In compliance with Illinois School Code (23 IL Admin Code 228.15), all parents/guardians of students new to the district will complete a Home Language Survey.  When this survey indicates a language other than English is spoken in the home, the district is required to screen the student (within 30 days of enrollment) for English proficiency.

Parents/guardians will receive notification regarding their child's English proficiency and the recommended programming and placement.  All parents/guardians of ELLs receive annual notification of enrollment in Bilingual/ELL programs.  Parents/guardians who do not wish for their child to be enrolled in Bilingual/ELL programs must provide a letter stating the refusal of services. 

All students who are ELLs must take the ACCESS test annually (in January). This test is designed to measure students' proficiency and progress in English.  Students must score a minimum of 4.8 (of a possible 6) on the ACCESS in order to exit ELL programs. 

Students who are eligible for English language instruction services (English Language Learners, or ELLs) have the following options:

Kindergarten and 1st grade: Sheltered bilingual classrooms for Spanish speaking students.

2nd -5th grades: Sheltered ELL classrooms for students of various linguistic backgrounds.

K-5th grade: Newcomer programming (students are in general education classrooms, but receive pull out English language instruction from an ESL teacher).

6th-8th grades: ELLs are placed into 1 of 4 categories (level 1, 2, 3 or 4).  ELLs at levels 1 and 2 receive 2 periods of English language and literacy instruction, 1 period of ESL Social Studies and 1 period of ESL Science.  ELLs at levels 3 and 4 receive 2 periods of English language and literacy instruction and are placed in general Social Studies and Science classes.

Each of our 3 buildings is equipped with full time Arabic and Assyrian speaking teacher aides to assist students who need linguistic support in Arabic and/or Assyrian in order to be most successful.