Department of English Language Learning
ELL Staff
Department of English Language Learning
Welcome to the Department of English Language Learning for ISD #109!
ELL Program Information Approximately 850 students receive English language instruction in Indian Springs School District 109. Currently, 28 languages are represented district-wide.
Instructional Goals To meet academic grade level goals while becoming proficient in English.
Programming Options
TPI (Transitional Program of Instruction) - Also known as ESL (English as a Second Language). During the school day, ELL specialists differentiate grade level instruction in order to make it comprehensible to English Learners. It involves teaching both language and content simultaneously. The program is taught by teachers who have an ESL or Bilingual endorsement. The students are placed in a general education program for the majority of the day with the TPI teacher working collaboratively to meet the needs of the students alongside the classroom teacher. This program is offered at all 6 buildings in ISD 109.
TBE (Transitional Bilingual Education) - Bilingual programs are offered when 20 or more students have qualified for services and speak the same native language in a building. Instruction is delivered in the native language as well as English. The amount of native language used varies according to the needs of the child. These students are in a general education classroom for the majority of the day and also work with a Bilingual teacher. The teacher is certified as a Bilingual teacher, which includes being a fluent speaker of the students’ native language. This program is currently offered at all 6 buildings in ISD 109.
ACCESS Testing
ACCESS for ELLs is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners’ social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains. It is administered to all ELL students in grades K-8 during the months of January and February.
Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC)
The Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) consists of parents/guardians of students enrolled in the bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) program, bilingual and ESL teachers, administrators and community leaders. The committee participates in the planning, operation and evaluation of the Transitional Bilingual and ESL programs. In addition, important topics relating to education, the district and the community are shared. Bilingual parents, staff representatives, and community members are encouraged to attend the meetings. If you would like to attend a meeting, please call Ruba Aqel at 708-496-8700.