English Learners (ELs) in 

Attalla City Schools 

The program for English language learners is designed to assist them in learning English as well as meeting state content standards. Curriculum follows grade level standards and the language proficiency ELP standards of World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium. Instruction is adapted to the student’s I-ELP to assist in meeting the state academic content and achievement standards that all students are expected to meet. 

REGISTRATION

There are no barriers to registration in Attalla City Schools. 

How ELs are identified

The first step in placement is the Home Language Survey, completed at registration. 

If English is the second language of the student or if the student communicates at home primarily in a different language, the student is given the Kindergarten Placement or the WIDA ACCESS Online Placement Test to determine eligibility.  This test measures a student’s proficiency level in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Students will be screened within the first 30 days of school if they enroll before the first day of the school year.  Any student that enrolls after the 1st day of school will be screened within 10 days.

Students who are eligible for the ESL program (Title III) are assigned an ELP Level 1-5 based on results of their language proficiency assessment. The language progress of students is measured in the spring of each year with the WIDA ACCESS test.  Students remain in the ESL program until they reach a 4.8 (on a scale of 1-6) composite score on the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0.  Students who exit from the EL program are monitored by the ESL department for 4 years. If a student scores as proficient in academic English on the WIDA Screener, he or she is classified as being a national origin minority with a primary home language other than English (NOMPHLOTE). This student will not have to take the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test.

 What languages do ELs in ACS speak?

For the school year 2024-2025 we have several different languages.  They are  Creole, Gujarati, Haitian, Hindi, Pohnpeian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

ACCESS for ELs

ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners) is a secure large-scale English Language Proficiency Assessment given to Kindergarten through 12^th graders who have been identified as English Learners (ELs). It is given annually in WIDA consortium member states to monitor students’ progress in acquiring academic English. Students must achieve a score of 4.8 to exit ESL. 

EL Program

English As A Second Language

English as a Second Language is a program of techniques, methodology, and special curriculum designed to teach ELs explicitly about the English language, including the academic vocabulary needed to access content instruction, and to develop their English language proficiency in all four language domains.

In addition to sheltered instruction provided by the regular classroom teacher, interventionists and ESL teachers deliver language development services through both Pull-Out and/or Push-In instructional approaches. Each student’s needs are addressed within his or her Individualized English Language Plan (IELP).

ESL Pull-Out
In this approach, students are taken out of their mainstream classroom, in the same facility, for a scheduled time with an interventionist or ESL teacher to receive English language development instruction. Interventionist, who may or may not be bilingual, will provide the pull-out instruction. The focus of instruction is on English language development which promotes content area comprehension.

ESL Push-In
The same goals are applied as in ESL Pull-out; however, an interventionist or ESL Teacher will provide instruction by working with ELs in the regular classroom.

These programs will be implemented in various ways to best meet the needs of individual ELs in Attalla City Schools.  Instruction in the EL program will be provided by qualified and appropriately trained teachers. The EL program will be evaluated annually and changes will be made as needed to ensure that the best program is being implemented.