Students in Chicago Public Schools are identified as English Learners through a state- and federally-mandated process.

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• Parents of all students newly enrolled in CPS complete a Home Language Survey (HLS).

• The school is required to screen all students with an answer of “yes” to one or both of the questions on the Home Language Survey. The purpose of the screener is to determine the student’s level of proficiency in English and eligibility for placement in a program for English Learners.

•  All English Learners are assessed annually through the WIDA Assessment for Communication and Comprehension of English from State to State (ACCESS) test for English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

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All students enrolled in a program for English Learners must receive instruction aligned to all applicable state standards.

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To serve the needs of English Learners at Oriole Park we have implemented the Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) model. The focus of the TPI Program is to provide English Learners with English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction and additional resources and supports, such as tutoring and the use of the native language in the classroom when resources (teachers, aides, tutors, or other students who know the language) are available. Students enrolled in TPI Programs are expected to “transition” to the general program of instruction after they meet the criteria as set by the ISBE and the minimal three-year CPS mandate

It is recommended that schools implementing a Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) establish a Bilingual Advisory Committee (BAC). The goal of the BAC is to help parents of ELs develop leadership skills for effective participation in schools and to advocate for the academic, social, and cultural development of all English Learners.

 

For more information about the TPI Program and involvement in BAC at OPS please contact Ms. Idstein at aepisula@ops.edu.