Harrisburg School District ELA PROCEDURES FLOW CHART
(ELA Office, HSD 8/09/06)
When a new student arrives to register at a Harrisburg school, the secretary gives the Home Language Survey to the parents & if they indicate a language other than English at home she assigns the student a code of 99 in eSchoolPlus. She informs the ELA office, which informs the student’s ELA teacher.
ELA teacher completes Lv.2 screening, referencing the HLS, student records, previous school(s), parents. Teacher referrals also result in screening, testing, and placement into ELA classes.
If “NO ESL IS NEEDED” the code 99 remains. The ELA teacher files the Lv. 2 screening in the student’s office cum folder.
If “ESL IS NEEDED,” the Lv. 2 screening is filed in both the office cum and the ELL folder. The ELA teacher informs the secretary, who changes the code from 99 to 98. She files the Lv 2 screening in both the office cum & the student’s ELL folder.
The student is tested for ELA placement with the LAS Links. The ELA teacher enters the student data into the ELA screen of eSchoolPlus within 14 days of the student’s arrival. A copy of the test results is placed in the ELL folder, with the Lv 2 screening. The ELA teacher places a copy of the Lv 2 Screening and ELL test accommodations in the cum & records test results at the bottom of the Home Language Survey. She/He adheres a yellow & blue ELA sticker to the top, front, right-hand corner of the student’s cum folder. The school secretary assigns the student to the proper classroom and class schedule for ELA services.
If a student moves within the district, the ELA teacher marks the date and school on the front of the ELL folder &enters the data onto the ELA screen of eSchoolPlus.
If a student moves outside the district, she asks the secretary for the new location, marks the date and location on the front of the ELL folder and mails it to ELA Director at the Admin Bldg.
In Oct/Jan./May, the ELA teacher tests and records the ELL's LAS Links Benchmark percentages and the Writing Domain Scores on the ELA screen of eSchoolPlus. Results are filed in the ELL folder, along with a writing sample. In Oct/Jan./May, the ESL and classroom teacher cooperatively administer the Alphabetic Principle, Dibles, DRA and/or district writing benchmarks for students. An ELL may be excluded if unable to speak, read and/or write in English and is in his first year in the states.
Regarding standardized tests, all ELL students take the PSSA math test. However, an ELL may be excused from the Terra Nova or PSSA reading and writing tests if unable to read or write in English and in the country less than one academic year. ELL scores are tallied, but do not count against the school’s AYP.
Depending upon the language proficiency level and the number of ELL’s on the roster, the student may be assigned to a push-in or pull out program, a sheltered English/self-contained classroom, or a part time placement.
The ELA and Classroom teachers cooperatively fill out and send quarterly progress reports and report cards in the home language of the ELL (English, Spanish, Vietnamese). A separate ELA report card supplants the Language Arts portion. It is attached to the classroom report card. An English copy of progress reports and the report cards are placed in the office cum when the student moves or is promoted to another grade at the end of the year.
In May, ELL’s take the State ELP (English Language Proficiency) exam for the state of PA. The scores are recorded on eSchoolPlus by the ADMIN office upon there mid-summer arrival. With the Director of ELA’s approval and based on test scores, report card grades and teacher input, an ELL may EXIT from ELA. He/She remains on monitor status for 2 years before being released. The ELA teacher monitors the ELL’s mainstream progress via classroom performance, test scores and report card grades.
In the spring, there is a state and federal accounting of all ELL’s by nationality and language. This determines the district’s allocation of ELA funding. ELA teachers work cooperatively to input data so that reports gleaned from eSchoolPlus and submitted forms accurately represent the English Language Learners of the Harrisburg School District.