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Edmonton Catholic Schools has experienced a significant increase
of ESL  students
in the district over the past few years. The needs and trends within
this population have changed and as a district we must respond
to:
- increase in students entering our district illiterate in both
English and their first language with interrupted or no schooling
in their first language.
- growing concern in our schools over the need to better understand
the diverse needs of the cultural communities now immigrating
and registering in our schools.
- need for literacy benchmarks for second language acquisition
and professional development for teachers to understand these
benchmarks and how to move students along continuum.
- need to review reception of ESL families into our district/
intake protocol.
- analyze achievement
results, and drop out rates of ESL students in our district.
Trends over the past four years indicate the growing need for
instructional support for our beginner level English language learner.
Research indicates it will take 5-7 years for these children to
acquire the language skills required to successfully complete grade
level appropriate learner outcomes (J. Cummins, 2001). Concern
is with the growing trend of intermediate level students not advancing
to the next stage of literacy development. This has implications
on student achievement.
Our challenge in ECS for the next three years is to provide innovative
programming that develops literacy skills in all content area learning
for the intermediate students as well as BICS (basic interpersonal
communication skills) as quickly as possible. Through professional
development and on going first language support from the Liaison
workers as a team, we can promote increased literacy and fluency
enabling our English language learners to reach the highest level
of English literacy.
ESL
Program Goals:
Assess district need for literacy class for junior
high age appropriate students whose needs surpass the instructional
design of regular ESL programs in the community school.
- Develop criteria for program, benchmarks for entry/exit.
- Develop literacy program based on sound ESL and literacy pedagogical
theory and research.
- Identify, monitor and track progress and student achievement.
- Students would return to the community school once ESL needs
could be met in their community school.
- Utilize data to determine priority areas for resource allocation
and evaluation.
Build instructional capacity, district wide in the
delivery of responsive effective programs for ESL learners.
- Build capacity of both ESL teachers and content
area teachers of best practices that are outcome based,
differentiated and focus on instruction that promote and improve
ESL student achievement in literacy, numeracy and all content
area curricula.
- ESL programming must be based on research, outcome based instruction,
assessment, benchmarks and criteria for identification.
Access and monitor the level of ESL support international
students are receiving district wide.
Provide academic guidelines
for the admission of international
students into Edmonton Catholic
Schools.
Establish district intake protocol for the admission
of all ESL students:
- assess level of first and English language proficiency,
- orient parents in their first language with the assistance
of the Liaison workers to Edmonton Catholic and Canadian education
system,
- provide information on educational expectation and responsibilities
in families first language.
Provide equitable support for Immigration Children
and their families.
- Liaison workers assist school staff to gain a better understanding
of immigrant family needs and their stages of integration into
mainstream Canadian culture.
- Provide appropriate referrals to:
- various community agencies
- government programs
- other settlement and adaptation
services
- work closely with school counselors,
administrators, teachers, school
medical personnel, social workers
and law enforcement officers
to help with educational and
settlement issues.
- Maintain interagency network with: Alberta
Education , Citizenship
and Immigration , Mennonite
Centre for Newcomers , Mill
Woods Welcoming Centre ,
and Catholic
Social Services in
providing support services for immigrant families.
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