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I need help.
Anonymous January 30, 2009
I am having a hard time with my sons school. They have ESOL there but take him out of the room once a week. On the homepage of ESL for his school they state they say in the room with the child and when the teacher teaches they help the child understand what the teacher is saying. Well, not happening here..The teacher in Sept told me your child is reading well everything will be fine. Then I go to a parent teacher meeting two days ago and the teacher said your child will not go to third grade if he is not reading by april..mind you its Jan..So I called Sylvan and paying them to do a job ESL should be doing. What makes me mad is the ESOL teacher said..if you child needs a tutor my daughter can do it for you at 7.50 an hour!! I thought to myself..wait..if you cant help me and your the Esl teacher than how is someone not certified going to help my son! I am mad very mad. When I asked about an after school tutoring I was told about paying this ladies kid to help him..I know they have tutors
abernad0544 March 29, 2009
First thing PRAY, talk to the school administrator of the school, because you should have received progress reports at least montly or every six weeks. Let the administrator know honestly of the progress of your child growth in reading in english and steps you had to take because of the non-communication of the teacher in question. If you do not receive any help with the administrator, have a meeting with both the administrator and princpal to state your questions, and alert them of their failed ESOL program. Also, the one thing I believe in is parent involvement and become a advocate for your child, I am not saying you are not involved, but it takes persistence and alot of parent-teacher interaction to receive results. Next year, you introduce yourself to the teacher, give that teacher a list of things you would like her or him to do so that you can stay informed on progress weekly, monthly, and by e-mail or telephone, and ask for different techniques you can do everyday to help with the teaching of your child. Research websites and books so that you learn what is needed from the schools and just for yourself. Sometimes you can get the best information for free. I do not know about your tutoring programs, but I know it is expensive. Go to Kennesaw University to see if you can get a college student to help with the tutoring, there are upcomming teachers that can help you with one-on-one tutoring help for less money.20506
Mother1999 March 29, 2009
Thank you all for the responses they were all very helpful. I went to the school for a meeting about my son and after the meeting nothing was done. I went to the school board and the head of ESOL my son is still in Sylvan...now his school decided to test him for maybe a special class and a program that can help him..finally.
So far the first couple weeks I have heard nothing..then I called on the report of my son with these programs and they arent ready yet...been over a month nothing yet. I wrote a letter to the school board and put all the names on the email that I been trying to get information. That might of did it..they are all responding now..but I shouldnt have to go through this for my son to get an education he deserves. I am transfering him out of this school for the 3rd grade start up.20505
abernad0544 March 30, 2009
What school is you son going to or if you do not what to disclose the school, just state the area. Also, like special needs, there maybe some rules in your advantage. I will look it up under the Georgia Board of Education website. If you have the internet, you can do some research also.20504
abernad0544 March 30, 2009
Georgia ESOL Resource Guide:
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT ELIGIBILTY
Assessment of English Language Proficiency
Initial eligibility. Under State Board of Education Rule 160-4-5.02, all students whose parents have indicated on a Home Language Survey that a language other than English is spoken in the home or by the student, must take an English language proficiency test to determine eligibility for the English to Speakers of Other Languages Program (ESOL) or alternative placement for language assistance. So defined, students who are non-English language background shall be administered a screening test, known as the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT), to determine their English language skills. Students scoring below a 5 are entitled to receive English language assistance without further assessment. When the attained score is a borderline score which is approaching a 5, this score, in conjunction with the professional judgment of the student's Language Assessment Committee (LAC), should inform the final decision. The W-APT for Kindergarten differs from the Grades 1-12 W-APT in that it uses raw scores in determining eligibility. Refer to the Kindergarten W-APT flowchart when making decisions regarding language assistance services for this level.
Continuing eligibility and exit. All students receiving language assistance services through the ESOL program or placement in an alternative program shall be administered the ACCESS for ELLs annually to determine progress and/or readiness to exit. Scores must be kept on file to document learning gains and to provide data for program accountability.
All data related to student eligibility, progress, and readiness to exit must be maintained in the student's permanent file.
EXIT FROM ESOL OR
ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
Exit from ESOL Program or from Alternative Language Assistance: Students are ready to exit language support services when they:
• score at Level 5 Tier C on ACCESS for ELLs, hereafter referred to as ACCESS,
and
• score at the proficient level on the state assessments of reading/reading comprehension; or on grade level for approved local assessments of reading/reading comprehension. In grades 1-8, the CRCT and in grade 11, the GHSGT serve as these assessments. In grades 9, 10, 12, an EOCT may be used to determine proficiency.
These students should have the skills necessary to perform in the regular classroom.
In some cases, students may still be eligible for and in need of special instruction through other support services, such as reading. Recommendations for other needed support services should be made when students exit.
Placement or Retention in ESOL or Alternative Language Assistance: Students should continue to receive language assistance services when they:
• score below Level 5 Tier C on ACCESS or
• score below proficiency on state assessments of reading/reading comprehension. In the absence of state assessments, decisions to place or retain students may be made based on below grade level results on approved local assessments of reading/reading comprehension.
• score at Level 5 Tier C on ACCESS but below proficient on state assessments of reading/reading comprehension or below grade level on approved local assessments of reading/reading comprehension. A Language Assessment Conference shall be called to determine the most appropriate instructional placement. The Language Assessment Conference is explained in complete detail in its own section in the ESOL Resource Guide.
Possible Exit from the ESOL Program or Alternative Language Assistance: Students shall be considered for possible exit by a Language Assessment Conference when they:
• score at Level 4 Tier C or higher but below Level 5 Tier C on ACCESS and at the proficient level on the state or approved local assessment of reading/reading comprehension.20503
abernad0544 March 30, 2009
Use this Georgia Department of Education Website for the Georgia ESOL Federal statues read and know your rights. Also, if the school did not test him in the beginning, the school is in violation. Find some way to print this out and present this to the school. Also ask them for the Self-Assessment Report, also, if you need trasnsportation to a new school, there is a form called ESOL Notification for Services at an Alternate Location. Oh, look at the test schools for ESOL Students to see what school in your area provides the best ESOL Education and request to be transfered to that school, also they are required to provide the transportation.
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/2008-09%20Title%20III%20ESOL%20Resource%20Guide%20091108.pdf?p=6CC6799F8C1371F6A70604662380BC3B90F0B6FF54E3813DD99973FB7D157C8D&Type=D20502
Mother1999 March 30, 2009
Thank you so much for that great information...My sons school is Clay Elementary. He wont be going there next year that is for sure.20501
Mollylace February 26, 2011
I am an ESOL teacher in an Atlanta metro area school. You could call and ask the principal these specific questions: 1) Which model of ESOL instruction is used in your system/school?. (Sometimes it is "push-in", "pull-out", or "lab", in which case there would be computers for the students to use. If your child qualifies for services and the model of delivery is "push-in", then really, he should not be pulled out of the classroom. Sometimes, however, ESOL teachers find that it is easier to work with a child outside the classroom because of noise, or in order to ensure that the student gets the full amount of time promised. State your reasoning for wanting the child to be served in the classroom instead of being pulled out. ) 2) How many minutes of daily/weekly ESOL instruction is my ESOL student supposed to receive? (According to WIDA standards, which to my knowledge are the ESOL standards used in Georgia, ESOL students in grades k-2 should receive 45 minutes of instruction per day and students in grades 3-5 should receive 50 minutes.) I have noticed that many times principals do not know all of these details, especially if there are not very many ESOL students in the school. If you are not satisfied with the answers you get, call the central office and ask for the ESOL director. My suggestion is that you try to remain calm, and be very specific with your questions. On behalf of ESOL services, I apologize for your bad experience. I have found that teaching ESOL is the most wonderful experience I have ever had and I would be devastated if I thought some of my parents were as disappointed as you are. Keep trying. You do have these rights and you should not have to pay Sylvan to get your son the help he deserves.66890
