The ESOL Program
Lee County School District
2008-2011
Summary of the District English
Language Learner (ELL) Plan
I. Identification of the ESOL Student
Step 1. Upon registering a child, the
parents must indicate if their child
understands or speaks a language other
than English. The parents complete a
home language survey at the student
assignment center.
Step 2. At the school, the child is then given
a Language Assessment Battery (LAB) test
within 20 days of the first day of
attendance.
Depending on grade level, students are
tested in speaking/listening,
reading/writing.
A 32%ile or lower in any section indicates
a deficiency in the English language and
the child is then placed in the ESOL
program.
Parents are then notified.
Note: It is possible for a student to pass the
LAB test, but still experience difficulties with
the English language.
In this case, a child can enter the ESOL
program through the decision of an ELL
committee (a group consisting of teachers,
guidance counselors, ESOL educators and
parents).
II. Instructional Programs
The School District of Lee County has
implemented various instructional
programs for ESOL students.
ESOL instruction represents a tool through
which students will acquire English
language skills and subject area content.
The child may be instructed through one of
these models:
Inclusion with ESOL strategies
A certified teacher will provide
comprehensible instruction with or without
the use of a bilingual educational
paraprofessional.
Students are included in regular classes.
Some classes may also use clustering, or
grouping of ELL students.
Equal Access
ESOL students have the right to participate
fully in all courses and programs for which
they qualify, regardless of English
language proficiency.
This includes access to ESE programs,
advanced and honors courses, gifted,
vocational, magnet schools, etc.
III. State mandated Exams
All ESOL students are required to take the
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
(FCAT).
For students who are in the program two
years or less, exemption from mandatory
retention in the third grade occurs when the
student has demonstrated grade level
performance in the native language.
Spanish speaking students are also tested
using the Aprenda test. Other languages
use the Review of the Educational
Background form.
All ESOL students taking the statewide
assessments are offered and receive the
following accommodations:
Statewide Assessments
Accommodations
Additional time on tests
Flexible setting when desired
Access to home language speaker where
desired and available
Use of a bilingual dictionary where desired
IV. Exiting the ESOL program
The CELLA (Comprehensive English
Language Learner Assessment) is used as
an exit tool as well as achieving a score of
Level 3 on the FCAT.
If a student was entered through an ELL
committee then the student must also exit
through the ELL committee.
An ESE student whose handicap does not
allow passing of the exit tests may also be
exited through the ELL committee.
Parents are notified when the student exits
the ESOL program.
V. Monitoring Procedures
All students that have exited from ESOL must be
monitored for two years from the date of exit.
Report cards are reviewed. If the report card shows
an unsatisfactory grade, an ELL committee must be
held to determine if the failing grade was due to a
language barrier.
If it is discovered that language is a barrier for
obtaining a passing grade, the student may then reenter the program.
Parents are invited to ELL committee meetings and
are notified of ESOL program re-entry.
VI. Parental/Student Notification
and Rights
Whenever feasible, the school district
provides assistance to parents of ELL
students in their heritage language at time
of registration, ELL committee meetings,
and at parent/teacher conferences.
Parents Notified of the Following
Testing information and program placement
Program delivery model options
State testing and accommodations
Retention/remediation, exit, re-classification
(re-entering) and monitoring procedures
Parent Leadership Council (PLC)
Parents are also informed of opportunities to
meet with the Parent Leadership Council
(PLC) to discuss improvement in the ESOL
program.
Information about the schools’ adequate
yearly progress is released to the press.
Schools publish these results in newsletters
to let parents know where they can obtain
further information
Use of Heritage Language
The district may not subject the student to disciplinary action
based solely on the use of the student’s native or heritage
language.
Use of the heritage language is encouraged in classroom
situations where students need to clarify academic content in
order to master skills.
Teachers may encourage students to use English at times, but
only to the point where the student is comfortable.
Students may however, be subject to disciplinary action if they
are disregarding classroom or school rules (talking loudly,
talking out of turn or at inappropriate times, being rude, or
using vulgarity in any language).
In such cases, discipline is based on the students’ behavior
rather than the language in which the behavior occurs.
VII. Personnel Training
Elective and exploratory teachers need a total preparation of
18 hours of ESOL in-service training.
Academic teachers, guidance counselors and administrators
need 60 total hours.
Language Arts/English teachers must complete a total of 300
hours in-service points, or 15 semester hours.
ESOL educational paraprofessionals must complete an 18hour training course.
When a school has fifteen or more ELL students that speak the
same home language, an ESOL paraprofessional is hired to
assist the content area teachers with the delivery of
comprehensible instruction.
Additional Questions Comments
Please contact:
School District of Lee County
The District Intervention Programs
ESOL Program
(239) 335-1579
2855 Colonial Boulevard
Fort Myers, Florida 33966-1012