English Language Learning
School District 126 strives to provide a continuum of services for students who have a primary language other than English. Our English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual staff provide services based on individual needs of each student. The purpose is to assist students to become proficient in academic English. Language acquisition is a complex developmental process that is unique to each student. Students’ unique values, cultural backgrounds, and developmental needs of students with limited English proficiency are recognized.
As part of the enrollment process, Illinois requires school districts to use a Home Language Survey as the first step in identifying a student as an English Language Learner. If a student is identified on the survey whose family or the student themself communicates in a language other than English, then the district shall administer an individual language proficiency assessment. The assessment is to take place within 30 days of the student’s enrollment in the district, for the purpose of determining the child’s eligibility for English language acquisition purposes. If a student is determined to be eligible for services, then the parents will be informed in writing the assessment results and services will be explained to assist the student to become English language proficient.
Students who are identified needing English language support are required by federal law to take the English Language Proficiency test annually for English proficiency growth. Students take the ACCESS for ELLs, which is a standards-based assessment that is assessing students in English. The ACCESS test assesses both social and academic English.
Below is the Illinois State Board of Education link for additional English Language Learning resources.
http://www.isbe.net/bilingual/htmls/access.htm
Immigrant Students Free Public Education Rights
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Immigrant-Students-Right.pdf