South Carolina ML Educator Network

Who qualifies as a Multilingual Learner (ML)?

To fulfill the requirement of ESEA section 3113(b)(2), South Carolina school districts are required to identify students whose home language is one other than English for potential English language development eligibility.
The Home Language Survey (HLS) is a legally binding document that is administered once at initial enrollment in South Carolina schools.

The following questions are asked on the HLS (embedded in Section II of the Enrollment Survey):

1. What is the language that the student first acquired?

PowerSchool field: Language First Acquired

2. What language(s) is spoken most often by the student?

PowerSchool field: Language Spoken Most Often

3. What is the primary language used in the home, regardless of the language spoken by the student?

PowerSchool field: Primary Home language

These three questions are used to determine if the student will participate in step two of the

identification process—ELP screening. If a language other than English is indicated for any of

the three questions above, the student must participate in the ELP screening. Sign languages,

including American Sign Language (ASL), are considered a language other than English. If

included on the HLS, the student should participate in ELP screening.

Who qualifies as a Newcomer?

The U.S. Department of Education defines newcomers as "any foreign-born students and their families who have recently arrived in the United States." They require more extensive support in order reach their academic goals, while integrating into a new cultural society and navigating a school system where the language and processes may be differnt than what they are familiar with. Many school districts consider MLs newcomers if they have received instruction in the U.S. for less than 2 years, though it varies by state and district.

What is an ILAP ?

The South Carolina Department of Education ESOL Guiding Principles state that an Individualized Language Acquisition Plan (ILAP) is a legally binding document that provides information about an ML and the support they must receive in order to have "meaningful and equal access to the curriuculm." The ILAP provides guidance on best practices and allowable accommodations for MLs. Every ML with an English Proficiency between 1.0 and 6.0 must have an ILAP, even if the student does not require accommodations. ILAPs must be signed by each teacher providing instruction to MLs.

What accommodations are allowed by SC?

An accommodation changes how information and concepts are presented or practiced ensuring that each student has the opportunities and support needed to learn. Accommodations do not reduce the learning expectations and should be chosen based on the student’s individual needs and not applied arbitrarily to all MLs. Accommodations are not to be viewed as an advantage to the student; accommodations provide access to the content for the student.

Accommodations:

Provide access to grade-level curriculum;
Alter the environment, not the curriculum;
Do not change the learning outcomes;
Happen in the content-area classroom; and
Should not impact grading, though how learning is assessed may change.

What is WIDA?

WIDA is a U.S. based consortium made up of 42 states and housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. WIDA drives the research around multilingual leaners and "is dedicated to the research, design and implementation of a high-quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate system to support English language learners in K-12 contexts." Learn more on our WIDA page here.

How do I use the Can Do Descriptors in my classroom?

The WIDA Can Do Descriptors help educators differentiate instruction and assessments to meet the needs of MLs in their classrooms. The WIDA Can Do Philosophy highlights the belief that ALL students bring cultural, linguistic, and experiential assets to the learning environment. These Can Do documents describe what each ML can do with language at each level of English proficiency.

What are the best ways to support my MLs?

MLs will enter your class with varying levels of English fluency and varying needs that must be met to obtain equitable access to the curriculum. Some of the best ways to support your MLs, though, ring true regardless of the varying levels of language proficiency:

Establish a welcoming environment for your MLs!
Learn to pronounce your MLs' names correctly.
Learn about your ML and their background.
Establish a collaborative relationship with the ESOL teacher at your school.
Understand your MLs' level of English proficiency. (Review the expectations based on Can Do descriptors for their level of proficiency.)
Review and understand your MLs' ILAP and accommodations. (Communicate with your school's ESOL teacher if you have questions.)
Incorporate best practices and provide the required accommodations during instruction as well as assessments. Below are a few quick best practices, but you can see the full list of best practices and accommodations here.
1. Use visuals and gestures.
2. Pre-teach key vocabulary.
3. Chunk assignments into manageable tasks.
4. Communicate with the ESOL teacher in your building if the accommodations are not supporting your ML adequately.
And, in case it wasn't obvious already...communicate with the ESOL teacher at your school! They can provide you with support on differentiating, scaffolding, and designing instruction that makes the curriculum accessible to your MLs.

Watch this video for great tips on working with Newcomer MLs.

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