The purpose of this program at ISC is to enable students to acquire communicative competence in English and to sharpen the academic language skills that they will need in order to succeed in an English-speaking school. The program plays a vital role in the instructional program of the school, and its goal is to ensure that students whose mother tongue is not English become fluent and functional enough for them to be able to succeed in the mainstream classrooms. The placement of students in EAL classes is determined by their proficiency level in English, as well as by their ages and grade levels. All the language skills are targeted and developed by means of a rich content-based curriculum which moves students from early to advanced levels of proficiency in listening, understanding, speaking, reading, and writing. Instruction is integrated and incorporates all these skills as well as academic content in its approach to language teaching.

Students may be enrolled in EAL for 1 to 3 school years. Students are assessed at the end of each school year to determine their proficiency and whether they may be exited or continue in the program. Students who are exited and are no longer served directly through the EAL Program are still eligible for support services and monitoring status. This means that monitored students can still receive modifications in instruction and assessment on a needs basis. Monitored status is from 12 to 24 months, and is assigned on a needs basis.

Classroom Accomodations

• Seat student near a positive role model

• Seat student near the teacher and/or near the board

• Assign a buddy (speaker of same native language)

• Stand near the student when giving directions, assigning HW, or presenting lessons

• Seat student in area free of distracting stimuli

• Use collaborative/cooperative groups

• Label materials and important elements in the classroom

• Make sure there is a subject level appropriate word wall (themed based, academic vocabulary, lesson, frequently used words/terminology)

Assessment Accommodations

• Provide extended time, multiple sessions, and frequent breaks during formal and informal assessments

• Administer assessments orally

• Allow the students to use his/her native language when clarifying meaning with an individual proficient in his/her language

• Read questions aloud to students when reading is not being assessed

• Give frequent quizzes rather than long exams

• Use close-ended responses; limiting open-ended responses

• Use rubrics

• Avoid word problems (testing concepts; NOT language)

• Allow open book test/exams

• Allow the use of bilingual dictionaries during tests

• Allow the use of calculators during tests

• Allow take-home tests

• Allow ample wait time after asking questions

• Translate quizzes and/or exams

• Use authentic or qualitative assessments (learning logs, peer assessments, self-assessments, checklists, portfolios, cloze, etc.)

• Use graphic organizers/ Thinking Maps as assessment tools

Standardized Testing Accommodations

• New EAL students can be exempt from testing sessions. This decision needs to be made by the classroom teacher in coordination with the EAL department.

• New EAL students are allowed to take only the Math section of the test if language skills are not yet adequate.

• EAL and LR students are allowed to use dictionaries and calculators when testing in a separate environment as stipulated by the specific external test administration procedures

• Provide extended time, multiple sessions, and frequent breaks

• Allow testing in a separate environment

• Allow testing in smaller groups

• Read questions aloud to students when reading is not being assessed

• Explain word meaning when definitions or words in context are not being assessed

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