The Lee County ESOL Program is designed to help students attain their full social and academic potential within the culture of an American school. We are committed to developing our students' communicative confidence and skills in the four main areas of language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition, the ESOL program seeks to create supportive learning environments in your child's classroom and school which value and build on students' academic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.
What does it mean to be an EL student?
Identifying ESOL Students:
The Home Language Survey, which is embedded in the registration form, is completed for every student when initially registering in the Lee County School System to determine if there is the influence of a language other than English. This survey contains three questions and will identify any languages other than English that are:
- first learned or acquired by the student
- used by the student in the home
- most often spoken in the student home
Eligible students are screened with the state-adopted proficiency test, the WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs Placement Test (W-APT) or the WIDA Measure of Developing English Language (MODEL) and are determined to be either proficient in English or at a level of English proficiency that can benefit from ESOL services.
Program Delivery Models:
Push-In
Push-in is a model of instruction in which English Language Learners (ELLs) remain in their general education class where they receive content instruction from their content area teacher and language assistance from the ESOL teacher.
Pull-Out
Pull-out is a model of instruction in which English Language Learners (ELLs) are "pulled" from their regular classrooms for a class period of intense English language instruction.
Sheltered Content
Sheltered content is a model that can be used in grades 6-12. It uses ESOL strategies to deliver the content of a specific course to English Language Learners (ELLs). Sheltered content instruction aims to facilitate mastery of academic content that is taught through English, as well as promoting the learner's English language development.
Scheduled Class Period
Scheduled class period is a model that can be used at the secondary level. Students are scheduled for elective classes which focus on speaking, listening, reading and writing. Composed only of English Language Learners (ELLs), students receive instruction specifically targeted to their level of language proficiency.