 |
||
| Staff | ||
| Name | Building | Phone |
| Tamara Fischer | Altoona | 967-3771 |
| Kelly Johnson | Centennial | 967-2109 |
| Kelly Johnson | Clay | 967-4198 |
| Tamara Fischer / Jennifer Fischer | Delaware | 262-3197 |
| Jill Brady | Four Mile | 265-1972 |
| Kim Smith | Runnells | 966-2068 |
| Michelle Varnum | Willowbrook | 967-7512 |
| Kim Smith | Spring Creek | 967-5533 |
| Michelle Baack | Junior High | 967-5509 |
| Christine Drabek | Senior High | 967-6631 x2037 |
| There are no English language learners attending Mitchellville Elementary at this time. | ||
| SEP ELL Facts | ||
Students earn credit for ELL classes at the senior high level. |
||
ELL instructors meet once a month with the district’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction. |
||
ELL instructors also meet four times each year with ELL teachers from other districts in the area. |
||
Materials and training designed to help English language learners are available from federal Title III funds through Heartland AEA11. |
||
| Online Resources | ||
| ABC for Kids | ||
| English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) Proficiency Levels |
||
| Glencoe Translations | ||
| Homework Help | ||
| International Newspapers | ||
| Online Books in 34 Languages | ||
| PBS Kids | ||
| Star Fall | ||
| TransACT | ||
| World Wildlife Fund | ||
The district has ELL instructors in every building. Students stay in their own school for ELL instruction. English language instructors and classroom teachers frequently communicate about students’ classroom learning and their English language development.
Southeast Polk has around 100 English language learners enrolled each year. In 2008-09, ELL students represent 21 different cultures and speak 15 different languages, including Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Croatian, Hmong, Kikuyu, Korean, Lao, Pohnpeian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Tagolog, French and Vietnamese.
Southeast Polk’s English Language Learner program is designed to:
- Help students become better English speakers, readers, writers and listeners.
- Help students understand United States culture and participate fully in classroom, school and community activities.
- Help students keep pride in their first language and culture.
- Help students become successful in the whole school environment and in their community.
FAQ's about ELL
- Identification: How are English language learners identified?
- All new students complete a Home Language Survey at registration with their parents or guardian.
- Placement: When a language other than English is spoken at home.
- English language instructors use grade level English proficiency tests for speaking, reading and writing.
- When students are not proficient, the English language instructor sends a letter to the parents/guardian (in their home language) to inform them their child will be served in the English language learner program.
- Communications: How to we communicate with parents?
- The district makes every attempt to inform language minority parents of all school matters through translated letters and notices, school provided interpreters and the use of letters from TransACT.com.
- Exiting: How do students exit from the program?
- Students exit the program when the state English language test, the Iowa-English Language Development Assessment (I-ELDA) shows students are proficient with a score of six in speaking, listening, reading and writing at their grade level two consecutive years.
- Proficient students may continue in the program for extra support before complete exit. The ELL instructor watches student progress through classroom grades and tests, student classroom performance, communications with the classroom teachers and observations during ELL time together.
- Testing: How do English language learners take district and state tests?
- The Iowa Department of Education has a list of appropriate accommodations which are used to test English language learners on district and state tests. Accommodations change the way a test is given, to help students understand what is being tested.