1. What are the indicators of exceptionality a class room teacher should look for when a student also has a language barrier. Students are placed and tested for ELL based on the Home Language Survey. If their parents indicate that they speak a language other than English and/or English was not their first language they are referred for a language screening test. This tests focuses on reading, writing, speaking and listening and categorizes kids into Levels 1-4.
2. How can informal as well as formal assessment results factor into placement? We do not use informal assessments in order to place students.
3. What role do parents and teachers have in placement? Parents role is to fill out the Home Language Survey. We do have situations where parents fill out English as the students primary language, even though the student doesn't speak much English. This causes great difficulty, because we are not allowed to test or place kids into ELL in this case. Sometimes, with district and principal permission we are allowed to speak to the parents and have them refill out the Home Language Survey, but this is rare.
4. What are some primary factors that are exhibited in underachievement that may not necessarily signal educational needs? I am not sure I understand this question.
5. How are changes among individual ELL proficiency levels over the course of the school year accounted for? Presently, in Kent School District students take the English Language Proficiency Exam in the Spring. So, we have no other system to formally change their ELL proficiency level.
6. How are diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments integrated for ELLs in mainstream classroom? ELL students participate in the same assessments as mainstream students, unless they are Level 1 newcomers. Mainstream teachers can modifiy assessments for different levels as needed.
7. What are the benefits of the SIOP protocol for native English speakers as well as those for whom English is an additional Language? High poverty students tend to have huge language gaps due to environmental factors, so solid SIOP strategies can help fill in those language gaps for any and all students.
If you have any additional information on how placement is determined for special education and gifted ELLs please add them in*
If ELL students are considered for Special Education, we must first go through a thorough protocol involving parent interviews, comparing the progress of ELL students who have been in the school system for the same amount of years and speak the same language. There are 10 total factors we have to analyze before even considering them for the SPED process. Then the school psychologist may do some of the tests using an interpreter and use tests that rely less on language.
ELL students who are Level 1 or Level 2 participate in the Highly Capable Screening in Second Grade, but do not have to do the Sentence Completion portion of the test.