English as a Second Language Curriculum

  I.  Statement of Program Goals and Objectives  

a.   McKeesport Area School District K-12 English as a Second Language Program will provide students with the language skills they need to participate and be successful in the district's education program.  

b.   The program will assist the students in the understanding of his/her new culture an educational setting.  

II.   Student and Parent Orientation Procedures  

a.   As part of the registration packet, parents/guardians will complete the Home language Survey.  The elementary secretaries or school counselor will review the survey and refer any student who is identified as needing instruction in the English language to the principal.  

b.   The principal will notify the Director of Curriculum to arrange an assessment with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.  

c.    The parent and student will be given an orientation to the school which will include a discussion on school policies and a tour of the building.  

III. Identification and Placement  

The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the student's English proficiency and then recommend appropriate ESL instruction for the student.  

a.   Initial Evaluation/Exit/Monitoring

The first step in the assessment process is the Student Background questionnaire which is completed by the student's parent or guardian.  The responses to questions relating to experience with English and school history generally indicate whether the student is a beginner and will need ESL as part of his or her instructional program.  In this case, the ESL teacher can begin instruction and, through informal assessment, (IDEA Proficiency Test) verify that the student is a beginner. 

The K-12 ESL Program conducts a formal evaluation when results of the Background Questionnaire indicate that the student is not a beginner.  The standardized language proficiency test used is the IDEA Proficiency Test.  The evaluator writes a report on the student's level in English, proposing instructional goals in ESL and possible materials.  Results are returned to the McKeesport Area School District, and instruction begins when the district approves the recommendations. 

As a student begins to achieve close to grade-level expectations, program exit is considered.  Program exit is based on the following information:  

·          Level of skills and abilities demonstrated in the ESL setting.  

·          Achievement in content area classes (assessed by using the enclosed Student Observation Form) and content area grades whenever exiting a student is being considered.  

·          Results on the IDEA Proficiency Test administered by the ESL teacher.

·          Scores on standardized tests administered within the district, including the PSSA.  

McKeesport Area School District will monitor the progress of each student who leaves the program for at least one year (BEC.2001) to ensure that they are successful in achieving academic standards.  Reinstatement of ESL instruction can be considered if a concern arises.  

b.   On-Going Assessment 

The initial assessment and recommendations guide initial ESL Instruction.  The student's ESL teacher continues the assessment process by submitting narrative reports evaluating progress in each of the areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening at mid-year and end of the year.  At the end of each school year, each mainstream teacher working with a given student is asked to fill out the attached Student Observation Form (adapted from sample in the PDE guidelines).  The IDEA Proficiency Test (alternate form is used the consecutive year) is used as an end-of-year measure for all English Language Learners.  The ESL report card insert for elementary students is now used in all districts according to their report schedule.

IV. Instructional Program

 a.   The model that has been selected for delivery of instruction is ESL rather than bilingual education, in view of the diverse linguistic backgrounds of our students.  ESL instruction is provided by AIU teachers who hold instructional I or II certificates in elementary education, English, or foreign language.  Some staff members are certified reading specialists, some hold dual certification, and several are bilingual with a personal understanding of the second language acquisition process.

 b.       ESL teachers focus on specialized vocabulary, learning strategies, and literacy as they consider the Pennsylvania Academic Standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.  Instructional materials used in the Allegheny Intermediate Unit's ESL programs include a combination of the following materials, chosen according to the student's ability and needs: 

·          Success (Addison-Wesley)

·          The New Interchange (Cambridge University Press)

·          Foundations (Prentice Hall Regents)

·          English, Yes, Jamestown Press)

·          ESL (Addison-Wesley)

·          Hooray for English (Scott Foresman)

·          The Oxford Picture Dictionary monolingual and bilingual editions

·          Beginning and Intermediate Vocabulary Workbooks (Oxford University Press)

·          Addison-Wesley Picture Dictionary and Skillsbook

·          Phonics (Steck-Vaughn)

·          Skill Sharpeners (Addison-Wesley)

·          Structural Readers (Longman)

·          Teen Stories, Teen Scene and Our Lives (Linmore)

·          Vocabulary Connections (Steck-Vaughn)

·          Extensive reproducible materials and pictures  

c.    Students are grouped when age and ability permit.  The total number of hours of ESL instruction varies according to the students' needs.  Recommended amounts of ESL instruction have been in the following ranges, and will be aligned with the recommendations in the LEP/ELL BEC by September of 2004.  

K-12 ELS Dept. 2002-2003 K 1 2 3-6 Sec.7-12
Non-English Speaking 6 8 9 10 12
Beginner 5 7 8 9 10
Intermediate 4.5 6 5 5.5 6.5
Advanced 2.5 2.5 3 3 4.25
Monitoring 2.75 2.75 2.75 2.75 2.75

V.   Student participation in related and extracurricular activities  

Any student (including ELL) who meets standards of eligibility can participate in the interscholastic program.  Such standards shall require that each student be covered by the maximum student accident insurance available or its equivalent, be in good physical condition, be free of injury and shall have fully recovered from illness, as determined by the district physician, before participating in any interscholastic athletic event. 

Students must also meet the eligibility standards set by the Constitution of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. 

Any student (including ELL) is eligible to participate in any other co-curriculum activity or club.  The superintendent ensures that all students are fully informed of the co-curriculum opportunities open to them.  

VI.   Pupil Personnel Services  

a.   Counseling - a program of guidance and counseling is offered to all students.  These services are provided by professional guidance personnel.  A planned program of guidance counseling is an integral part of the educational program of the schools.  The major objective of the guidance program is to help each child make the best of his/her educational opportunities toward a normal, useful and happy life.  The guidance program is directed toward the growth and improvement of all pupils in the school recognizing, however, that some pupils are in greater need of individual guidance than others.  

b.   The McKeesport Area School District operates its own Special Education program.  Every exceptional student attending MASD schools is offered an educational program that meets his/her individual needs and is suited to his/her abilities.  

c.   All students in the McKeesport Area School District have the opportunity for related services as they apply to their individual needs.  Such services may include homebound instruction, physical therapy, occupational therapy, vision services, hearing services, etc.  

VII.   Staff Development  

a.   Professional development for ESL Staff will focus on standards based instruction and assessment, effective lesson planning, and integrating technology into the curriculum.  Three in-service days are scheduled for the current school year. 

Introduction/orientation for all newly hired ESL teachers begins in the fall.  Mentoring is an important part of the progress, with new staff members paired with teachers who have been in the field for several years. 

The AIU will continue to focus on effective practices with English language learners through our professional development offerings and regular classroom visits. 

In addition, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit is planning content coursework towards becoming an accredited provider for the PDE Program Specialist Certificate for ESL Teachers. 

b.   A formal in-service workshop has been scheduled for content areas staff to provide them with strategies to assist in the instruction of ESL students.  

c.   An in-service workshop will be scheduled at the beginning of each year for the support staff to implement the ESL Plan.  

VIII.   Community Involvement  

a.   Feedback from parents will be used in the planning of the ESL Program.  Parent input will be collected through interviews.  Parents will also be invited to participate in the planning meetings.  

b.   Teachers will be the primary communicators with the parents regarding student progress.  Student progress will be communicated through the following process:  district report cards, parent conferences, phone calls and the district web page.  

c.   Since there are only four students in the ESL program the advisory and planning committee will be the same.  

d.   Complaints will be resolved through the following process:  

·          The teacher will be the first person contacted to resolve the issue.

·          If an issue is not resolved the principal will intervene to settle the dispute.

·          The Director of Curriculum will attempt to resolve issues not at the building level.

·          If unresolved an appeal to the McKeesport Area School District Board of Directors is in order.  

IX.   Program Evaluation  

The program will be evaluated biannually.  June 2003 is a scheduled evaluation date.  Information collected to determine the effectiveness of the program will include a review of the following information:

a.   Number of students involved in the program  

b.   Achievement data for those students  

1. Standardized Tests

2. Grades

3. Reports from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 

c.       Graduation Reports  

      Each building principal will be responsible for completing a report for the students in their building.  After collecting building information, a comprehensive district report will be completed for a review by the ESL Planning Committee.