Program Curriculum

In addition to providing a rigorous curriculum, District 75 offers a variety of services to those students who require additional assistance in order to help them meet academic standards. One of these services is the Multilingual Learner (ML) Program.

 

All students in the ML program receive content-based English Learner (EL) instruction. From a language-certified professional, ML students receive rigorous instruction and assessment based on grade-level standards:

 

Students are expected to make yearly progress both in academic achievement and in English language proficiency.

 

When students first register, each family completes a Home Language Survey. If another language is spoken at home and/or the student speaks another language, one of the parent coordinators / ML teachers in the school will assess the student's English language proficiency level in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing using the PreIPT (ages 3-4), Kindergarten MODEL (Kindergarten), or the WIDA Online Screener (Grades 1-12). If a student qualifies as a Multilingual Learner (ML), the student will qualify for one of multilingual support: Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI), Transition Bilingual Education (TBE), or Dual Language (DL). If a student does qualify, parents are notified in writing within 10 days. Parents can accept or refuse ML services.

 

All students receiving services are annually assessed to determine if they still need/qualify for these services. Students are assessed using the state-mandated ACCESS assessment. If an ML student receives a 4.8 composite on the ACCESS test, this student is no longer eligible to receive ML services and will be exited from the ML program. Parents will be notified if their child does not qualify for ML support.

 

Each year, parents are notified whether their child will continue to qualify for ML services. At any point in this process, parents have the right to decline recommended services for their child. To waive services, parents must respond within 30 days from the date they receive the placement notification recommendation. A conference with school personnel is also required.