5033 English Learner Program
It is Union’s mission to provide English Learners (ELs) and Immigrant students a high-qualify program designed to assist students in learning English and meet challenging state academic content and student academic standards.
All English Learners will participate in a quality instructional program that supports academic and social development. Emphasis will be placed on providing students with the greatest possible access to care, curriculum and appropriate English language instruction that will ensure progress from limited English proficiency to fluent English proficiency.
Identification and Assessment:
A completed Home Language Survey (HLS) is required for any student enrolled in a public school in the State of Oklahoma. Submission of a language other than English on any of the three primary language questions will prompt a language screening or a records request for previous language assessment results.
1. What is the dominant language most often spoken by the student?
2. What is the language routinely spoken in the home, regardless of the language spoken by the student?
3. What language was first learned by the student?
The student’s level of English language proficiency will be assessed through the administration of the WiDA
Screener within 30 calendar days of the start of school and 10 school days thereafter. Okla. Admin Code § 210:15-35-1-2-3
Parent Notification
The district communicates with parents of ELs in a language requested by the parent about EL Program Placement upon initial enrollment and screening, language assessment test results, and any time a student’s placement is reevaluated during the school year.
Parents may decline supplemental EL services and support. All students who are identified as EL are required to participate annually in both the state-mandated language assessment and grade-specific state content-area
assessments, regardless of their waiver status. If the student is not successful in the mainstream without the support of the EL Program, parents are provided with information regarding the benefits and encouraged to allow their children to participate.
Okla. Admin. Code § 210:15-35-3
Services
The research-based models selected to meet the instructional needs of ELs at Union include Structured English Immersion (SEN) for elementary through 6th grade students and Sheltered English Instructions (SEI) for secondary students, 7th through 12th grade.
Students who qualify for an English Learner (EL) program may be graded on a P/F (Pass/Fail) basis for all subjects unless they perform well enough in a particular subject to receive a grade - C or above. This includes students who are being served within the regular classroom or those attending EL classes. The regular classroom teacher will communicate with the EL instructor or the related specialist prior to the implementation of this policy for specific students.
Structured English Immersion (K-6) - The regular classroom teacher provides instructional strategies and differentiation to meet the language needs of the student. All EL students may leave the mainstream classroom or receive language instruction during an intervention period for up to an hour per day. Such pullout sessions provide intensive English language development instruction and are delivered by an EL instructional specialist or classroom teacher.
Sheltered English Instruction (7-12) - Sheltered instruction is provided in English and adapted to the English proficiency level of the students in a self-contained environment (only EL students) for the initial stages of English language development. Students may also receive sheltered instruction as part of a sheltered cohort with a mainstream content class. Students attend an additional Academic Language Acquisition (ALA) class. The ALA class provides English language development instruction delivered in a classroom setting with a low student/teacher ratio.
Newcomer Program (6-12) - The newcomer program serves students who are new to the US and have received less than one year of formal education in the US school system. At the end of the school year, students’ progress towards language goals, student work, limited or interrupted formal education and other individual factors are considered for subsequent placement. Each student is evaluated on an individual basis and a placement decision is made by the Language proficiency Assessment Committee. The district has a general guideline of one year in the newcomer setting.
Okla. Admin Code § 210:15-35-2
Equal Access
EL students at Union have the same enrollment procedures as all students. EL students are given equal access to core curriculum, extracurricular, special education, academic and non-academic subjects, and out-of-school activities.
EL students are included in all gifted testing when it occurs for entire grade levels. EL students are also included in gifted testing that occurs by referral at all grade levels. Union utilizes a non-verbal gifted assessment for all students.
Exit Criteria
The district follows state guidelines for exiting ELs from the district EL Program.
Grading Policy for EL Students
Students who qualify for an English Learner (EL) program may be graded on a P/F (Pass/Fail) basis for all subjects unless they perform well enough in a particular subject to receive a grade - C or above. This includes students who are being served within the regular classroom or those attending EL classes. The regular classroom teacher will communicate with the EL instructor or the related specialist prior to the implementation of this policy for specific students.
Adopted 3/9/98
Revised 12/13/99
Revised 1/13/03
Revised 12/13/04
Revised 11/8/10
Revised 12/11/17
Revised 12/10/18
Revised 12/11/23