This language policy survey is an excerpt from English Language Learners at School: A Guide for Administrators, 2nd Edition (Caslon, 2012). The survey is intended to help schools/districts identify policies and procedures for ELLs that are in place, as well as the strengths and limitations of what already exists. In addition, the survey concludes with an opportunity for reflection about future possibilities and action items.
This survey is also available as a PDF.
Read the following statements to guide your survey of the policies and procedures for ELLs that are in place in your school/district. Indicate the extent to which each of the following applies to your school:
DK — don't know
1 — strongly disagree
2 — disagree
3 — agree
4 — strongly agree
The school district/school has a language policy for ELLs and an implementation
plan that includes the following:
A mission statement that:
| DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures ensuring that ELLs have access to all programs and services that are available to all students, and that ELLs' needs are considered in all aspects of district/school programming (e.g., curriculum, instruction, assessments, promotion and retention, special needs services). | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures governing the uses of languages in the school system, including issues of:
| DK 1 2 3 4 |
Defining criteria of the type(s) of program(s) that is/are implemented in the district/school, such as:
| DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures that enable the identification of students who are eligible for ESL/bilingual/heritage language services. | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures for the allocation of languages for instructional purposes at every grade level (i.e., how much English as well as instruction in the primary/partner language is included at different stages of language proficiency in each type of program). | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures governing the assessment and placement of ELLs in appropriate program(s). | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures for the recruitment, retention, and professional development of all teachers, administrators, and staff who | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures governing all aspects of program implementation from placement to proficiency, including: testing accommodations
| DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures governing the collection, analysis, and use of standardized and alternative assessment data on English language development. | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures governing the collection, analysis, and use of standardized and alternative assessment data on home language development (when home language development is a goal of the program). | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures governing the collection, analysis, and use of standardized and alternative assessment data on the academic achievement of ELLs in the language(s) used for instructional purposes. | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures for informing parents of all aspects of program development, implementation, and evaluation. | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures for the ways that summative and formative data are used to inform instruction, program, and professional development and to determine the effectiveness of different types of programs for ELLs. | DK 1 23 4 |
Procedures for articulating with community-based organizations and institutions of higher learning to support all aspects of program development, implementation, and evaluation. | DK 1 23 4 |
Procedures governing program monitoring and evaluation.
| DK 1 2 34 |
Procedures governing how components of the language policy and implementation plan are reviewed and revised on a regular basis. | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Procedures for how individual schools and the school district overall can obtain the resources they need to make implementation of the language policy a reality. | DK 1 2 3 4 |
Reflection
Now that you have completed the survey, write down one to three strengths and future possibilities you identified through your review of your policies and procedures for ELLs. Then identify one to three concrete actions that you can take to improve those policies and procedures.
Strengths of our school district/school policies and procedures
1.___________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________
Future Possibilities
1.___________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________
Action steps
1.___________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________
Acknowledgements
Our policy section is made possible by a generous grant from the Carnegie Corporation. The statements and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors.
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