Multilingual Education in District 65

Parent Resources

Below are links to resources to help your child as they learn both Spanish and English!

Check out a list of meetings held by our Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) throughout the school year!

View/download the Parent Resource Guide

• New York Times - The Benefits of Bilingualism
• Colorín Colorado (A bilingual site for families and educators of English Language Learners.)
• Colorín Colorado (Un sitio bilingüe para familias y maestros para ayudar a los niños a leer.) 
• El desarrollo del lenguaje en los niños bilingües
• Illinois State Board of Education Multilingual Parent Resources
• The Silent Period of Second Language Acquisition

Multilingual Support Program Models

The Multilingual department has two programs for Emergent Bilinguals (EB), also known as English Learners (ELs); Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI), and Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE). In recent years, the term Emergent Bilingual (EB) provides a more positive view of how students are seen as having the potential to develop bilingualism. The State of Illinois requires that the TBE programs offer some instruction in the native language such as language arts, math, science or social studies. In District 65, we provide a program model of Dual Language - Two-Way Immersion (TWI) for students in kindergarten through fifth grade in six of our school buildings. In the three stand-alone middle schools (Chute, Haven, and Nichols), we use the TBE model in providing Spanish for Spanish-speakers which is a language arts course for former TWI students and any native Spanish-speaking student. There are bilingual co-teachers available to support the TBEs in Spanish during core classes. D65 uses the TPI program, and the English as a Second Language (ESL) in fourteen of our schools with differentiated instruction that includes both push-in (co-teacher) and pull-out for deliberate language instruction for students.

Language Proficiency Assessments

The State of Illinois requires the district to collect a "Home Language Survey" for every new student who registers in the district. If a parent/caregiver indicates that another language is spoken at home, or by their child, our Registration Department will set up an appointment for you to have your child tested on English language proficiency.

The district is required by the Illinois State Board of Education to screen your child to determine their English language proficiency. This screener will help guide the Multilingual Services team and allow them to determine a student's level of English language proficiency. The screener does not test for academic intelligence or capacity in math or reading. Rather, the screener examines a student's ability to utilize English solely at the academic level.

Please review the following image below to examine how students are identified as English Language Learners in District 65.

Language Proficiency Assessments

Students are screened to determine their English language proficiency, which determines whether they qualify for services in the English Laguage Learner Program. District 65 uses the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) prescribed screening instruments: Pre-IPT, WIDA MODEL™, WIDA Screener and ACCESS as its basis for determining student eligibility. A recommendation regarding appropriate placement and services is made based on the results of the prescribed screening. District 65 offers a variety of Emerging Bilingual (EB)/English Language Learner (ELL) programs to meet the various needs of EB students based on ISBE regulations. A Notice of Enrollment and the EB/ELL Program Description is provided to parents/guardians whose child qualifies for services in the ELL Program. Parents have the right to accept or refuse placement recommendations. Please note that if parents refuse placement recommendations, the State of Illinois mandates that all students (those students that have accepted or waived services) test their English language proficiency with the WIDA test yearly.

According to ACCESS’ website, “ACCESS for ELLs is an English language proficiency test that measures students’ academic English language skills. Your child was identified as an ELL, which means your child can have instruction in English, in addition to taking other classes. ELLs take an English language proficiency test every year. Testing helps teachers understand whether students have the language skills they need to fully participate in the classroom. Your child’s teachers use ACCESS for ELLs test scores as they decide how best to teach your child. Test scores also help teachers track your child’s progress in learning academic English and help schools decide what English language support services to provide. You can use test information to advocate for your child at school."

ACCESS for ELLs Assessments

• ACCESS for ELLs is available in a paper-and-pencil or computer-based format.
• Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs uses stories and activities to keep young learners engaged.
• Alternate ACCESS for ELLs is a test that support teams can elect to use for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The test offers extra support and gives students multiple opportunities to respond to test items.