English Language Learners
English Language Learners
English Learners (EL) Services
Debbie Erwin, Instructional Specialist of ELL
(937) 743-8601 ext. 1461
derwin@franklincityschools.com
With the significant increase in student population who speak languages other than English, Franklin City School District began its full-time English Language Learner Services (EL) in 2019. We provide services to over 80 students representing 17 languages.
All EL students in the Franklin City School District are invited to participate in our program upon registration in the district. The Registration Gateway enrollment for new students includes Ohio's Home Language Usage Survey. This document identifies the student's primary language, the student’s first language, and the primary language spoken in the home. If another language, other than English, is spoken in the home, students are screened to assess their English language proficiency. If necessary, the newly enrolled student will be placed in our EL program.
Franklin City Schools EL program offers individual or small group weekly English language lessons and content-area assistance to English learners’ teachers who have ELs enrolled in their classrooms. In addition, teacher monitoring is provided to EL students who have achieved English proficiency. During monitoring, a teacher checks on the student’s academic progress to make sure the student is succeeding. Monitoring can continue for up to three years after the student is no longer receiving regular EL support. If a student begins to experience serious academic problems that are related to their English acquisition, the school will provide appropriate EL support.
The goal of our EL program is for students to acquire a level of English language proficiency that enables them to meet grade-level promotion requirements, and state-mandated graduation requirements, and ultimately compete successfully in mainstream society.
Please click here to view the Ohio English Language Proficiency Standards
Law
There are three federal court cases that provide the legal foundation for providing equal educational opportunity to students with limited English proficiency: Lau vs. Nichols, 1973; Castaneda vs. Pickard, 1981; and Plyler vs. Doe, 1982. Fairfield City School District, in compliance with federal and state law, provides services to EL students who qualify for our programs.
Testing Information
Ohio English Language Proficiency Screener (OELPS)
If another language is indicated on the Home Language Usage Survey, testing begins with the ELPA21/OELPS (Ohio English Language Proficiency Screener). This statewide test is interactive and completed on a secure browser in the TIDE Portal for students in kindergarten through grade 12. The OELPS evaluates students’ listening, reading, speaking, and writing proficiency in English, and provides data for identification within 3 hours of testing. This assessment must be given within 30 days of enrollment.
Please click here for more information about ELPA21/OELPS
Please click here for more information about identifying English Learners
Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA)
State and Federal law require an annual assessment of K-12 English Learners (EL) students to measure their English language proficiency. The Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA) is the assessment used for testing English language proficiency for Ohio EL students in grades K-12. Students are dismissed from English Learner services and no longer must be annually assessed when they earn a combination of 4's and 5's in each of the 4 tested areas of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Please click here for more information about OELPA
Guidelines for Identifying English Learners in Ohio
Please click here for Franklin City Schools English Language Learner Protocol
All EL students attending a Title 1 school are required to receive Title 1 services in English literacy regardless of age or grade.