Integrating Services for ESL Students and Families

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Integrating Services for ESL Students and
Families

• Winchester Public Schools

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Winchester Public Schools ESL Students

• WPS has over 500 ESL students K-12
• 14 of all K-12 students
• 18 of all K-5 students
• 40 of all Preschool students

• Approximately 95 of all WPS ESL students are
  part of a Spanish speaking family

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WPS ESL Student Population Growth 1996-2005
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ESL Staffing

• Winchester Public Schools had 2 ESL instructors
  prior to the 2000-2001 school year
• As of the 2005-2006 school year, the following
  ESL staffing is in place
• 14 Fulltime Teachers
• 5 Teaching Assistants
• 3 Parent Liaisons
• Administrative Support

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ESL Program ComponentsFor Integrated Services
Approach

• ESL Parent/Family Liaisons
• ESL Intake/Welcome Center
• PK-12 Instructional Program
• Supplemental Instructional Programs
• Adult ESL Services
• Coordination of Services with Community
• ESL Website for Students, Parents and Teachers
• Combination of Funding Sources

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ESL Parent Liaisons

• 2004-05 One full-time position Pre-K-12
• 2005-06 Two full-time positions K-12
• Respond to home-school issues with non-English
  speaking parents
• Assist ESL staff with parent meetings
• Maintain ESL resource website
• Participate in community organizations that
  represent non-English speaking groups
• Assist special educators and student support
  staff with sensitive issues involving non-English
  speaking families
• Coordinate and implement registration and testing
  of new ESL students at the ESL Intake Center

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ESL Parent Liaisons

• 2005-06 One half-time position for Pre-K program
  with 40 ESL children
• Assists preschool teachers in classrooms
• Responds to home-school issues
• Interprets and translates as needed for
  Spanish-speaking families

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Intake Center

• Opened April 2005
• 176 registrations to date

• Registration
• English proficiency testing
• Referrals and resources

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Instructional Program

• Elementary
• Middle School
• High School

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Elementary ESL Instruction

• Levels 1  2 
• Level 1 2 students in the elementary schools
  are placed in mainstream classrooms with ESL
  teacher support. These ESL students receive
  Language Arts instruction in the ESL classroom
  for 90-120 minutes per day. Winchester Public
  Schools adopted the Hampton Brown Avenues series
  in the fall of 2004. Instruction is focused on
  activities that develop oral language, reading,
  and writing skills.
• Levels 3 4
• Level 3 4 students are placed in mainstream
  classrooms. These students receive support from
  an ESL specialist as needed, in collaboration
  with their classroom teacher.

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Middle School ESL Instruction

• Levels 1 2
• Level 1 2 students receive academic instruction
  in Language Arts from an ESL specialist.
  Science, Social Studies and Math classes are
  offered in a sheltered content setting by the ESL
  specialist with collaboration from regular
  classroom content specialists.
• Levels 3 4
• Level 3 4 students are placed in mainstream
  classrooms. These students are monitored by the
  ESL program and receive assistance as needed.
  One ESL specialist is assigned to each grade
  level to monitor progress and attend team
  meetings.

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High School ESL Instruction

• Levels 1 2A
• The majority of Level 1 students at John Handley
  High School are part of the Intensive English
  Program. Students receive academic instruction in
  English, Science Social Studies from an ESL
  teacher in a sheltered classroom environment.
  These students also take electives and math
  courses. Fast Math is offered by the ESL staff
  if a student needs additional entry level math
  skills training prior to entering a mainstream
  math course.

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High School ESL Instruction

• Level 2B
• Transitional English, Science, and Social Studies
  classes are offered for Level 2B students. These
  classes are taught by core content teachers and
  are designed to help students improve their
  reading and writing skills in English as well as
  core content.
• Levels 3 4
• Level 3 4 students are placed in mainstream SOL
  content classrooms. These students are monitored
  by the ESL program and receive assistance as
  needed.

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Additional Program Features

• Visiting International Faculty (VIF)
• WPS began utilizing VIF in 2003-2004
• Eight of our current ESL teachers are part of VIF
• Greatly enhances the depth of our ESL program
• Spanish Instruction
• Español Para Tí is used in Elementary (phasing in
  from Kindergarten through 5th grade)
• Formal Spanish instruction in grades 6-12

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Programa Alas (Wings) 21st Century Community
Learning Center Grant

• 154 K-5 ESL students are served in an after
  school setting
• 20 Part-time Staff
• Language for Learning curriculum
• Homework assistance
• Enrichment activities

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Programa Alas
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Adult Programs

• Adult ESL
• Partnership with Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult
  Education to provide ESL Adult instruction and
  childcare services to serve over 350 adults
• Parent Enrichment
• Parents of ESL students are invited to
  participate in classes to learn how they can
  best support their childrens education

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Coordination of Services

• Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education
• Latino Connection
• Migrant Education Program
• Handley Regional Library

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Coordination of Services

• Shenandoah University
• Lord Fairfax Community College
• Faith community
• City of Winchester

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Coordination of Services

• Adelante!/Forward!
• Information fair with college/career
  representatives
• Guest speakers from the community
• Child care volunteers

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Tinas Story

• Prenatal case management
• Counseling
• Clothing assistance
• Tutoring
• New parent assistance program
• Child care assistance
• School support group for teen mothers

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ESL Resource Websitehttp//www.wps.k12.va.us/spec
progs/esl/eslhome.htm

• Bilingual (English and Spanish)
• Resources for parents
• Resources for teachers

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Funding Sources

• NCLB Consolidated Application combines the power
  of Titles I, II, III, and V to maximize resources
  for ESL programs and services
• Local ESL Funding
• Local Remediation/Intervention Funding
• 21st CCLC Grant
• Partnership Funding

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Making A DifferenceStandard Poor's Study

• Helping All Students Learn
• Identifying School Districts in Virginia that are
  Significantly Narrowing Achievement Gaps

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Making A DifferenceStandard Poor's Study

• There are many ways that achievement gaps between
  student groups can narrow, but only one best
  embodies the principles that no child be left
  behindthat is by reducing the gap between
  groups while simultaneously improving each
  groups performance.

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Making A DifferenceStandard Poor's Study

• Only one district (Winchester Public Schools) is
  recognized for narrowing the Hispanic-White
  achievement gap. WPS is among nine K-12 school
  districts statewide that have sufficient numbers
  of students to measure a Hispanic-White
  achievement gap.

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Making A DifferenceStandard Poor's Study

• This district has the added distinction of
  narrowing the achievement gap between its
  economically disadvantaged and
• non-disadvantaged students.

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Making A DifferenceStandard Poor's Study

• Change in Proficiency Gaps in WPS
• -8.3 Between Hispanic and White Students
• -7.6 Between Economically Disadvantaged and
  Non-Disadvantaged Students
• http//www.schoolmatters.com

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Looking Ahead

• Professional development for all teachers on ESL
  teaching strategies/best practice
• Continuous improvement in the delivery of
  instructional services
• Developing additional resources within the
  community for the education of our ESL students
  and their families
• Mentorship program for ESL families

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Integrating Services for ESL Students and Families

• Maria Clymer Kurtz, ESL Parent Liaison
• kurtz_at_wps.k12.va.us
• Frida Marcoccio, ESL Parent Liaison
• marcoccio_at_wps.k12.va.us
• J. Vernon Laney,
• Coordinator of Curriculum Instruction
• laneyjv_at_wps.k12.va.us

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QuestionsCommentsChallenges