ML - Program Overview

The identification of Multilingual Learners begins with the home language survey. As a student enrolls at FRCS, parents/guardians must complete the home language survey. If any language other than English is listed as “spoken at home,” the student is referred for testing by the ML instructor. If only English is noted on the home language survey, a student may still be referred for testing if, through parental communication or class work, it appears that a student may speak another language.

Once a child is referred for testing, the ML teacher administers the W-APT, which is an assessment to identify Multilingual Learners (MLs). If a student qualifies as an Multilingual Learner, a letter is mailed home indicating an ML program recommendation. Parents have the right to decline the recommended services for their child, although they are not encouraged to do so. Parents/guardians must complete an opt-out form to inform the school of this decision.

All Multilingual Learners are currently serviced through a blend of a pull-out and supported Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) model. In this model, small groups of students receive intensive instruction from the ML instructor. MLs attend SEI English Language Arts and core content classes with their non-ML peers. Services provided through the pull-out method generally focus on content-related skills and language acquisition.

In January of each year, each ML is reassessed in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing through ACCESS. In addition to analyzing the results of the above assessments, the ESL teacher meets with each teacher to learn about the students’ academic progress in the content areas. When a student appears to be proficient in English, the ESL teacher contacts parents to disclose the assessment findings and recommendations. Once a student is reclassified from an Multilingual Learner (ML) to Former Limited English Proficient (FLEP), the ML teacher will continue to monitor the progress of the student for a minimum of two years and/or at the request of classroom teachers.

Our goal is to help students improve language skills necessary for academic success. In addition, we help parents or guardians to support their children’s learning at home with easily accessed web sites providing supports in a variety of FRCS curriculum areas. We have generated a comprehensive selection of websites for supporting Multilingual Learners.