BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 501

2162P

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

 

PROCEDURES FOR TRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL/ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION

 

The purpose of the English as a Second Language Program (ESL) in the Bellingham School District is to help students, whose first language is not English, become successful learners. Newly arrived students, or those with very low English language skills, will receive ESL instruction.

 

We will identify and screen all students who are limited English proficient (LEP) within twenty (20) days of entry into the Bellingham School District. We encourage office personnel at each school and teachers to continue submitting names of students in need. Our task is to best allocate the resources we have. We will work with the classroom teacher and ESL staff to provide instruction for the student. We are willing to test students who have exited from the program in a prior year, as some students may regress.

 

A.   Screening

 

  1. Initially, the screener will do an informal interview with the student to assess need.
  2.  The screener will administer the Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM) I (Kindergarten to grade 2) or Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM) II (grades 3-12) to students who are able to communicate in English during the interview.
  3. Identification of students' primary languages is required by state law (WAC 392-160-015). The Bellingham School District encourages local school registrars to ask parents to complete the Home Language Survey form upon a new student's arrival for registration. This should be filled out before ESL screening and should trigger the ESL referral. School secretaries and high school counselors will notify the ESL office when a new student's home language is other than English. It is difficult for students to change class schedules once they have attended even a few days of classes.

 

B. Priority for Service

 

  1. All students who qualify for the ESL Program must receive services. If a parent requests no ESL services, they must submit a documented alternative plan for ESL or bilingual instruction.
  2. Students who test near the 35th percentile on a nationally standardized reading and language test may be placed on a "monitor" status. Evaluation of academic growth by the ESL staff and the classroom teacher(s) or high school counselor(s) will occur at the grading period. The student may be placed back in the ESL Program by teacher request.
  3. There is no provision to serve those students who score between the 35th and 50th percentiles on a nationally standardized reading and language test, and continue to need ESL support but whenever feasible, the ESL Program will monitor student academic growth.
  4. Each April/May, ESL Program staff will test all ESL students with a Bellingham School District approved standardized test. Students who score above the 35th percentile on reading and language subtests will exit the State program.

 

Approved:

Dale E. Kinsley                                                                           March 24, 1994

Superintendent of Schools

Return to Table of Contents