ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
English Language Development Services
Welcome to Reach Cyber Charter School’s English Language Development (ELD) page! We celebrate diversity and welcome families from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Our ELD team supports students and families who speak many different languages, serving students at all levels of English language development. English learners and their families enrich our schools and our communities.
English Language Development teaches English language learners (ELs) how to use language appropriately in social and academic situations as well as cultural facts and practices. It combines teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing at appropriate developmental and proficiency levels with English-only instruction and additional support for other content classes. The amount of support and instruction students get will depend on their needs.
English Learner Identification
Upon enrollment, families will complete a Home Language Survey. If another language is spoken in the home, the student will be flagged as a potential English Learner. At that time, the ELD team will review records and may reach out to the family by telephone to determine if services are needed. If the results and conversation are inconclusive, the student will be required to complete a screening assessment. This assessment must be completed in person with a Reach staff member.
Learn more about screening, identification, and placement.
Annual Testing
All English Learners are required to participate in an annual language proficiency assessment in person with a Reach employee. The Pennsylvania Department of Education uses the ACCESS for ELLs as the required instrument for the annual assessment of English language proficiency. Access for ELLs is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English language learners' proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science and social studies within the school context across the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Learn more about annual language proficiency testing.
Parental Right to Refuse Services
Parents have the right to refuse all or part of the English Language Development’s services. Refusal of these programs and/or services indicate an informed, voluntary decision by the parent to not have their student placed in any separate, specialized ELD service or program. Parents must contact an ELD teacher, lead, or principal to complete the required paperwork to complete this process. Even if a parent refuses services, the student will still be labeled an English learner and be required to participate in annual language proficiency testing. After a parent has refused services, they can reinstate services at any time. Read more about a parent’s right to refuse services.
Reclassification
Reach’s ELD team will review students’ scores on the annual language assessment to determine if a student is able to be reclassified as a “former EL.” This decision is based on test scores as well as input from the student’s teachers. Under Title III, parents must be informed of the exit criteria.
Learn more about Reclassification, Monitoring, and Redesignation of ELs.
Language Services
Reach Cyber Charter School understands the importance of parental involvement in a child’s education and encourages all families, regardless of language proficiency, to be an active part of their student’s schooling. We offer phone interpretation and some document translation services from outside providers to any family that informs us of a preferred language other than English. If you prefer another language be used to contact you, please inform us as soon as possible. Your child’s English Language Development teacher is happy to help you communicate with any other teachers or set up phone conferences with an interpreter upon request. You can also call the school’s main office and request an interpreter.
CONTACT US
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Corynne Lamison
ELD Program Manager
750 East Park Drive, Suite 204
Harrisburg, PA 17111
Email clamison@reach.connectionsacademy.org
Phone 717-219-7213
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