ESOL Program

The ESOL Program provides English language acquisition instruction to qualifying non-English speaking students enrolled in the county’s schools. Fifteen languages are represented in the ESOL Program: Spanish, Urdu, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Tagalog, Swedish, Japanese, Indonesian, Arabic, French, German, Hindi, and Korean. 88% of the county’s English Learners speak Spanish. There are 19 different countries, including the United States, represented in the program.

ESOL Program Objectives

• Focus on consistent quality, evidenced-based English language instruction for English Learners
• Work cooperatively with content area teachers in order to effectively convey academic material through proficiency level-based instruction
• Ensure that students receive appropriate accommodations during classroom instruction and county and state assessments through semi-annual, school-based English Learner Committee meetings
• Deliver native language parental notification of services available to English Learners and ways in which non-English speaking parents can support the academic success and English language proficiency of their children
• Provide information about school conferences and events as well as translated documents and interpretive services
• Bridge cultural differences and smooth the transition into American schools and culture for both immigrant families and QACPS staff
• Share materials and methods of English Learner pedagogy

In order for a student to qualify for the ESOL program, they must meet the following criteria:

• English is not the primary language of the student, the parents, or the caregiver; English is not the language spoken at home.
• The student has a foreign birth certificate, passport or letter of birth from a foreign embassy; a student can be born in the United States and still receive ESOL services
• The student scores within a P-1 to a P-5 (proficiency level) on the KW-APT or W-APT Proficiency Test administered by an EL staff member.
• The student has a report card in a language other than English.
• The student has an English Learner report card from another school system.

Registration

Contact Dr. Darren Guido, EL Program Director, at (410) 758-2403, x163 or [email protected]. He will assist with registration or obtaining interpretive services.

• Parents or guardians must show a birth certificate, record of birth, or baptismal certificate for their child, proof of residency, and a vaccination record. A social security number is not required for registration.
• The child is registered in the school using the name exactly as it appears on the birth certificate. Hispanic 2-name last names must be copied exactly as they appear on the birth certificate.
• Parents/legal guardians must complete a Home Language Survey available in English and 12 other languages. Please contact the ESOL Office if you need a copy.
• If the family does not speak English, obtain the name of a contact person for interpreting, or contact the EL Office for interpretive needs.

A Guide to School for Families of English Learners

GUÍA ESCOLAR PARA FAMILIAS DE ESTUDIANTES DE INGLÉS

Dr. Darren Guido, EL Program Director
(410) 758-2403, Ext. 163
202 Chesterfield Avenue
Centreville, MD 21617
[email protected]

Ms. Cora Ruth, Administrative Assistant
(410) 758-2403, Ext. 178
202 Chesterfield Avenue
Centreville, Maryland 21617
[email protected]