English Learners
It is Union's mission to provide English Learners (ELs) and Immigrant students a high quality program, designed to assist students in learning English and to meet challenging state academic content and student academic standards.
All English learners, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, will participate in a quality instructional Title III program that supports academic and social development. Emphasis will be placed on providing students with the greatest possible access to core curriculum and afford students access to appropriate English language instruction that will ensure progress from limited English proficiency to fluent English proficiency.
Who are English Learners
- Between the ages of 3 and 21
- Enrolled/preparing to enroll in elementary or secondary school
- Not born in U.S. or whose native language is not English
- From environment where language other than English significantly impacted English language proficiency
- Has difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding English sufficiently so that it denies the individual the:
1. ability to meet the proficient level of achievement on state content assessments
2. ability to successfully achieve in classrooms taught in English with no language support
3. opportunity to participate fully in society
Adult students are encouraged to enroll in classes at the Union Adult Learning Center, which has programs that specifically cater to English Learners.
Federal Funding
Title III of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act provides federal funds to implement supplemental instructional programs for ELs. These funds are used to provide high quality language instruction programs for our district Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in elementary and secondary grades.
Federal funds are also used to provide support staff to assist teachers with instruction and professional development for teachers to effectively instruct and assess English Language Learners.
Title III Requires Annual Assessment of English Language Proficiency
Title III requires an annual assessment of the English language proficiency of all LEP students in grades K-12 in the domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Limited English proficient students must be assessed on an annual basis to determine individual growth in each domain. When a student reaches a level of Fluent English Proficient (FEP) the student no longer receives supplemental EL services, but is monitored for two academic years to ensure continued academic progress.
Programs
Union Public Schools offers English Learners a variety of language instruction educational programs. The programs are based on scientific research and designed to assist students in learning English and meet age appropriate academic achievement standards for grade promotion and graduation. The models selected to meet the instructional needs of EL students at Union include 'Structured English Immersion' for elementary schools and 'Sheltered English Instruction' for secondary schools (grades 6-12.)
- Structured English Immersion
- Sheltered English Instruction
- Newcomer Class
- Educational Services
- Mainstream Classes with ALA Class
- Parent Communication and Outreach
- Sheltered Core Classes with ALA Class
- Monitoring FEP1 and FEP2