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        <title>ELL (English Language Learners)</title>
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                <title>English Language Learning in District 205</title>
                <description><![CDATA[District 205 sponsored an English Language Learners (ELL) Forum on February 25, which was focused on information presented by students and staff, as well as expert panelists who shared information about requirements in Illinois for ELL educational programs and provided examples of how other school districts are serving the population. Some 70 people participated that evening, a mixture of teachers, teacher assistants, parents, administrators and community members. Ideas Shared by Students and Staff: Students say the transition to the U. S. can be difficult, both academically and socially even if they studied English in their countries. Students rely upon teacher support offered in ELL, resource and content classes. Staff feels that Elmhurst District 205 would benefit from a long-term vision for the ELL program. Teachers are stretched when we receive ELL students with no English and inconsistent prior schooling &amp;ndash; currently 14 newcomer students at Churchville Middle School and York High School. Highlights from the Panelists: Both St. Charles District 303 and Woodstock CUSD 200 offer additive programs. St. Charles offers Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) services through grade 5 and is planning to add middle school. Woodstock offers dual language instruction from pre-kindergarten through grade 9. Programs were formed based on best practice and research in ELL Education. Results from District 200 show former ELLs and general education students participating in two-way immersion dual language classes outperforming their peers on ISAT, even when instructed in Spanish. Strategic recruitment can make these programs cost effective and may even reduce overall cost in terms of staffing. Extra materials are needed. Transportation to service centers was part of each district&amp;rsquo;s plan. Teachers and administrators need to be informed of the benefits of additive programs and must be supportive. Data from Elmhurst CUSD 205 ELL enrollment has been increasing since 2007. The active ELLs are at 4.9% of the total enrollment. We currently have ELLs in each of our schools. Transitioned ELL students are performing below their general education peers. Percentage of ELL students with an IEP is higher than general education peers. Percentage of ELLs participating in REACH (gifted) or accelerated programs is low, 1.3% of REACH math enrollment Average ACT score for Transitioned ELLs is much lower than general education peers. ELL range is 15.2-17.5 - entrance to community college with remedial courses General Ed. range is 23.8-24.2 - entrance to any Illinois Public University ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Sun, 3 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>Community Forum on English Language Learners Feb. 25</title>
                <description><![CDATA[The Elmhurst area continues to be an attractive place for people from around the world to live and raise their children, resulting in a steady increase in the number of culturally and linguistically diverse students who come to District 205 schools. In addition to our District of &amp;ldquo;equitable education for all and success in a global society,&amp;rdquo; there exist several state and federal regulations that support these learners and ensure their educational needs are met, so they can emerge college and/or career ready. Achieving this goal will open and broaden future opportunities for all District 205 students. Over the past few decades, there have been many changes in the nation&amp;rsquo;s approach to English Language Learners (ELL) and new research has come to light on how to best serve these children for long-term success. In order to explain the programs available to English Language Learners, to apprise the community of pertinent state and federal regulations, and to hear about ELL best practices in other school districts, Elmhurst District 205 will host an English Language Learner Forum, open to the entire community, on February 25, from 7 to 9 PM in the District 205 Center, 162 S. York, Elmhurst. In this meeting, attendees will learn about the rules and regulations that govern English Language Learner instruction in our state. Additionally, information about preparing these children for college will also be shared. Experiences from districts with robust ELL programs will be presented, along with the experiences of several District 205 staff, students and former students. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel and to offer responses to some questions facing our community. We hope you will join us. The February 25 agenda is as follows: Purpose, Format and Current District ELL Performance Results Dr. Charles Johns &amp;ndash; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Elmhurst CUSD 205 Rules, Regulations and Research Results Dr. Diep Ngoc-Nguyen &amp;ndash; School of Education, Northeastern Illinois University Programs in Other Districts Cindy Ruesch &amp;ndash; Assistant Director for Curriculum &amp;ndash; St. Charles SD 303 Keely Krueger &amp;ndash; Director of Grants, Language and Culture &amp;ndash; Woodstock CUSD 200 A Few Perspectives from District 205 Faculty Cheryl Freiberger &amp;ndash; Churchville Middle School ELL teacher Patricia Meza &amp;ndash; Hawthorne Elementary ELL Teacher Perspective From Former and Current District 205 ELL Students Former Students Dominick Lipinski &amp;ndash; Poland &amp;ndash; current career in insurance Bujar Sadiku &amp;ndash; Albania &amp;ndash; studying at COD, applying to UIC Current Students : Sofia Suanno &amp;ndash; Italy&amp;ndash; currently enrolled in ELL courses Jessica Madgay &amp;ndash; Phillipines Ramzi Hamarhen &amp;ndash; Jordan Questions and Answers Interactive Survey Comment Collection ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1356612422142</link>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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