Together we provide a safe environment and challenging educational experiences for students to become informed, inquisitive, responsible, creative, and reasoning individuals.

Core Values

• Belonging
  • Support in acclimating to a new environment
• Support
  • Wrap-around support for students and families
• Community
  • Building classroom and school community through involvement
• Academic Skills
  • Rigorous content courses available to all
• Future Focus
  • Exploration of and preparation for college and career
• Language Acquisition
  • Focus on speaking, reading, writing, and listening

The District offers opportunities for Multilingual Learners to develop high levels of academic attainment in English and to meet the same academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to attain. The Superintendent or designee shall develop and maintain a program for Multilingual Learners that will:

1. Assist all Multilingual Learners to achieve English proficiency, facilitate effective communication in English, and encourage their full participation in school activities and programs as well as promote participation by the parents/guardians of Multilingual Learners.
2. Appropriately identify students with limited English speaking ability.
3. Comply with State law regarding the Transitional Bilingual Educational Program and Transitional Program of Instruction.
4. Comply with any applicable State and Federal requirements for the receipt of grant money for Multilingual Learners and programs to serve them.
5. Determine the appropriate instructional program and environment for Multilingual Learners.
6. Annually assess the English proficiency of Multilingual Learners and monitor their progress in order to determine their readiness for a mainstream classroom environment.
7. Include Multilingual Learners, to the extent required by State and Federal law, in the District’s student assessment program to measure their achievement in reading/language arts and mathematics.
8. Provide information to the parents/guardians of Multilingual Learners about:
   1. The reasons for their child’s identification
   2. Their child’s level of English proficiency
   3. The method of instruction to be used
   4. How the program will meet their child’s needs
   5. Specific exit requirements of the program
   6. How the program will meet their child’s individual education program, if applicable
   7. Information on parent/guardian rights. Parents/guardians will be regularly appraised of their child’s progress and involvement will be encouraged.

The chart below outlines the staff certification that the Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) and Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) program staff members hold in accordance with the Illinois State Board of Education requirements.

Staff Certifications

Key Terms

• Native language - The language identified on the initial home language survey by the student’s parents or legal guardian
• Multilingual Learner (ML) - Students whose first language is not English; includes those at various levels of proficiency
• L1 - First language
• L2 - Second language
• WIDA Screener (W-APT) - An English language test designed to determine program eligibility and to assist with placement within an ESL program
• ACCESS for English Language Proficiency - An annual assessment of student progress in achieving English language proficiency
• Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP test) - Measures MLs’ listening and reading comprehension; ESL departments use results to make decisions about MLs’ placement and course selection
• Students of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) - Students who have not met the State’s proficient level of achievement on the ACCESS test 4.8 (composite proficiency level)/ 4.2 (literacy composite proficiency level) out of a 6-point scale
• Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) - When there are 20 or more LEP students of the same language group, the school offers these students native language support in all of their graduation requirement courses
• Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) - When there are 19 or fewer students of the same language group, the school offers English as a Second Language (ESL) services to those students
• English as a Second Language (ESL) - Specialized instruction designed to assist MLs develop English proficiency
• Sheltered Instruction - Teachers adapt the level of English used to the proficiency level of the MLs they serve. Instruction focuses on content rather than language acquisition, although its design naturally supports MLs’ language development.
• Push-In Services - ESL teachers or teaching assistants provide linguistic and academic support to MLs in the general education classroom.

Identification of Students of a Non-English Background

When a student first registers in a public school in Illinois, the family completes the Home Language Survey (HLS). Although this survey is completed when registering to new schools and districts, only the first HLS determines native language per Illinois School Code 14c. The survey asks:

• Is a language other than English spoken at home? If so, which language?
• Does the student speak a language other than English? If so, which language?

If the answer to either question is yes, the student is identified as having a non-English background and must be assessed for English language proficiency.

Initial Assessment and Placement for Multilingual Programs

Students identified through the HLS as having a non-English background are given the WIDA English Language test by a certified staff member during the registration process and within 30 days of student enrollment. The purpose is to determine TBE/TPI program eligibility and to assist with placement within the program. This English test is not given to students who did not qualify or previously qualified but exited multilingual status in a different district.

A student must score 5.0 or above to not qualify as an ML student.

• If the school has a bilingual program and the student’s native language matches that program, the student qualifies for Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) services.
• If there is no bilingual program in the student’s native language, the student qualifies for Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) services.

Annual Assessment for TBE/TPI Program Eligibility

If determined an ML student, the student will take an annual state-approved English language assessment until the student scores 4.8 or above. This assessment measures English speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

ML Department Placement Test & Placement Process

Students New to the Country / Transfer Students

Once a student is registered, a Multilingual teacher assesses the student using the WIDA Online English Screener, which measures English Language proficiency:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

• If a student scores below 5.0 on the WIDA Online Screener, the student is placed in our Multilingual program (TBE or TPI).
• The ML department chair considers information from the placement test process to recommend appropriate ML course(s).
• The counselor considers the ML course recommendation, math placement results, and previous transcript information (if feasible) to build the student’s schedule.

Program Exit

Students who meet or exceed the state exit criteria (4.8 Composite on ACCESS) are no longer considered ML and are exited from the ML program. A district must obtain written permission of parents to exit English-proficient students prior to the end of three years in the program. If the parent does not approve of the exit decision, the district must identify the student as English proficient, but can continue to serve the student in the TBE/TPI program for three years. At the end of the three-year period, the student will exit the program.

Parents’ Rights

Notice of Program Enrollment Letter

The school district notifies the parents or legal guardians of their child’s placement in the TBE/TPI program within thirty days after the beginning of the school year or fourteen days after mid-year enrollment. The notice includes:

• The reasons why the child has been placed in the program
• The child’s level of English proficiency, assessment method, and level of academic achievement
• Description of the program’s method of instruction and other available offerings in the district
• How the program differs from other offerings in content, instructional goals, and use of English and native language
• How the program will help the child learn English and meet academic standards for promotion and graduation
• The specific exit criteria and expected graduation rate
• How the program meets the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), if applicable
• Parent’s right to have a conference to discuss the TBE/TPI program
• Parent’s right to decline or remove the child from the program

Notice of Early Program Withdrawal

The district sends a letter to ask permission to exit the child before the end of three years in the program.

Notice of Program Services Beyond Three Years

The district sends a letter to request parental consent to keep the child in the program longer than three years.

Parent Withdrawal

If parents would like to withdraw their child from the program, they should notify the district in writing.

To learn more about the Multilingual Learner programs in District 211, contact us by email or by phone.