Agenda - 03-31-1999 - 1a - Laserfiche WebLink

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0 In considering instructional delivery models and strategies, the sub - committee's findings reflected the initial need to reduce the ESL teacher /student ratio to better serve students. The federal government guidelines on education of LEP students recommend a 1:20 ratio, giving ESL teachers an opportunity to provide direct services to students and opportunities to coordinate across instructional programs with teachers within the school setting. Other findings include the need to have bilingual staff in schools with large language minority groups; individual school resource centers; and comprehensive, on -going services to support LEP students during the 5-7 year period needed to become academically proficient. The instructional delivery models examined by the sub - committee included the following: (1) Sheltered classes at the secondary level in History, ELP (Economics, Legal and Political Systems), and Biology (2) Clustered content classes at elementary level (3) Literacy Groups (4) Dual Immersion (Two-Way Bilingual) Programs (5) Proficiency Grouping of LEP Students (6) Multi - Content -Based ESL Instruction (7) ESL Reading classes for target language beginners (8) ESL Centers for Secondary Schools (designate one site) (9) Newcomer Center for Port -of -Entry Sub - Committee on Staff Development and Support for School Staff: Highlights of this sub- committee's findings are comments and suggestions collected from a surrey of school staff. The surrey responses indicate a level of frustration on the part of non -ESL teachers and staff related to having. the necessary training needed to appropriately address the instructional needs of LEP students. Addidonal findings also disclose that regular classroom teachers do not know (or feel they do not know) much about LEP students or ESL programs. The survey findings further indicate that some teachers are hoping that the challenges presented by the presence of LEP students in their classrooms will simply.go away or resolve themselves in time. The findings also show that some teachers are not trying alternative methods of instruction or assessment with LEP students. Finally, the survey findings indicate that 80% of teachers do not directly communicate with parents of LEP students. See Appendix D for a copy of the detailed sub - committee report. Sub - Committee on Translation and Interpretation Services: The need for translating documents and interpreting conversations is great in the Chapel Hill- Canboro City Schools rding to the findings of this sub- committee. Interviews with LEP parents and teachers reflect many concerns about the issue of translation and interpretation services. See Appendix E for a copy of the detailed sub - committee report.