First Year Placement

If students receive composite scores that are below the Proficient Level on the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) state assessment, they are placed in the Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) program, with a Bilingual component if needed.

Note: Bilingual content courses are offered to Beginning and Intermediate English Language Learners (ELLs) at some sites. We offer bilingual content classes in math, science, social studies, and wellness. Parents are required to come in and sign a waiver in order for the student to participate in a designated bilingual class.

The high schools follow the traditional 55 minute schedule except for one of the sites which has block schedule.

Beginning ELL students are provided SEI instruction in a four period block for English Language Development (ELD) and are then given a math class and an elective for the remaining two periods (Bilingual math will be given to the beginning and/or intermediate student, if available).

Intermediate ELL students are provided SEI instruction in a two period block for English language development and are then mainstreamed in classes such as math, science, and electives.
Note: Beginning in the school year 2007-2008, intermediate students will also be in a Read 180 block.

All other ELL students are provided SEI instruction in one period (EL Sophomore English or EL Junior English) and are then mainstreamed in classes such as math, science, and electives.

In the SEI time block, students receive instruction in ELD based on the AZ ELL Proficiency Standards and 9-12 grade content based on the AZ K-12 Language Arts Academic Standards. All first year ELL students are placed in the first year SEI block without taking into consideration their high school grade levels. The teacher must be highly qualified in English and have an ESL, Bilingual, or SEI endorsement. The mainstream classes are taught using SEI strategies in order to support student learning.

English language learners are provided a variety of additional instructional support services. These additional instructional services offered in the Tolleson Union High School District #214 include before and after school tutoring, in class language support from paraprofessionals, summer immersion, summer school, and P.A.S.S. through our Migrant program to make up deficiencies.

In mainstream classes taught solely in English, ELLs are provided language support through the services of paraprofessionals who work directly with the students in the classroom. Instruction is provided individually or in small group along with the teacher in order to extend, clarify, or model the learned academic skill.

Parents play a key role in their children’s education. Parents are informed of all available instructional services and are contacted when a need is determined for their children’s successful academic achievement.

Class size (Student/Teacher Ratio) and Use of Paraprofessional

Class size is 20-23 students to one SEI/ESL/Bilingual-Endorsed teacher during the SEI instructional blocks.

The use of paraprofessionals is limited to assist ELL students in content area classrooms if needed.

Entry Criteria

Students are identified immediately, using enrollment ELL questions and a Home Language Survey in order to be designated as a student with Primary Home Language Other Than English (PHLOTE). The Home Language Survey completion timeline:

If receiving Title III funds:

English answered on all questions: Student is not considered a PHLOTE and requires no ELL assessments.

Language Other Than English answered on one or more questions:

Note: All students are placed in ELL classrooms based on additional information such as Gates reading test, Shining Star Placement test, Writing Sample, interview, and teacher recommendation, until scores are received from Harcourt.

Students must have a composite performance level of pre-emergent, emergent, basic, or intermediate on the AZELLA state assessment in order to be placed in a SEI classroom.

Exit Criteria

Students must have a composite performance level of proficient on the AZELLA state assessment to indicate they are ready to exit the program and ELL status. Once students have scored proficient on the initial AZELLA state assessment, they will be placed in their appropriate grade level mainstream classrooms.

Second Year Placement and Determination of Class Composition

Students who have not attained proficiency on the AZELLA state assessment are provided with an enrichment summer immersion program and are placed in a second year SEI block with Read 180. They are placed in mainstream content area classes or electives for the remainder of their schedule.

In the SEI time block, students receive instruction in English language development based on the AZ ELL Proficiency Standards and 9-12 grade content based on the AZ K-12 Language Arts Academic Standards. All first year ELL students are placed in the first year SEI block without taking into consideration their high school grade levels. The teacher must be highly qualified in English and have an ESL, Bilingual, or SEI endorsement. The mainstream classes provide instruction using SEI strategies in order to support student learning.

Mainstream Classroom

ELLs who have been reclassified and are considered proficient are placed in mainstream classrooms where they will be monitored for two years. The law defines the mainstream classroom as a classroom “in which the students either are native English language speakers or already have acquired reasonable fluency in English.” (ARS 15-751, Definitions 3.)

After two years of SEI instruction in the time blocks and failure to achieve proficiency on the AZELLA test, ELLs are placed in a two semester third year English Language Sophomore 5-6 class and/or English Language Junior 7-8 class. By the end of year three, all ELLs are mainstreamed into junior year content classes and monitored up to two years.