The Referral Process
Once the SOS team and the Referral Form were in place, we
began to focus on the referral process. This is the process that
we have developed thus far.
1. Completing a Student Problem Solving Profile
Referral Form
When a teacher becomes concerned with a student who
continually performs lower than his peers in the classroom and
does not meet benchmarks, she completes a Student Problem
Solving Profile Referral Form In addition to these concerns, the
ELL SOS Team asks that the teachers provide narrative
information on the individual student.
• What are the student's strengths? (academic, behavior,
social/emotional)
• Please elaborate on any concerns by providing specific
examples where possible.
• Prioritize concerns and provide ELL SOS Team with desired
outcomes after intervention.
2. Holding a Problem-Solving Meeting with the SOS
Team
Once the form is submitted to the ELL Director, he then reviews
the form and gathers information from the other teachers that
share the struggling student. If there are assessments and
diagnostic information in the student's file, that information is
gathered in preparation for the meeting. At the meeting the team
comes together to review the information regarding the student.
Discussions take place based on the effectiveness (or lack
thereof) Tier 1 research-based instructional strategies to promote
both language development and academic achievement within
the classroom.
• Has the student made linguistic and academic gains similar to
those of his peers based on formative and summative
assessments?
• Is teacher instruction appropriate to the level of the students?
• Are the majority of the students in the particular class
succeeding?
Based on the information from the teachers and assessment
results, the team decides whether further assessment needs to
completed and analyzed. The ELL reading specialist may conduct
a Bader Reading and Language Inventory, Attitude Survey, or
fluency measurement based on the information discussed at the
ELL SOS meeting. After these assessments are given and
analyzed, an intervention plan is developed for the student.
3. Implementing a Intervention Plan: A Move from
Tier 1 to Tier 2 Supplemental Instruction
Based on the data presented and ELL SOS discussions, an
intervention plan is developed and carried through. Each
intervention plan is tailored to the needs of the struggling
student. For example, the team may recommend that the
teachers provide specific Tier 1 instructional strategies and
monitor student progress measuring the specific skill the
intervention is targeting. For students needing more intense
support, Tier 2 small-groups or one-on-one tutoring interventions
may take place with teacher assistants or ELL Resource Teachers
outside of class time. These sessions may last 20 minutes a day,
three days a week to 45 minutes a day, five days a week
depending on the intervention plan. The duration of the Tier 2
intervention may also vary depending on the skill being mastered.
The key pieces to the intervention plan are to:
• (1) match the intervention with the skill deficiency
• (2) monitor student progress
• (3) adjust intervention when necessary.
The intervention sessions are not meant to help a student with
homework or help study for a quiz or test. Interventions are
carried out to help a student master a specific skill. For example,
if a student is struggling with reading comprehension, an
intervention such as repeated readings or Question-AnswerRelationship strategy would be implemented.
Once the student shows gains through progress monitoring and
has improved on the specific skill, the Tier 2 intervention stops.
But if a student continues to show no gains during the Tier 2
intervention, the ELL SOS Team then discusses possible
alternatives, which could include a Tier 3 referral to Special
Education if it is determined that the student has received an
adequate opportunity to succeed.
Moving from Tier 2 to Tier 3 Support
If a student continues to show very minimal gains compared to
peers after small-group and one-on-one tutoring, the ELL SOS
Team would consider referring the student to the School SOS
Team for possible assessment for Special Education eligibility.
The ELL SOS Team would provide the School SOS Team with
valuable information regarding the interventions attempted, the
progress of achievement, the duration of the interventions, the
level of current performance compared to his peers, and other
factors. Once all the information is presented to the School SOS
Team, it continues the process to best meet the needs of the
student.
Final Thoughts
In the past two years, the referrals of English language learners
to Special Education have declined. In addition, the students who
have been referred to Special Education have been eligible to
receive services. Our RtI process is a framework towards
improved Tier 1 and Tier 2 intervention. By developing a
systematic approach to intervention, we are confident that we
are providing our English language learners with proper
instructional services to improve language proficiency and
academic achievement. By constant collaboration with teachers,
social workers, psychologists, and counselors, we are able to
paint a clearer picture of the types of services a student needs
academically and emotionally.
We must realize that in today's world of education, our
curriculum must meet the needs of our multi-leveled students.
The days of having all materials and activities prepared at the
beginning of the school year are over. Our curriculum must be
dynamic, and our instruction must be research-based. Our
assessments must monitor skill development and mastery. We
have the opportunity to do what our students need: prepare
them for post-secondary opportunities.
No matter if you are an ELL teacher, content teacher, or
administrator, evaluate your current ELL program and ask, "Are
our ELLs succeeding in our program and in the mainstream
curriculum? Are they achieving academically? Are they prepared
for the next level?" If they are, fantastic! If not, what can be
done to ensure academic success? All of our students have the
potential to succeed, but it is up to us to create a system of
support that helps them reach the agreed-upon curriculum
benchmarks. We are proud that the Maine West ELL Program
strives to ensure academic success for all English language
learners. Most importantly, however, we believe that we are
doing our best to realize our goal of giving our students the tools
to be able to succeed beyond high school and be productive
global citizens in the 21st century workplace.