- Joaquin Miller ES
- English Learner Program
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Did you know that around 35% of Miller’s students are English learners? Our students speak a wide variety of languages; the majority speak Armenian, followed by Spanish, Arabic and Russian. Other languages spoken by Miller students include Thai, Farsi, French, Tagalog, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese, Rumanian, Hindi, Malayalam, Oriya, Telugu, Latvian and Tamil, for a total of 18 different languages. What an amazing opportunity for our Miller students to experience a wide variety of languages and cultures!
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How are students identified to take the English language proficiency test?
California requires parents to complete a Home Language Survey when enrolling their children in California schools. If a language other than English is listed to #1, #2, or #3 below, and this is the first time the child is enrolling in a California public school, (s)he will be given the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). If your child was enrolled in another California public school, we will contact that school to find out the previous language designation results.
- What language did this student learn when first beginning to talk?
- What language do you use most frequently to speak to this student?
- What language does this student most frequently use at home?
- What language do adults speak at home most often?
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What assessment is used, when is it given, and who administers it?
The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) is the required state test for English language proficiency (ELP) that must be given to students whose primary language is a language other than English, as identified above.
State and federal law require that we administer a state test of ELP to eligible students in kindergarten (or year one of a two-year kindergarten program, sometimes referred to as “transitional kindergarten”) through grade twelve. The ELPAC is comprised of two assessments:
- Initial Assessment (IA)—an initial identification of students as English learners. Given within the first 30 days of attendance at a California school.
- Summative Assessment (SA)—an annual summative assessment to measure an English learner's progress in learning English and to identify the student's ELP level. Given annually during the February to May testing window until reclassification.
More about the ELPAC can be found at the following website: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ep/
The ELPAC is given by trained BUSD personnel and measures the student's ability to listen, speak, read, and write in English. The District sends parents the official English language proficiency results within 30 days of receiving them from the state scoring service.
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How are the English language proficiency assessment results used?
A student is identified as an English learner if (s)he does not score at a proficient level on the Initial Assessment. Students who score at a proficient level on the Initial Assessment are not identified as English Learners. Students in BUSD who enter at a Beginning/Emerging proficiency level can expect to exit the program (be reclassified) within 5-7 years, although many exit before that. Please speak with our school’s ELD Specialist regarding your child’s grade level reclassification criteria.
Identifying students who need additional support learning in English is important to help them do well in school and access the full grade level curriculum. The ELPAC results along with teacher observations, assessments, and student work samples assist us in placing students in a learning group that will best support his/her progress in learning English.
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What services are there to support English Learners?
English Language Development (ELD) is a structured method of teaching in English that builds vocabulary, comprehension and fluency skills. Classroom teachers and ELD Instructional Assistants work with small groups of students who are learning English to improve their level of proficiency.
ELD is provided 20 minutes per day in Kindergarten and 30 minutes per day in 1st-5th utilizingBenchmark Advance English Language Arts/English Language Development curriculum and supplementary resources.
Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) is a specific method of teaching grade-level content (i.e. social studies, science, math, etc.) that helps English learners master content skills as they improve their English proficiency. All classroom teachers in BUSD are required to have special training and to practice SDAIE teaching strategies with English learners in their regular education classes.
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English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC)
The ELAC is a committee for parents for parents or other community members who want to advocate for English Language Learners (ELLs). All parents of English learners are encouraged to participate in our school site ELAC and District ELAC (DELAC). These groups provide valuable input for ongoing program improvement. They additionally receive information about curriculum, instruction, program evaluation, and budget.
Join us this year at Miller on 9/18/18, 10/16/18, 12/4/18, 1/22/19, 3/12/19 and 5/7/19. Meetings are on Tuesdays in the morning from 8:45 to 10:00 a.m. unless noted.
For more information or if you have questions, please email Miller’s ELD Specialist: laurykelly@burbankusd.org
