English for Speakers of Other Languages
(ESOL)
ESOL instructors work closely with classroom teachers to monitor the progress ESOL students are making in the regular classroom. At the end of each semester classroom teachers assess their ESOL students by filling out an ESOL Exit Standard checklist.
In order for elementary students to be considered proficient they must meet 85% of the exit standards and be achieving at the Independent Reader, Proficient Writer, and Proficient Speaker and Listener ability level in the classroom without support. If an Elementary student reaches their goals by mid-year it’s possible they will be exited from the program.
In the Middle School, students need to accomplish 90% of the exit standards without support in order to be exited from the program. The Middle School ESOL program is a one year program, meaning students are not exited mid-year.
Early Elementary ESOL, Grades 1 & 2:
The goal of ESOL instruction in grades 1 and 2 is not only to promote the acquisition of basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) but also to support cognitive academic learning proficiency skills (CALPS). ESOL instructors provide students with the language to function effectively in English. They bring students to the point where they can take advantage of the natural English language input available to them in the classroom to continue their academic language development. The ESOL instructors work closely with the classroom teacher to monitor progress and to assess the level of acquisition and skill use. Below is a sample of what students work toward in the Early Elementary Program:
- Carry on daily conversation where meaning is supported by contextual cues (meaningful social context, physical gestures, facial expressions, intonation)
- Develop basic survival and academic vocabulary
- Request and give information/assistance
- Describe objects
- Express feelings
- Demonstrate ability to follow oral directions
- Participate in classroom activities with some assistance from the teacher
- Participate socially with peers and play games in English
- Answer lower and higher level questions
- Develop reading skills (first grade)
- Develop reading and writing skills (second grade)
Upper Elementary ESOL, Grades 3, 4, and 5:
The goal of ESOL instruction in grades 3, 4, and 5 is to promote basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and cognitive academic learning proficiency skills (CALPS). ESOL instructors provide students with the language and language skills needed to write and read in order to study school subjects in English. Students should exit the program when they can glean meaning from content and have acquired the necessary language and language skills to participate successfully in classes at or near grade level at Colegio Maya. Below is a sample of what students work toward in the Upper Elementary Program:
- Demonstrate the ability to draw meaning from oral and or written language
- Read and write for personal academic purposes
- Use academic vocabulary
- Demonstrate an understanding of academic presentations when accompanied by visuals, demonstrations, and hands-on activities
- Solve word problems assisted by manipulatives and illustrations
- Participate in academic discussions
- Make brief orally presentations
- Understand written text through discussion, illustrations, and visuals
- Write simple science and social studies reports
- Answer higher order questions
Secondary ESOL for Grade 6, 7, and 8:
The goal of ESOL instruction in secondary is to promote cognitive academic learning proficiency skills (CALPS). ESOL instructors provide students with the language and language skills needed to write and read in order to study school subjects in English. Students should be mainstreamed when they have acquired the necessary language and language skills to participate successfully in mainstream classes at or near grade level. Below is a sample of what students work toward in the Secondary Program:
- Understand cognitively demanding information
- Use higher level reading comprehension skills including inferenctial and critical reading skills
- Understand academic presentation with few visuals or demonstrations
- Make formal oral presentations
- Read for information
FIRST - THIRD ESOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY STANDARDS
The information above is a combination of Colegio Maya School Policy and program information provided by Sarah Sadrkanlou, Elementary ESOL Specialist; Maria Antonieta McKlem, Middle School ESOL Specialist; and Jeanie Cook, Elementary ESOL Specialist.
