MCPS ESL Program Guide
Overview of Program Models
How is Instruction Delivered?
MCPS believes that students should attend school in their home attendance area. The
diversity that ELL students add enriches the school community.
Certified ESL teachers work directly with students, consult with classroom teachers, and
may oversee volunteer services that provide additional support. Teachers are assigned to
home schools, where they hold the position of teacher. They assume the same roles and
responsibilities as all other teachers in the home school. Additionally, teachers may hold an
itinerant status in one or more schools where they serve LEP students. In these schools,
ESL teachers stay informed of school events and participate in parent-teacher conferences;
however, they are not required to fulfill extra duty assignments. ESL teachers establish a
regular schedule of services for the students in their home and itinerant schools. All
services are designed to enable English language learners to work toward the same
academic standards as all other students.
What are the Instructional Delivery Models used in the MCPS Second
Language Program?
Elementary School Models
Pull-out: LEP students leave their mainstream classes at scheduled times during the day
and/or week to receive structured English instruction in a separate classroom. Pull-out
services are designed for English language learners who need supplemental instruction in
literacy to help them function in mainstream classrooms more effectively. The ESL teacher
is responsible for following the state standards for developing English language proficiency,
selecting appropriate materials and planning instruction that will maximize English
acquisition. Instruction in a pull-out setting lasts between 30 to 40 minutes per session and
students may meet 3-4 times per week.
Push-in: LEP students remain in the mainstream classroom and receive ESL support
services by a certified ESL teacher for 15 to 30 minutes per session. Students may work in
small groups with the ESL teacher who functions as a resource instructor in the classroom
or the ESL teacher may co-teach a lesson using instructional techniques to support English
language learners. In small group activities, LEP students may engage in some of the same
kinds of language study found in a pull-out class; however, the ESL teacher works in
collaboration with the classroom teacher to tailor lessons to content study. Students who
have gained a level of proficiency in English will still be challenged during content study for
perhaps as long as 5-7 years. The ESL teacher may serve as a resource to help support
students’ development of content vocabulary and concepts.
Secondary School Models
ESL Elective Course: Middle and high school ESL elective courses are designed to give
LEP students instruction in the English language. These elective courses address state
standards for developing English proficiency by stressing vocabulary, oral language,
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reading, and writing skills. They may be leveled as an ESL I class or an ESL II class, or a
single ESL class may serve a range of competency levels. When a single course is offered,
the ESL teacher differentiates the curriculum to meet the variety of competency levels of
students. ESL teachers may, at times, tutor students in assignments for mainstream
classes, but an ESL elective course is not a resource class for LEP students to work on
mainstream class assignments. In settings where core teachers collaborate with the ESL
teacher, it may be possible to integrate the curriculum of the two courses. For example,
students in a social studies class may be required to prepare a classroom presentation on a
researched topic. Since reading, writing, and speaking are part of the ESL curriculum, it
may be possible for both the social studies teacher and the ESL teacher to support and
evaluate the work of the students. Integration, however, is a two-way street. To be
effective, core teacher and ESL teacher need to plan together how the integration will bridge
both classrooms and reciprocally support English language proficiency and core content
standards.
Students may earn foreign language credit for ESL courses. These courses are taught at
the same level of rigor as all other foreign language courses. A course set of objectives
defines the scope and sequence of English language skills and knowledge that parallels the
scope and sequence of other modern foreign languages such as Spanish, French, and
German. As with other foreign language courses, English as a foreign language may offer
levels as separate classes or as a combined class. According to Virginia Department of
Education guidelines, the successful completion of each course earns students a foreign
language credit.
English 9 and 10 Courses with ESL Services: These courses are designed to satisfy
high school English requirements for graduation. They are taught by a certified secondary
English teacher and the curriculum is based on the Virginia Standards of Learning for
English 9 and 10. The courses differ from other English 9 and 10 courses by having a
certified ESL teacher as a co-teacher and infusing accommodations and instructional
strategies to meet English language proficiency standards throughout the curriculum and
instruction. The course is not restricted to only students identified as LEP. Core textbooks
used may be supplemented by simpler versions of literature, writing assignments are
appropriate to the students’ various levels of English proficiency, and oral language skills
are stressed. The English and ESL teachers rely on a variety of instructional strategies that
support the learning of English as a second language and English as a content of study.
These courses are designed to support English language learners to gain control of the
standards that will be assessed on both the English: Reading/Literature/Research and
English: Writing SOL tests. LEP students are expected to pass both English SOL tests in
order to earn verified units of credit to satisfy graduation requirements. If on staff, a dual
endorsed English/ESL teacher may individually teach the course(s).