Title III / LEP Handbook
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
A school staff guide for how to comply with
state and federal guidelines while serving our
English Language Learner population
2015-2016
(Published Fall 2015)
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Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) page 3
LEP Classification vs. ESL Service page 5
Who is Involved in the LEP/ESL Title III Program? page 6
The ESL Teacher: A Description page 10
Common Acronyms Used by ESL Teachers page 11
LEP Registration Process page 13
What Will the Newcomer Center Provide? page 14
Initial LEP Identification page 15
LEP Student Grade Placement and Achievement page 16
Retention of LEP Students page 17
Retention Considerations for LEP Students page 18
ESL Services and ESL Service Agreement page 19
ESL Service Description page 20
Reclassification as LEP page 23
ESL Teacher Allotment Formula page 24
ESL Focus page 25
ESL Models page 26
ESL Service Frequency page 27
Additional Models of Instruction page 28
SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) page 29
Guidelines for Grading LEP Students page 31
ESL Academy at Winston-Salem Prep. Academy page 33
Title III and AMAOs page 38
Language Acquisition – an Overview page 41
ELD Common Core (WIDA) and “Can Do” Descriptors page 42
BICS and CALPs page 44
Factors that Will Affect Language Acquisition page 45
Framework to Classify Language Activities page 46
LEP Committee page 47
Translations/Transact page 49
Guide to Use
This guide was created to answer questions that teachers, office staff, administrators or
just about anyone may have concerning LEP
students. The following sections have answers to commonly asked questions, followed by forms in the Appendices that are mentioned in the answers.
The ESL program is constantly changing. Please note that the content here is current at the time of publication. Updates will be shared with ESL staff at appropriate times.
*WSFCS staff has permission to reproduce anything in this handbook.
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Frequently asked Questions about LEP students1. What does LEP mean? / LEP is an acronym used by the U.S. Department of Education. It means Limited English Proficient.
2. How is a student classified as LEP? / Each student who completes a Home Language Survey and indicates another language besides English must take the W-APT English language screener assessment at the Newcomer Center.
3. How many LEP students do we have in our district? / There were approximately 6,200 LEP students enrolled in our school district in 2014-2015.
4. How many languages do we have in the WS/FCS district? / During the 2014-2015 school year, we identified approximately 99 different languages in our school district.
5. What are the W-APT and ACCESS assessments? / The W-APT is an English proficiency screener assessment. The ACCESS is the English proficiency assessment that LEP students take annually.
6. Which students must complete a Home Language Survey? / Each student in a North Carolina district must take a Home Language Survey as per North Carolina Board of Education policy.
7. Do all students need to do a new Home Language Survey each year? / No. A student does a Home Language Survey one time upon initial enrollment into the school system. If a child completes a HLS in another district, then the original HLS should match the HLS they complete in WS/FCS. Please contact the district LEP Program Manager if there are discrepancies.
8. What does ESL mean? / ESL or English as a Second Language is the service that we offer LEP students to help them develop their English language skills.
9. How do I know if an LEP student needs ESL services? / At the Newcomer Center, the W-APT assessment will tell us if a student meets the states LEP identification criteria. We offer all
K -12th grade LEP students the option of receiving ESL services.
10. Are ESL services offered at every school? / No. ESL services are offered at ESL sites only.
11. Why do we offer LEP students ESL services? / Under the Supreme Court ruling Lau v. Nichols 1974, school districts are required to offer LEP students services that help them participate meaningfully.
12. What if an LEP student doesn’t want ESL services? / Parents have the right to refuse ESL services for their children. At the Newcomer Center parents complete an ESL service agreement where they have the option of waiving ESL services.
13. Do students have to re-waive ESL services every year? / No. Parents complete the ESL service agreement once upon enrollment. The agreement remains in the student’s cumulative folder. However, parents do reserve the right to have their child removed from ESL services at any time.
14. Do LEP students receive LEP testing accommodations? / Depending on an LEP student’s W-APT and ACCESS scores, an LEP student may be eligible for LEP testing accommodations.
15. Do LEP students who have waived ESL services still need to take the ACCESS English language assessment each year? / Yes. Even if an LEP student waives ESL services, the student is still LEP and must take the ACCESS English language assessment each year.
16. If an LEP student waives ESL services, does this mean he cannot receive LEP accommodations? / No. An LEP student may receive LEP testing accommodations regardless of whether he has waived ESL services.
17. When can an LEP student use LEP testing accommodations? / An eligible LEP student can use LEP testing accommodations on any state content assessment.
18. Can an LEP student use LEP testing accommodations on the ACCESS English language proficiency assessment? / No. An LEP student cannot use LEP testing accommodations on the ACCESS English language proficiency test.*
*The exception would be if the student has an IEP that specifically states that he/she can use accommodations on the ACCESS because of exceptionality.
19. How do we decide what LEP testing accommodations an LEP student might need? / Each school has a designated LEP coordinator. The LEP coordinator chairs an LEP committee that makes decisions regarding which LEP students receive LEP accommodations.
20. What happens when an LEP student exits LEP status? What if they are still struggling academically? / Under Title III, school staff must monitor former LEP students for two additional years after they exit LEP status.
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LEP Classification vs. ESL Service
LEP = Limited English Proficient
This acronym denotes that a student has certain documented limitations regarding his ability to understand, speak, read and write in English. In North Carolina the W-APT/ACCESS test determines whether a student is LEP.
Classification as an LEP student can affect the student, and all the staff around him, in many ways.
• The student has the right to access second language services in
addition to all services provided to non-LEP students.
• The student may qualify for test accommodations.
• The student must be assessed annually with the ACCESS
(Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners).
• Teachers and schools must take steps to provide instructional
modifications that address the needs of the LEP student in all classrooms.
• The number of LEP students will directly affect the Title III federal
funding and LEP state funding a school system receives.
ESL=English as a Second Language
This is the program model most schools in Winston-Salem use to address the
language needs of their LEP students. A student's parents can decide
whether he accepts or waives ESL services. If a parent waives services, this does not change the child's LEP status. (The student will continue to test on the ACCESS until he exits LEP status.) Thus, you can have LEP students in your school even if you are not an ESL site.
My student is not in ESL. How do I know if he is LEP?
First, look for the home language survey. If a language other than English is
listed, he should have a W-APT/ACCESS score. W- APT/ACCESS scores are kept in the cumulative folder. If you need help interpreting the letters or numbers, ask your testing coordinator. Note: Occasionally a student may not have W-APT/ACCESS scores in his folder. This may occur with older students who may have placed out of LEP status years before, and whose English language proficiency scores were purged from the cumulative folder. For further guidance, contact the your school’s LEP Coordinator, the district ESL Lead Teacher, the district Title III/LEP Program Manager or the district LEP data manager at the Newcomer Center.
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Who is involved in the LEP/ESL/Title III program?
The LEP/Title III Program in WSFCS is both district-led and school based.
Each school has the freedom to develop the program that best meets the needs of its LEP students, within state and federal standards. Following is a list of people who help in the administration of the LEP/Title III program, along with each of their duties.
Title III/LEP Program Manager, WSFCS
David Sisk is our LEP / Title III Program Manager. He is responsible for helping schools understand the legal and fiscal requirements for our LEP program and how to provide appropriate services to LEP students. He communicates with the NC State Department of Instruction on a regular basis to receive updated information about LEP requirements and to maintain compliance with federal Title III legislation. He arranges professional development sessions for ESL and classroom teachers, and also manages the district Title III funds available to assist schools in setting up and maintaining ESL, bilingual and other LEP programs. He is also the district coordinator for the Toyota Family Literacy Program (TFLP). David's office is in the Instructional Services area (2rd floor) of the administrative center. His email address is . His office telephone is 336.727.8029 (ext. 34226).
ESL Lead Teacher, WSFCS
Rebecca “Ann” Talton is our ESL Lead Teacher. Ann works to provide leadership and support for our system's ESL teachers in various ways. She provides additional training (WIDA standards, best practices with LEP students, etc.) and provides information to teachers about possible resources for ESL classrooms. Additionally, she assists in the collection of LEP data throughout the year. Ann is based on the 2nd floor at the Administrative Center. Her telephone is 336.748.4000 (ext. 51512). Her email address is .
SIOP Instructional Coach - Middle and High Schools, WSFCS
Amanda Cannon is our LEP Facilitator and SIOP coach for middle and high schools. Amanda provides training for classroom teachers on how to best meet the needs of LEP students in different classroom settings. Her trainings emphasize the value of the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) and the WIDA (World Class Instructional Design and Assessment) standards. She is located on the 2nd floor of the Administrative Center. 336.748.4000 (ext. 51511) Her email address is .
SIOP Instructional Coach - Elementary Schools, WSFCS
Rebecca Olsen is our LEP Facilitator and SIOP coach for elementary
schools. Rebecca provides training for classroom teachers on how to best meet
the needs of LEP students in different classroom settings. Her trainings
emphasize the value of the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation
Protocol) and the WIDA (World Class Instructional Design and Assessment)
standards. Rebecca is located on the 2nd floor of the Administrative Center. Her email address is . Rebecca’s telephone is 336.748.4000 (ext. 51513).
Bilingual Community Coordinator, WSFS
Ana Ortiz is our Bilingual Community Coordinator. She assists in communicating with our growing English Language Learner community in various ways. She also works on district level translations and interpretation responsibilities. Ana is the Assistant District Coordinator for the Toyota Family Literacy Program and works to support this family literacy model at several elementary schools. Ana is located on the 2nd floor of the Administrative Center . Her email address is . Her phone is 336.748.4000 (ext. 51514).
Bilingual Parent Liaison, WSFCS
Magaly Rodriguez is our Bilingual Parent Liaison. She works to provide supplemental parent services to our growing English Language Learner community by meeting with families, providing translation/interpretation services for schools (when necessary). She also helps to support ELL parent involvement initiatives and our ELL family literacy programs. Her email is . Her phone is 336.748.4000 (ext. 51528).
Bilingual Programs Coach, WSFCS
Rosie Turner works directly with the WS/FCS foreign language department by offering instructional coaching to teachers in all bilingual programs (Dual Language, Transitional and Developmental). Bilingual programs are located at Brunson, Easton, Forest Park, Diggs-Latham, Old Town, Smith Farm, Speas, Konnoak and Ashley Elementary schools. Mrs. Turner’s office is located on the 2nd floor of the Administrative Center. Her email is . Her telephone is 336.748.4000 (ext. 51509).
Newcomer Center Staff
Lissette Granados is the Newcomer Center Coordinator. She is responsible for assuring that the initial W-APT assessment is administered to all students coming to the Newcomer Center who speak another language besides English. Additionally, she provides interpretation and translation services for families and makes recommendations to schools regarding course credit. The Newcomer Center assists families in the pre-registration process before students are assigned to a school. The Newcomer Center is located at Downtown Marketplace (601 N. Cherry St., Suite 270, Winston-Salem, NC 27101). The Newcomer Center telephone number is 336.747-6804. Lissette’s email is .
Elizabeth Perez is the LEP Data Manager. She assists Lissette in the daily functioning of the Newcomer Center. She also works with, maintains and updates the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction W-APT database and provides additional LEP updates to various LEP state and federal databases. Elizabeth is located at the Newcomer Center (336.747.6804). Elizabeth’s email address is .
School LEP Coordinators
Every school has an LEP Coordinator, even if it is not an ESL site.
This person is designated by the principal at the school. The LEP Coordinator works closely with the ESL teacher (at an ESL site) to ensure that proper identification and assessment of LEP students occurs.
Responsibilities of the School LEP Coordinator include:
• ensuring the completion of the required Home Language Survey for every child who enrolls in our school system (placed in the cumulative folder). The Home Language Survey is only administered once at the time the child enrolls.