Multilingual Learner Services
Multilingual Learner Services
The School District of Oconee County's Multilingual Learner Program (MLP) (formerly ESOL) is to provide equal opportunities to students who have a primary home language other than English. The central focus is to provide an English-rich environment enabling students to become proficient in English as soon as possible. The Multilingual Learner Program Department is responsible for providing supportive language services to students who have a primary home language other than English.
The Multilingual Learner Program falls under Title III of the federal Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It is specifically targeted to benefit Multilingual Learners (MLs) and immigrant youth.
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The Multilingual Learner Program develops English proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing of Multilingual Learners (MLs) to ensure academic success in school.
ML Program Specialists teachers serve students in a variety of ways: small groups, pushing into the regular classroom, consultative, or ML class. Multilingual Learners are identified when another language is listed on the Enrollment Survey and then screened with a WIDA English proficiency test to determine if the student qualifies for the ML program.
The ML program begins in kindergarten and continues through 12th grade. Students exit the program when they score a 4.4 composite and 4.0 in each of the domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing on the WIDA ACCESS test.
The WIDA ACCESS test is given each spring to Multilingual learners to test their English proficiency growth.
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Our program is based on the philosophy reflected in the following:
- We believe that students come with pre-existing knowledge and this background knowledge in their first language will aid in the acquisition of English.
- Students’ individual needs are as diverse as the students themselves and these needs change as they develop their language skills.
- Learning must be scaffolded/supported to promote language development. Lessons are modified based on proficiency levels so students are successful.
- ML Program specialists and mainstream teachers share responsibility to provide appropriate and quality language instruction. Language instruction develops along with content instruction.
- Along with linguistic and academic support, Multilingual Learners need cultural, social, and emotional support during the language acquisition process. Multilingual Learners need a welcoming and supportive school climate.
- Second Language research based methodologies are used in the Multilingual Learner Program classroom enabling students to become proficient in English as soon as possible.
- SDOC complies with federal and state laws and guidelines.
- Assessments are aligned to WIDA standards and best practices, both tied to core curriculum content standards.
- Parents are successful partners in the education of Multilingual Learners.
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The SDOC MLP strives to achieve the following objectives:
- To identify and assess all students with another language other than English as indicated on the Enrollment Survey (ES)
- To provide instruction for multilingual learners in all English language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
- To assess and monitor the academic progress of MLs with an ongoing evaluation process.
- To create a learning environment that provides for the affective and cognitive needs of MLs.
- To communicate instructional goals and expectations to parents and encourage them to support their children’s progress.
- To provide MLP personnel with professional development in appropriate instructional, assessment and culturally responsive teaching strategies needed to support MLs.
- To hire and maintain staff to provide MLs with an equitable educational opportunity.
- To monitor students who have exited the program to ensure continued language and academic success
- To provide professional development for content area teachers to equip them with the tools that they need to educate MLs in their classroom.
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The links below help define the many terms used when discussing students whose primary language is not English.
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Title III legislation provides information about the rights of parents and guardians who do not speak, listen, read, or write English proficiently because it is not their primary language. The federal Department of Justice and Department of Education has put a fact sheet together with common questions.
- Parent's Right to Know Fact Sheet - English
- Parent's Right to Know Fact Sheet - Spanish
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Please visit the WIDA link below provides resources to help parents support students.
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For more information, please visit the South Carolina Department of Education Title III website.
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