Providing students services and tools for academic success
How do we serve linguistically-diverse students?
With over 60 languages spoken in Poudre School District, the Department of Language, Culture & Equity’s English Language Development (ELD) program serves our linguistically-diverse student population with instruction based on both the Colorado Academic Standards and Colorado English Language Proficiency frameworks. ELD program options include indirect service, direct service, bilingual/dual language (Spanish/English at select schools), and Newcomer (at Lincoln Middle School, Boltz Middle School, Fort Collins High School and Poudre High School). We also partner with E.L. Achieve to deliver a curriculum that gives each English language learner the tools they need for academic success.
In the 2018-2019 school year, the PSD ELD Program and its wonderful teachers were honored to receive the English Language Proficiency Act Excellence Award from the Colorado Department of Education! This distinction is awarded to districts who demonstrate the highest English language and academic growth among English learners and the highest content achievement for English learners who have transitioned out of the English language development program.
How are English language learners identified?
The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights requires every school district to identify the primary language of their students. Federal and state funding for ELD programs relies on accurate identification and English language proficiency assessment of English language learners.
As part of the PSD enrollment process, parents complete a Home Language and Student Housing Survey (Español version) for their child. State and federal regulations require that schools identify and report the languages spoken and heard by each child in the home, and determine eligibility for Immigrant, Migrant, Refugee or McKinney education services.
If parents indicate that a language other than English is spoken by the child and/or in the home, an ELD staff member will screen the language portion of the survey and fill out an ELD Student Eligibility Checklist. A staff member will conduct a Home Language interview with a parent or guardian to determine if the student needs to take the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT) or WIDA Screener, which assesses English development levels and is used to determine eligibility for ELD programs.
All ELD programs provide every English language learner with equal and meaningful access to all educational opportunities in PSD. ELD program specialists are available to assist families with ELD programs and opportunities.