Liberty Union-Thurston Local School District English Learner (EL) Overview
Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools is committed to providing support to all of our English learners so that they can successfully access the curriculum in the classroom. This initial overview is intended to provide guidance for parents and teachers of EL students. Further information can be obtained by communicating with principals at the building level.
How is a student identified?
Every student that enrolls in the district fills out a Language Usage Survey upon registration. If any of the five questions have an answer other than English, then that student is tested with the Ohio English Language Proficiency Screener (OELPS). Based on this assessment, a student either qualifies as an English Learner (EL) and is eligible for English Learner (EL) services or does not qualify.
What happens after a student qualifies for English Learner services?
The parent will receive notification of qualification for the EL services with a letter. The letter will share what type of instruction each EL student receives based on their needs and OELP scores. This information will be included in the parent letter sent home.
Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools Provides Different Types of EL Services:
- Content Classes with Integrated English as a Second Language Support -- These language supports may be referred to as Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), specially designed academic instruction in English (SDAIE), or simply sheltered instruction. They are used by all teachers of English learners, making use of instructional materials, learning tasks and classroom techniques from academic content areas as the vehicle for developing language, content, cognitive and study skills. English is the language of instruction.
- Other -- Includes Consultation, Monitoring and Academic Assistance: Mutually agreed-upon, designated interactions between teachers and specialists to gain information and resources to better support English learners as a population, as individuals and as language learners. English language proficiency standards are addressed across the curriculum.
Guidelines for the Amount of Services Provided for Students Depend on their LEP Designation:
- Emergent Students - Beginner and intermediate students will receive the most services with a teacher.
- Progressing Students - Students who are in between the intermediate to advanced levels will receive services at their building.
- Trial Mainstream - These students are monitored and provided EL services, as needed.
- Proficient Students - These students are exited once their OELPA (Ohio English Learner Proficiency Assessment) score indicates proficiency.
Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA)
In accordance with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), EL students will take the OELPA test second semester to monitor progress. Reading, writing, speaking and listening are assessed on the test. The OELPA assesses three overall performance levels: Emerging, Progressing, and Proficient. The performance levels are determined as follows:
- Emerging students are those scoring any combination of 1’s and 2’s across all four domains.
- Progressing students are those scoring any combination across the four domains that does not fall into Proficient or Emerging.
- Proficient students are those scoring any combination of 4’s and 5’s across all four domains.
Exiting the EL Program
Based on the ODE requirements, a student is reclassified (no longer an English Learner) when the student has attained a performance level of Proficient on the OELPA. The Proficient performance level is defined as domain/test level scores of 4s and 5s in any combination across all four domains (listening, reading, writing and speaking).