English Language Learner Support (ELLS)

What is ELLS?

English Language Learners (ELs or ELLs) are students who come from a home where a language other than English is dominant. Even if English is spoken in the home, if it is secondary, it's still necessary to give students a screener to ensure necessary proficiency. Those who score low on a screening test, qualify for ESL services.

 

The Farmersville Bilingual/English as a Second Language (BE/ESL) Program uses the Texas Education Agency's ESL Standards and Benchmarks K-12, to guide instruction and achieve program goals. The Standards are aligned with Farmersville ISD’s Language Arts curriculum. They address all components of language acquisition including listening, speaking, reading, writing, and structure; and follow the five stages of second language acquisition.

 

Who is Sarah Odom?

My name is Sarah Odom and I am theESL/Bilingual Specialist for Farmersville ISD.  I taught in the general classroom for ten years.  Supporting the growth, confidence, and achievement of English Language Learners is my number one priority.  I look forward to working with students and caregivers to achieve this goal.

 

What is the ELLS Program?

The Farmersville Independent School District, in accordance with Title III, uses a variety of instructional models designed to develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and structure of the English language. Each delivery model is matched to meet individual student needs.

• Bilingual Education:  There will be one self-contained Kindergarten and one self-contained first grade class. Instruction in all core content areas will be taught in both Spanish and English. The amount of instruction within the bilingual education program shall be commensurate with the students’ level of proficiency in each language and their level of academic achievement.
• Sheltered Instruction:  High School content area teachers are trained in the methods of Sheltered Instruction meaning instruction, in core content areas, integrates ESL and content area standards with ESL strategies.
• Content Based:  An ESL certified general education teacher provides instruction in content areas integrating the ESL and content area standards with ESL strategies.
• Pull-Out:  ELLs accompany ESL staff to another classroom for a portion of the day, away from the mainstream English-only classroom to receive intensive ESL Standards based instruction.
• Push-In:  ESL staff member accompanies and assists the ELL with class work in the grade level or content area classroom.
• Consultation:  ESL/BE Specialist meets with classroom or content area teachers to provide professional development related to instructional strategies for ELLs and/or to help in planning for the integration of ESL strategies into classroom/content instruction.
• ESL Tutorials: ESL staff re-teach and pre-teach subject area content and provide assistance with assignments, assessments, and homework.

What are the BE/ESL Stages of Programming?

1. Students eligibility is determined.
2. Students are actively served with most appropriate instructional model in BE/ESL Program.
3. Students enter a transition period for two years, during which time their academic progress is monitored by the ESL teacher and the LPAC committee but they are no longer actively receiving ESL instruction.
4. Students are formally exited from Farmersville ISD ESL Program and moves entirely into mainstream general education classes. (Note that each exited student is still monitored by the Department of Education for two additional years after exiting the Farmersville ISD ESL Program)

What does Equitable Access mean?

All English Language Learners in Farmersville ISD have opportunities for full participation in special opportunity programs and in all extracurricular activities. (i.e.. Music, PE, Art, STEM, Gifted & Talented, Advanced Placement classes, Special Education, etc.)