English Language Learners [ELL] Mission
(CUSD) aspires to meet the educational needs of all students through partnerships and collaborative planning with families, staff, public and private agencies, with the commitment to every student’s intellectual, physical emotional and social development. For this mission, we recognize our obligation to promote teaching and learning which acknowledges and appreciates the cultural and linguistic diversity of all Chester-Upland School District students and their families. The District is committed to providing academic and social emotional support to its Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. Through this commitment, the District will foster an educational environment whereby, LEP students develop skills using the native language as necessary to support the acquisition of academic content, while they are developing their English language proficiency.
Identification
Parents of students entering the District complete a Home Language Survey (HLS), as part of the registration process. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) requires that school districts identify limited English proficient (LEP) students in order to provide appropriate language instructional programs for them. Pennsylvania has selected the Home Language Survey as the method for the identification.
English Language Assessment
The District is responsible for assessing each potential ELL student for English language proficiency.
LEP students are assessed using the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT). The W-APT is an English language proficiency "screener" test given to incoming students who may be designated as ELLs. It assists educators with programmatic placement decisions such as identification and placement of ELLs. W-APT test items are written from the model performance indicators of WIDA's five English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards:
- Social & Instructional Language
- Language of Language Arts
- Language of Mathematics
- Language of ScienceLanguage of Social Studies
- Students are assessed annually via the Access for ELLs standardized test with respect to their progress in developing fluency in English.
Pennsylvania English Language Proficiency Standards
The PA English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPs) provide a framework for standards-based instructional and assessment planning for ELLs so that they may attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet. Click here to download the PA English Language Proficiency Standards.
Placement into the ELL Program
Designated ELLs are provided with services at three main school sites: Main Street Elementary (K- 5), Toby Farms Intermediate (6-8) and Chester High School (9-12). All eligible students regardless of placement must be provided with required services.
