, the building must send a parent notification letter within 30 days of the start of school. Finally, if the parent or guardian declines ESL services for their child, it is imperative that an ESL instructor or a building administrator explain the parent’s rights to services before completing the waiver form. All student records are kept confidential, and a designated ESOL contact person in each building is responsible for maintaining the accuracy of information in the ESOL student folders.
It is the goal of GCHS to have all ESL students mainstreamed
into regular education courses in order to graduate from Garden City
High School. However, we realize some circumstances may
make it difficult or even impossible to graduate by the age of 18.
In these cases, we refer students that do not wish to continue
at Garden City High School to the
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PLACEMENT LEVELS:
PRE-LITERATE- designed for ESL students who are severely limited in literacy skills in their native language or have had no formal education.
LEVEL 1 - designed for ESL students who have limited literacy skills in their native language and/or have had interruptions in education.
LEVEL 2 - designed for ESL students who have been educated and have high literacy skills in their native language as well as some knowledge of the English language.
Class within a Class Inclusion Program (CWC): designed for ESL students who are ready to be mainstreamed into regular education classes but are still limited in their English skills. The class is taught by both a regular education teacher and an ESL teacher. These classes are beneficial in assisting ESL students making the transition into a regular education classroom.
CHANGE IN PLACEMENT / EXIT CRITERIA
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