To: Michael GreenRe: November 2011 Monthly Special Services ReportFrom: Deb KernenRe: ELL Program Update
Our ELL programs are up and running with a couple new additions to our staff this year. Currently we have 116 students K-12. At WPS we have the following staff working with our seventy seven K-3 students: Alisha Robison-teacher, Instructional Assistants: Linda Sprague, Liz Landrigan & Dale Hillman. We are able to offer an off- day ELL Kindergarten program again this year. Students come in from 1:30-3:00 and are provided additional acquisition language activities. Homework club is also available again for grades K-3, three days a week after school. At Woodland Intermediate Melanie Ball is providing small group language acquisition instruction and is also able to provide a lunch time homework club for our ELL students. As you recall, we hired Joel Hingston to provide ELL instruction to our sixteen WMS/WHS ELL students. He is fluent in Spanish and is also able to teach a Spanish elective to seventh and eighth graders. He provides English, Writing and Reading instruction to our ELL students and is also pushing in to content classes to offer additional support. He is also enjoying coaching our fabulous football team!!!
This summer I spent a good deal of time creating a new resource manual (attached) for the ELL program. It's meant to provide parents and teachers a reference to how the program operates as well as providing some valuable resources and necessary components for compliance. We will have it posted once the final edits/reviews have been made.
I'm also happy to report that we just received a report from OSPI Bilingual Department regarding our Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) for English language proficiency and "exits" from program rates of ELL students. We met the requirement in all 3 areas of focus. This is a great accomplishment for our district and reflects the huge efforts all our staff, especially the ELL staff. Great things happening for our kids and teachers!!!!