ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
2014-2015
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ... 3
PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT ... 3
PROCESS FOR DETERMINING OFFICIAL EL ENROLLMENT ... 4
PROGRAMS AND STAFFING ... 4
FUNDING AND EXPENDITURES ... 5
PRIVATE SCHOOLS ... 6
INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS ... 7
INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS FOR OFFICIAL MEETINGS ... 7
FAMILY COMMUNITY LIAISONS ... 7
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES ... 8
MONTHLY PLCS ... 8
ELL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS ... 8
APPENDIX A: ESL STAFFING BY SCHOOL, 2014-‐2015 ... 9
APPENDIX B: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS, GRADES K-‐5, 2013-‐2014 ... 10
APPENDIX C: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS, GRADES 6-‐8, 2013-‐2014 ... 11
APPENDIX D: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS, GRADES 9-‐12, 2013-‐2014 ... 12
APPENDIX E: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS, GRADES K-‐12, 2013-‐2014 ... 13
APPENDIX F: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ELS IN KCS, GRADES K-‐5, 2013-‐2014 ... 14
APPENDIX G: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ELS IN KCS, GRADES 6-‐8, 2013-‐2014 ... 15
APPENDIX H: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ELS IN KCS, GRADES 9-‐12, 2013-‐2014 ... 16
APPENDIX I: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ALL ELS IN KCS, GRADES K-‐12, 2013-‐2014 ... 17
APPENDIX J: OFFICIAL AMAO LETTER IN ENGLISH, 2013-‐2014 ... 18
APPENDIX K: AMAO 1 RESULTS BY SCHOOL, 2013-‐2014 ... 19
APPENDIX L: AMAO 2 RESULTS BY SCHOOL, 2013-‐2014 ... 20
I N T R O D U C T I O N
The English as a Second Language [ESL] Department was created in Knox County Schools in 1980. The sole ESL teacher in the district visited 21 schools to provide services to 176 non-native English students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. The Department has experienced enormous growth and a myriad of changes since that time. The enrollment of English Language Learners [ELLs] in KCS has doubled within the last five years and continues to increase rapidly. Approximately 2,400 English Learners from more than 60 different countries who speak 80 different languages attended our schools in 2013-2014!
The increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of the student population in Knox County Schools offers unique opportunities for all educators in our district. The growing population of non-native English speakers also provides a wealth of potential learning experiences and interactions for all of our students. We strive to collaborate with all stakeholders in order to maximize the schooling experiences of our English Language Learners so that they experience academic success.
The students who do not speak English as their first language represent a variety of backgrounds, home countries, native languages, and immigrant statuses. They are an essential part of the Knoxville community. Our fundamental challenge as educators is to leverage our resources and expertise to help maximize their success. It is through their schooling experiences that our English Language Learners acquire the cultural understanding and linguistic skills necessary to become productive citizens in our society. Whether born in the U.S. as citizens, resettled in Knoxville as refugees, adopted by loving families, or living here in other circumstances, all of the English Language Learners in KCS are our students and we have a commitment to care for and educate them.
PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
This document provides a general overview of some of the various facets of the Title III Department in Knox County Schools. The information contained within is not designed to provide guidance about ESL curriculum or teaching; this overview focuses on some of the administrative functions related to funding, reporting, and statistics that are most commonly the major topics of interest.
In response to administrator requests and to ensure continuous quality of services, Dr. Alyson Lerma created this document. Mrs. Hope King compiled the data and prepared the related charts and graphs that appear in the appendices.
PROCESS FOR DETERMINING OFFICIAL EL ENROLLMENT
The official number of ELs is based on the October count. In the final days of September or first day of October, the state downloads the number of ELs from the student management system; all demographic and related data are collected. The number of ELL students in grades K-12 at that time determines funding for the next school year. In addition, this list is utilized all year when comparing lists of ELs who take the English Language Proficiency Assessment [ELPA] in the spring. Districts do not receive funding for Transition 1 or Transition 2 students but they are included in the count.
In October 2012, there were 2,242 ELs enrolled in KCS. This number was the basis for funding in SY 2013-14.
Active: 1575 Waivers: 118 Actives & Waivers: 1,693 T1: 274 T2: 275 TOTAL= 2,242 In October 2013, there were 2,386 ELs enrolled in KCS. This number is the basis for funding for SY 2013-14.
Active: 1682 Waivers: 128 Actives & Waivers: 1,810 T1: 346 T2: 239 TOTAL= 2,395 The number of ELs enrolled in KCS at any given time can vary greatly. Not only is there a
highly transient EL population, there is also lag time between the time that students leave and enter schools within the district, which impacts how up-to-date the information is in the student management system.
PROGRAMS AND STAFFING
In SY 2013-14, 48 schools in KCS had ESL programs: 32 elementary, 8 middle, and 8 high schools. Not every school in the district offers ESL services, however. In SY 2014-2015, six new English as a Second Language [ESL] programs were added at Green Magnet Academy, Gibbs Elementary, Halls Middle, Karns Middle, Vine Magnet, and Austin-East High; these additions change the total numbers to 34 elementary, 11 middle, and 9 high schools with ESL programs. In Fall 2013, four additional teaching positions were added in order to maximize the services provided to our ELs at schools with large active caseloads. There were 62.5 ESL teaching positions paid from the general fund; one position was added for school year 2014-2015, bringing the total to 63.5 ESL teachers.
The state requires a 40:1 ratio (district-wide) in order to be in compliance. Districts meeting the ratio must also meet the needs of English Language Learners.
Transition students must be included in this count along with active and waivers. Once a teacher’s active caseload of ELs reaches 35-40, the department should review the current assignment of teachers.
The ELL Supervisor can recommend moving ELL teachers among schools based on student enrollment but can only do so after official approval from Human Resources. State guidelines also require an interpreter for every 300 ELs who speak the same language.
The ELL Department has 3 full-time staff members. Dr. Alyson Lerma is the Supervisor of World Languages, English Language Learners (Title III), and Migrant Education (Title I-C). Dr. Lerma also oversees the Immigrant grant. Lori Sumter is the system-wide ELL Instructional Coach and Hope King is the Administrative Assistant. Both of those positions are paid solely from federal monies (Title III) and for this reason, the Instructional Coach and Administrative Assistant can only work on Title III-related projects; they must sign an official Certificate of Employment [COE] every six months certifying that they have worked solely for Title III. These documents must be kept on file and provided for official state and federal monitoring.
FUNDING AND EXPENDITURES
The Title III Department in KCS is funded solely from federal Title III monies. The budget for FY14 was $256,725. The preliminary allocation for FY15 is $268,793. These totals include all expenditures that are to be utilized for the Department. Line-item allocations are approved through various levels in KCS and upon approval, the specific information must be entered online in the state management system (E-plan). Districts must use the allocated funds on the ELs enrolled that school year; districts can carry over up to 25% of the total budget to the next fiscal year. The federal fiscal year ends in September but KCS’ fiscal year ends on June 30.
Supplementing Versus Supplanting
The biggest issue with federal funds is that of supplementing versus supplanting. The intent of Title III allocations is to supplement, not supplant, the regular programs provided to all students so that ELs have additional supports in order to be successful academically. Title III dollars cannot be used to fund services or expenditures that the district pays for with other programs. For example, if a school district purchases textbooks for all academic departments, Title III funds cannot be used to buy ESL textbooks; the district would need to purchase those in order to avoid supplanting. Another example in regards to programming is summer school. If the school district pays educators to teach summer courses from the general budget, Title III money should not be used to pay ESL teachers who would have the same responsibilities. Other examples include the purchase of equipment and office supplies that the district provides for other departments.
Inventory
Every two years, districts must conduct a physical inventory of items purchased with Title III monies. This inventory must be kept on file and updated every year; as part of their end-of-year procedures, ESL teachers are required to update their inventories and submit them to the ELL Supervisor via email. All materials purchased with Title III funds should be labeled with the department name, fiscal year in which the purchase was made, the month and year of the purchase, and the statement “PURCHASED WITH TITLE III FUNDS.” Private schools receiving Title III money must also label their items and maintain inventories.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
In SY 2013-2014, four private schools received Title III monies for their ELL students living in Knox County. The participating schools were Annoor Academy, Sacred Heart, St. John
Neumann, and St. Joseph School. KCS was required to allot $141.89 per pupil in the
participating private schools. There were 132 ELs in participating private schools in Knoxville in 2013-2014. The estimated enrollment in those four participating private schools for SY 2014-2015 is 144 ELs.
Private school students have separate exit criteria and do not have to provide services by a certified ESL teacher. The ELL Supervisor is tasked with consulting with the participating private schools to determine program effectiveness and to approve the spending of Title III monies. The Title III Department is responsible for processing all paperwork for related
reimbursements and purchases; per state guidelines, districts cannot send allocations to schools. They can only process paperwork for approved purchases as reimbursements but must follow KCS policies and procedures in doing so.
Private school personnel administer the ESL screener to determine if students qualify for
services. It is not required that private schools administer the state ESL assessment to determine the proficiency of ELs. Exit criteria can be based on scores (30% or above) on school-wide standardized assessments in language-related categories (English or Language and Reading are examples). Similar to Title III in KCS, funding is not provided to ELs who demonstrate
proficiency in English.
Private school personnel working with ELs are invited to participate in department-wide trainings and professional development opportunities related to serving these populations. The Supervisor provides suggestions for resources and services to best meet the unique needs of ELs; suggested resources are also published in the Title III Private School Consultation Manual. This document is updated at least annually and is shared during the annual consultation meeting in the spring of each school year.
INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS
Interpreters and Translators for Official Meetings
Title III funds can be used for interpreters and translators in specific and limited circumstances. Federal funds cannot be used to pay for these services for general communication with parents and guardians or for non-ELL issues such as Special Education services or disciplinary action; that is the responsibility of the school district. Schools requesting formal interpretation or translation services need to submit a written request to the 504 Office. The required form is available online. It is requested that only administrators make the requests and that there is sufficient notice (due to processing the request and to scheduling with the Foreign Language Academy). If you have questions, please contact Linda Sharp in the 504 Office at
linda.sharp@knoxschools.org.
Family Community Liaisons
The Title III Department employs several Family Community Liaisons [FCLs] to serve our English Language Learners and their families. The FCLs have a set schedule and work in our schools with the highest populations of speakers of Spanish and Kirundi. In SY 2013-2014, the Title III Department employed three FCLs; two were Spanish speakers and one was a Kirundi and Swahili speaker. Due to an increase in the discretionary Immigrant Grant from the state, KCS will be able to employ five FCLs in SY 2014-2015; the Supervisor will hire an Arabic speaker and a Chinese speaker in an effort to expand the services offered to our families. Based on need and student numbers, the Supervisor designs a schedule to each FCL for the school year; FCLs follow this schedule so that school staff and families know when meetings or other
communications should be scheduled.
The main responsibility of our FCLs is to help facilitate communication between our immigrant families and school personnel in order to maximize student success. Our FCLs do much more than just make phone calls, translate letters, and interpret during meetings; they are an essential source of information on topics such as attendance policies, enrollment procedures, and more. They also answer questions that parents may have in regards to free and reduced lunch
applications, school supply lists, bills or communications received, and much more. As important as the communication piece is the role that they play in understanding and explaining cultural differences.
Due to liability concerns, FCLs should not make home visits or interpret during meetings that could have potential legal consequences (such as formal meetings related to SPED services or disciplinary actions like suspension).
FCLs are paid as hourly KCS employees from the immigrant grant, a discretionary grant that is related to Title III, funds a large portion of this work. Title I funds are also used to pay for the
FCLs in some of the Title I schools. As with all KCS employees, FCLs must apply online and pass background, fingerprint, and drug screenings.
Each month, FCLs submit detailed service logs to the Supervisor of the department; the logs list the students and/or families served, the date and time of services provided, school that the student attends, and the service provided. This documentation is required for reporting purposes and for receiving payment for their services each month. In addition, they fill out and sign
Personnel Activity Report [PARs] verifying the percent of time worked for Title III; after signing the PARs forms, the Supervisor files and safeguards the originals. The Supervisor is also
responsible for training all new FCLs on these procedures upon their hiring and will document when the training has been completed.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The ELL Department offers a wide variety of professional learning opportunities for
administrators, registration personnel, ELL teachers, regular classroom teachers, and certified staff members throughout the school year. Workshop offerings are offered year-round. In addition, Title III monies are available for ESL teachers to attend the annual TNTESOL conference held in mid-spring each year.
The ELL Supervisor is required to report annually in E-plan the total number of people who participate each year in department-sponsored professional learning opportunities.
Monthly PLCs
ELL teachers participate in monthly PLC meetings; this meeting is in addition to the PLCs in which ELL educators participate in their schools. There are eight ELL PLCs- four elementary PLCs in which teachers are groups by school zone, one middle school PLC, and a high school PLC.
ELL Professional Development Specialists
In order to maximize the offerings to district staff, the ELL Department has two PD Specialists in SY 2014-2015. Susan Dalton (ELL teacher serving Gresham Middle and Halls Middle) and Lisa Rinehart (ELL teacher at Karns Elementary) are the PD Specialists who will coordinate with the Supervisor to offer relevant and high quality opportunities for staff in KCS.
APPENDIX A: ESL STAFFING BY SCHOOL, 2014-‐2015
APPENDIX B: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS,
GRADES K-‐5, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX C: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS,
GRADES 6-‐8, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX D: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS,
GRADES 9-‐12, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX E: COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF ELS IN KCS,
GRADES K-‐12, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX F: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ELS IN KCS,
GRADES K-‐5, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX G: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ELS IN KCS,
GRADES 6-‐8, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX H: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ELS IN KCS,
GRADES 9-‐12, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX I: NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY ALL ELS IN KCS,
GRADES K-‐12, 2013-‐2014
APPENDIX J: OFFICIAL AMAO LETTER IN ENGLISH, 2013-‐2014
This letter was mailed to parents of all ELs enrolled in KCS. The ESL Department mailed letters in English, Spanish, Kirundi, Chinese, and Arabic.
