Title III - ESOL

ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) is a state-funded instructional program for
eligible English Learners (ELs) in grades K-12.

The program is designed to help ELs develop academic and social English language proficiency. Given that GA is a member state of the World-Class Instruction Design & Assessment (WIDA) Consortium, ESOL teachers integrate the WIDA English Language Development Standards (ELDs) with the State of Georgia Standards of Excellence. Using state approved ESOL delivery models (Push-in, Pull-out, & Sheltered Courses are options), ESOL teachers instruct and collaborate with regular education teachers to differentiate standards based instruction and provide proficiency-appropriate scaffolding and language supports that will help ELs develop communicative confidence and skills in each of the four language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. The delivery model of service in Social Circle Schools
depends on the needs of the students and the schools. Regular education teachers also accommodate these students' instructional and assessment needs, providing a culturally-responsive classroom environment where ELs first language and culture are valued and where they feel safe to participate in and can take full advantage of all learning opportunities. ESOL and general education teachers work together to
ensure qualifying students become proficient in the Georgia Standards of Excellence. In ESOL programs it is appropriate, when practicable, to use the EL’s home language as a means of facilitating instruction and providing parents with school-related information.

Title III is a federally-funded program that provides eligible Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with additional monies to supplement services for English Learners through providing professional development to staff, possible additional programmatic services, and language instruction programs to qualifying students. Social Circle City Schools participates in the Georgia Title III Consortium due to having a “low incidence” population of EL qualifying students. The Consortium allows “low incidence” districts to access Title III funds typically available only to districts with greater numbers of English Learners. The extra instructional support provided to students and their teachers helps them to integrate academic and language learning for EL students and accelerates their progress in meeting the Georgia Standards of Excellence goals.

In order to qualify for ESOL services, students are screened using a Home Language Survey upon enrollment and, if indicated, a language-proficiency screener/test is administered to determine the eligibility.

Screeners are administered to students who meet the following criteria on a Home Language Survey:
1. First language is not English.
2. A language other than English is spoken in the home.

3. The language used most often is not English.
If the answer to any of the questions is any language other than English, the student is a PHLOTE student (Primary Home Language Other Than English) and the student is then screened for eligibility.

The WIDA Screener for Kindergarten, an English language proficiency "screener” or "test”, is given to incoming Kindergarteners who may be designated as English language learners. It assists educators with programmatic placement decisions such as identification and placement of ELs.

The WIDA Screener is an English language proficiency assessment/test given to incoming students in Grades 1–12 to assist educators with the identification of students as English language learners (ELs). The purpose of this assessment is to help educators make decisions about whether a student is a candidate for English language support services.

A letter must be sent to the parent(s) of every student who is found to qualify or continue to qualify for state
funded ESOL services. Parents must also be notified if their student will receive Title III supplemental
language support. This notice permits the parent to waive participation in the Title-funded services.
(See detailed eligibility flowcharts on gadoe website).

From January to March, all English Learners take the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs® test to measure their academic listening, speaking, reading, and writing proficiency levels and growth. A student’s ACCESS Composite Proficiency Level determines continuation or termination of ESOL services. ACCESS proficiency levels are also used to assist schools leaders and teachers in grouping ELs for instruction, scheduling ESOL services, informing RTI determinations, and guiding the Testing Participation Committee in the choice of accommodations. The amount of support provided for ELs is determined by their Screener or ACCESS scores which indicate their level of English proficiency.

EL students remain in the program until they reach a proficiency in English that allows them to be in a full day program without support. Some students remain in ESOL for as long as they are in school. Most students remain a minimum of 3 years. Once students have exited the program they are monitored for 2 additional years to be sure they are successful. If students begin to struggle academically due to English language proficiency, they may be reevaluated.

Social Circle City Schools, in alignment with the state, determined that an ACCESS CPL score of >5.0 is associated with performance within the Bridging Learner achievement level on state assessments. In light of this information, Social Circle City Schools set the criteria for exiting from the ESOL program students whose 2020 and 2021, grade 1 – 12, ACCESS CPL was/is 5.0 or greater.

As with other populations, there is a range of abilities among ELs. The difficulty often comes in determining whether a learning problem is related only to the issue of English language development or whether there is an actual disability present. ELs have special instructional needs because of their unique cultural and linguistic background. If an EL is having difficulty mastering specific skills, it is important for
the teacher to accommodate the instructional strategies and/or instructional pace for the student. Just because the student requires accommodations to achieve mastery, does not necessarily mean that the EL has a disability or that the EL should be referred to special education.

If, however, the EL continues to have difficulty after consistent language accommodations and instructional interventions have been attempted for a reasonable amount of time, and the interventions have not resolved the issues, the Response To Intervention (RTI) team at the school should review data and determine next steps. When additional interventions and accommodations are not successful, the
RTI team can make a referral for evaluation to determine if the student qualifies as a student with a disability.

EL students who show an academic aptitude may also be evaluated and qualify for Gifted Education based upon the state eligibility criteria of mental ability, creativity, motivation and academic achievement.

The vision and mission of Social Circle City Schools is to provide a premier education for all students so they may be college and career ready with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to lead productive lives in a changing world. We believe that all students deserve a feeling of wellness, safety, respect, and appreciation for diversity. We also believe that teachers are instructional leaders and designers of high quality learning experiences which are tailored to the unique learning and motivational needs of our students. Parents and community personnel
are also a vital part of our work, and we believe they should be treated with dignity and respect for their contributions.

The education of English Learners (EL) is a shared responsibility among the regular education teacher(s) and ESOL teacher(s). Collaboration among teachers and administrative support/leadership are all necessary ingredients for student success. Students who have difficulty listening, speaking, reading and writing or understanding the English language often face barriers to academic success. In order to provide
high quality and effective instruction to English Learners, we believe that both their English development needs and academic content needs must be considered by effectively scaffolding instruction. Program effectiveness is based on a continual improvement model where current practices are evaluated in response to student achievement data. Program improvements incorporate those practices deemed most effective in the professional body of research. For this reason, on-going professional learning opportunities and participation in professional organizations specific to EL students and families are essential for all educators who interact with English Learners.

The system complies with all state and federal guidelines related to the education of English Learners. Moreover, we strive for continual improvement because we invest in the lives of students and wish to offer the best practices available to our English Learners. We believe that their education leads to increased opportunities in the future. We also know that it takes communication and inclusion of parents in active participation for these students to reach success.
The goals of the Social Circle City Schools ESOL program are to value and build upon students’ academic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds; provide a supportive learning environment; assist students in reaching their full academic potential; build connections between ESOL and school wide instructional programs; encourage participation of students and their families within the school and community; and to foster understanding and appreciation of diverse populations within the school and the community.

Learning social and academic language is a complex process. Many students may appear fluent in their speaking of English but yet struggle to read and write, especially in the language of academics. Attaining full academic proficiency in English often takes 5 to 10 years. As students progress through school, the language and skills continue to get more difficult. The ESOL program provides the support a student needs for academic as well as social success.