We are specialist language teachers:
We help students to develop literacy in English so that they can succeed in both the social and academic environment of the classroom. We focus on inclusive practices that honour cultural identity and social and emotional growth.
Our settlement workers in schools (SWIS) are an important part of the NLPS ELL program. These caring adults provide settlement support for immigrants, refugees, and newcomers and are hired through our community partner Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society (CVIMS).
We work with SWIS and CVIMS to provide trained interpretation and translation services for schools and families. Please contact the learning line at thelearningline@sd68.bc.ca for more information.
Students qualify for the program through a needs-based assessment and must meet Ministry of Education criteria.
They may be:
AIPs must be created for ALL students that have been claimed on the 1701 count in September.
Students arriving after that time should be assessed and supported, but it is not necessary to create an AIP for them until the following school year (when they are added to the list).
To use AIP documents:
1. Click the grade appropriate AIP you would like to access
2. A Google Docx will open. Please DO NOT edit on the Google Docx.
3. Click “File” and “Download” and “Microsoft Word” to create your own Word Document that will be fillable and contain the drop-down menu options
For students receving pull-out support, we are required to do an ELL progress report for terms 2 and 3. Where the student and/or classroom teacher are receiving consultative support, a comment can be provided to the classroom teacher to be embedded in the classroom report card.
A copy of the ELL report is placed in the yellow file.
It is not necessary to place a copy of the regular student report card in the yellow file.
These report templates use language from our BC ELL Standards. The “Snapshot” from the Quick Scales for each area of language proficiency is provided for each of the 5 levels (Beginning, Developing, Expanding, Consolidating, Bridging). Specialists can highlight where their ELL student is currently on the scale based on their observations, formative assessments and consultation with teachers.
Note that ELL Standard language DOES NOT align with our Student Competency Scale.
Note that you must include your own comments in the summary portion of the template.
You are required to make contact with parents of both new and continuing ELL students on your caseload by September 30th to inform them of supplemental ELL support. Remember to change the Letterhead to include your own school’s information.
If parents do not wish their child to receive ELL support, please have them fill out a service waiver and add it to the student’s yellow file.
We are required to keep detailed evidence of our interactions with students, teachers and other staff when it comes to supporting our ELLs. ELLMS is our tool to record this data. It only takes a few minutes to add information and it is an invaluable tool for showing evidence of the variety of support and consultation we provide our students.
Auditors will:
1. Verify that the ELL/ALA services are being provided by interviewing staff and examining documents such as timetables, day books, course outlines and attendance records.
2. Determine that a plan for delivering each student’s services are in evidence at the time of the September 30 claim by:
-Examining the schedule detailing the nature of service provided.
-Examining specialized services being provided to the student by reviewing teacher logs, timetables, etc.
3. Ensure that if students receive adaptations within classrooms, these specifically address the needs in the student’s English Language proficiency assessment and the AIP goals and objectives. This can be verified by interviewing staff involved and by reviewing file documentation.
4. Verify how the adaptations in the regular program meet the students’ ELL/ALA needs.
This is an important form that concludes service for the year and “puts the file to bed”. In our work there is much staff movement from school to school and this form gives a vital snapshot of language proficiency for the next specialist.
Staple or paper clip all of the year’s documentation under this form in the yellow file.
I have added an example of how Bayview uses this form. Thank you to the folks at Bayview for sharing.
If a student has reached their 5 year limit or has acquired enough English language proficiency to be removed from the ELL support list you must fill out an exit form and place it in the student file.
Please write in bold on the front of the yellow file “EXITED” and place the yellow file with the main student file. It is critical for future specialists to see if there are still years of service that can be made available in the future if need arises.
For audit purposes, all assessment pieces MUST include:
Please keep all assessment pieces in the yellow ELL designation file. Copies of originals are acceptable. Please include the tool used if appropriate (PM Benchmark sheet/NLPS Assessment/Grade Level (Teacher) Assessment).
Initial Assessment:
“Initial assessments of English language should include, but are not limited to, a combination of the following approaches:
Yearly Assessment:
”A language proficiency assessment should be documented at least annually for English language learners to determine progress and eligibility for ELL funding.”
Ministry ELL Planning Tool:
The Ministry of Education has developed a tool to facilitate a planning process and to determine the instructional support needs of ELL students. The ELL Instructional Support Planning Tool is a research-based approach that can be used as a model for instruction and support planning.
NOTE: This tool is helpful to use when working with a more complex ELL student and is not a required compliance piece for all ELL students. Excellent for School Based Team.
ELL Oral Language Assessments need to be levelled to our Ministry ELL Standards. ELL assessment is generally “A Level” assessment.
This assessment aligns with our current Oral Language Standard Levels (Quick scales) and is a simple interview connected to an image. Highlight the Quick Scale based on your Oral Interview with the student.
This is a useful checklist for the classroom teacher to fill out in order to refer a student for further assessment for ESD service. Note that this does not replace the initial assessment.
Primary/Intermediate Initial Oral Assessment (“Mary has a Dress”)
This tool provides a sense of oral vocabulary and grammar comprehension. Both primary and intermediate assessments are combined into one tool with scoring that applies to our current ELL levels.
Note that all ELL Reading and Writing Language Assessments need to be levelled to our ELL Standards. ELL assessment is generally “A Level” assessment.
Draft Writing + ELL Writing Quick Scale Rubric:
One of the most authentic pieces of assessment for ELL Writing is a draft piece of student writing in conjunction with our ELL Standards.
For many of our ELL students, components of our district assessment tool works well. If you can gauge your student’s ELL level based on the NLPS Reading Screener tool or PM Benchmark, there is no further need to assess reading by using an additional assessment. We absolutely do not wish to over-assess our ELLs.
Please use the NLPS or Benchmarks in conjunction with our ELL Standards Quick Scales.
When assessing writing drafts, make sure you highlight the ELL specific areas of need, as well as evidence of what the student CAN DO.
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