Program Overview
West Bridgewater Public Schools is a low incidence District serving less than 20 LEP: Limited English Proficient students.
The District currently employs a licensed ESL teacher who is highly qualified with a Masters degree in ESL. This teacher is responsible for initial screening, administering state assessments, delivering language instruction to LEP students, and supporting content area teachers who deliver instruction in a SEI: Sheltered English Instructional environment.
The District ELL program design is one of SEI:Sheltered English Instruction and ELD: English Language Development. At the elementary levels, the District has identified one teacher at each grade level who teaches LEP students in a SEI classroom. All of these teachers have had prior Category training and will receive the state SEI Endorsement.
Middle and High School teachers in all disciplines are also being trained to receive SEI Endorsement. Currently, the District has a few teachers in each content area trained to ensure any LEP students would be placed in SEI classes, at all grade levels. Training will continue and comply with state deadlines for the RETELL: Rethinking Equity for English Language Learners initiative.
In our schools, there are six levels of ESL instruction provided for identified English Language Learners based on the WIDA English Language Proficiency levels.
WIDA English Language Proficiency Levels
1. Entering
2. Beginning
3. Developing
4. Expanding
5. Bridging
English Language Learners are identified as one of the above levels by using data from the initial screening placement W-APT.
Students at each of these levels are provided with a program of study in English as a Second Language (ESL) that addresses his/her particular English learning needs. ESL support classes are provided until a student is assessed as a transitioning student and a team has identified the student as FLEP: Former Limited English Proficient.
We believe in an inclusionary instructional program whereby English Language Learners are placed in classes with native English speakers. ESL teachers work closely with Elementary grade level teachers and Secondary content area teachers. ESL support services are conducted in pull-out and Sheltered English Instruction settings.
In addition, students are enrolled in grade level content and secondary subject matters including: Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading, Foreign Language and English Language Arts.. In these classrooms, teachers use a sheltered instructional approach so that English Language Learners actively participate in their learning. In these classrooms, lessons are planned to be:
o Appropriate for English Language Learners at all levels of [proficiency as described by the WIDA English Proficiency levels and standards;
o Guided by language and content objectives appropriate for English Language Learners who are at different proficiency levels;
o Aligned with WIDA standards; and
o Characterized by student interaction, students’ questions, group work, theme based units of study, and other important strategies for effective sheltered instruction.
Further, content teachers are being trained to use strategies that:
- Make language objectives, content objectives and academic tasks visible;
- Use supplementary materials, graphic organizers, visuals and manipulatives to make content more comprehensible;
- Group students so that all English Language Learners may actively participate;
- Integrate language instruction with content instruction.
Our goal is to provide students with a program of study that is inclusive and that honors the various language and cultural representatives found within our student population.
Student will progress from one level to the next as they acquire more proficiency in English. Progress is determined through the use of various assessments, including student performance in class and on state mandated ACCESS and MCAS testing. Students are provided with instruction in ESL until they are proficient in English in the all domains of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, at which time they will be identified as FLEP: Former Limited English Proficient.