English as a Second Language (ESL)

BISD=Bullard Independent School District
EB=Emerging Bilinguals
LPAC=Language Proficiency Assessment Committee
ESL=English as a Second Language
LEP=Limited English Proficiency
HLS=Home Language Survey
 

An ESL program develops competence in English and prepares the students to be successful in all academic subjects.  ESL programs emphasize the mastery of English language skills, as well as, mathematics, science, and social studies, using research-based methodologies appropriate for second language acquisition.  The ESL program is established to provide students with the vocabulary and grammatical structures needed for both school performance and everyday living.

*Students will be identified based on state criteria, provided ESL programs as integral parts of the general ed. program, taught by appropriately certified personnel, and will be assessed on achievement for essential knowledge and skills.

*The school will complete testing within four calendar weeks of initial enrollment and convene as an LPAC to determine Emergent Bilingual (EB) status of each student.

*All language proficiency testing shall be administered by certified and proficient personnel using state testing criteria of Pre-LAS and LAS Links.

*The receiving district shall secure student records, including the original HLS.  If unsuccessful, the identification process shall begin while attempts to contact the sending district for records continue throughout the four-week testing and identification period.

The school district shall review documentation brought by the student, search Texas databases on students who have previously attended Texas schools, and proceed with the Texas identification process, including administering HLS.

“Student of limited English proficiency” means a student whose primary language is other than English and whose English language skills are such that the student has difficulty performing ordinary classwork in English.  The terms LEP and EB are used interchangeably.

*Students in PreK-High School who speak or hear a language other than English in the home and who are learning English are eligible.
*Students will be assessed with state language proficiency testing.
*Based on results, a recommendation will be made by the LPAC, parent permission will be required for program participation.

*BISD has standardized criteria for students who are eligible for entry into/exit from the program.
*The LPAC will meet to discuss testing results and program placement.
*The student’s parent and/or guardian must approve entry into/exit from the program.
*When exiting a student from ESL services, the student must meet all exit criteria and parent notification of exit and signed consent must be documented.
*The exited student will be academically monitored for two years.
 

GOAL:  
*To enable Emergent Bilinguals to become competent in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the English language through the integrated use of second language acquisition methods. 
*The BISD ESL program will emphasize the mastery of English language skills, as well as, mathematics, science, and social studies, as integral parts of the academic goals for all students to enable Emergent Bilinguals to participate equitably in school.

MISSION:
The mission of the ESL Program in BISD is to meet the educational needs of each linguistically diverse student by recognizing the affective, the linguistic, and the cognitive domains to enable them to successfully and equitably participate in regular, all English instructional programs.  Bullard ISD will nurture and build relationships with students, parents, volunteers, and community members to assure that each student in the program has a positive and successful learning experience.  

Culturally and linguistically diverse students will be provided a consistently high quality education in a way that:

1. Provides instruction for the English Learner in the most appropriate program configuration
2. Provides instruction which reflects the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
3. Promotes acceptance of ESL instruction as an integral part of the whole school instructional system
4. Enhances the student’s self esteem
5. Evaluates progress/results and makes adjustment to continually improve student learning
6. Fosters effective decisions by administrators, teachers, and LPAC members
7. Supports staff development on cultural and linguistic diversity, strategies and methodology, and second language acquisition
8. Communicates success of the ESL program to the students, parents, district, and community
9. Actively promotes parental involvement as an integral part of a student’s education

*Bullard ISD has an enrollment of less than 20 students in the same grade level, therefore we offer an ESL pull-out program.
*ESL/content-based program model is an English acquisition program that serves students with instruction appropriately certified in ESL.
*The goal of content-based ESL is for Emergent Bilinguals to attain full proficiency in English in order to participate equally in school.