In Dublin City Schools the English Learner Department (EL) has continued to grow each year. We currently rank as the 6th largest EL population in the state of Ohio. These students represent approximately 70 countries and speak 70 different languages. The top languages currently spoken by the students in the EL program are Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

Every building offers support for the ELs at their site. Services are determined based on the language proficiency levels and needs of the students. We offer sheltered English instruction at the secondary level and a variety of pull-out and inclusion services at the elementary level.  We currently employ 33 teachers to support the needs of the students in our EL program. We have 23 elementary EL teachers providing service to our students and 12 secondary EL teachers that provide sheltered English instruction and resource support for our secondary ELs.

We also offer bilingual aide support to assist our students with learning. We employ 25 bilingual aides that represent the following language groups: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. The bilingual aide support helps to bridge the communication gap between our students/parents and school staff. 

The 2018-2019 state report card included gap closing results for English Learners in their progress in English Language Proficiency, achievement on the math and ELA assessments, as well as graduation rates. Dublin City Schools ELs exceeded the state baseline in all four categories.  To view the gap closing measures on the state report card, visit the Ohio Department of Education website.

English Language Proficiency is measured each year through a state-mandated standardized test, called the OELPA.  Dublin City Schools continues to increase the number of students that meet proficiency on the OELPA each year.

We believe that all students can and must learn at high levels of achievement. 

EL refers to the program offered by Dublin City Schools for English Learners (ELs). Dublin City Schools has adopted the term English Learner (EL) for students served in the English Learner Program (EL). The term reflects our beliefs, that all students will learn the English language to a high level of proficiency. 

CORE BELIEFS 

The Language Learner 

• Language learners especially need an environment that provides motivation and promotes self-confidence, low-anxiety, and academic risk-taking. 
• Students learn language and culture best in meaningful settings requiring authentic interactive communication with others at a language level just slightly above their current competency. 
• English learners become critical thinkers and independent learners in English through a variety of learning experiences. 
• Proficiency in Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS/Social Language) does NOT equal proficiency in Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP/Academic Language). 

Student Background 

• Learners construct meaning by connecting new information to existing knowledge, which varies from culture to culture. 
• Sociocultural factors such as background, customs, and experiences, contribute to academic performance. 
• ELs enter our educational system with a wide range of cultural and academic knowledge. 
• Students without first-language (L1) literacy may require a different time frame and set of strategies to achieve/acquire competence when compared to students with L1 literacy. 

Teaching Preparation for Student Learning 

• Effective EL teachers demonstrate proficiency in general teaching practices and language pedagogy, and native or near-native mastery of English. 
• EL teachers’ second-language study or bilingualism provides insight into the language learning process and promotes cultural sensitivity. 
• EL teachers, in particular, must understand students’ diverse background knowledge, learning strategies, and educational goals in order to facilitate learning.
• Curricula for ELs must be age and grade-level appropriate, and use math, science, social studies and language arts content as the vehicle for language learning. 
• In collaboration with classroom teachers, EL teachers must focus on state standards in Language Arts and EL to develop curricula using appropriate, authentic, and grade-level materials. 
• EL teachers must recognize high-priority content material and make it accessible to students. 
• EL teachers must provide students with direct, differentiated instruction in learning strategies and academic language. 

Instruction 

• In accordance with state Language Arts and EL Standards, the objective of EL instruction is communicative and academic competence in the domains of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture. 
• Teachers must be explicit about the goals and significance of learning activities and explain assessment rubrics to students. 
• EL teachers must activate prior knowledge and provide a clear and sufficient explanation of American cultural expectations and discourse style. 
• Teachers must impart learning strategies that facilitate the development of higher order thinking skills, including but not limited to analysis, synthesis, inquiry, and the development of a discourse style. 
• Varied motivating classroom activities should include active, hands-on, multisensory methods providing students multiple opportunities to access, comprehend, and retain knowledge. 
• EL teachers must consistently model thinking processes, learning strategies, linguistic and academic risk taking, and standard language use. 

Supporting Student Learning 

• Because teaching ELs is a job for everyone, not just the EL staff, support for these students requires educating administrators and staff. 
• Effective teachers willingly reflect on practices and adapt to different learning styles and cultural backgrounds. 
• EL staff members create essential connections with parents and community through programs which support students’ educational experiences.

ELs in Dublin City Schools are served by EL teachers through a variety of research-based practices designed to develop support language and content learning. EL Services are summarized in the chart below. 

Overall Secondary Philosophy for English Learners

Many students who enroll in the Dublin City Schools arrive with diverse levels of English Proficiency.  Our English Learner program exists to help these students develop and strengthen academic and social English language skills. We believe that academic success hinges on the acquisition of speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency in English. English Learners become critical thinkers and independent learners in English through a variety of learning experiences in an environment that increases self-confidence and promotes risk-taking. Acquiring American cultural competence while respecting the student’s native culture is key. The English Learner courses stress listening, informal and formal speaking, reading comprehension/strategies, writing, vocabulary development, and research skills aligned with the Ohio Academic Content Standards and will eventually align with the Common Core Standards for Language Arts. Grammar and spelling are taught through the writing process in addition to explicit instruction. English Learners are given equal access to standards and content area learning as their peers. English Learners acquire both English language proficiency and content area knowledge concurrently, so some students will require additional time, and all will require appropriate instructional support, comprehensible input, and aligned assessments. We believe all students in the English Learner Program can achieve the literacy demands required in the 21st Century and we are committed to supporting them in this endeavor.

Middle School EL Courses

High School EL Courses

HS EL English Studies Beginner (905)

HS EL English Studies Intermediate (906)

HS EL English Intermediate (907)

HS EL English Advanced (908)

HS EL English Transitional (909)

HS EL Resource (910)

HS EL Writing and Content Literacy Studies (911)