Bilingual and World Languages
Northport-East Northport UFSD provides world language instruction in Italian, Spanish, and French 7-12 and English as a New Language (ENL) instruction for ELLs K-12. This assistance will be provided in all formats (live-person, hybrid, or remote).
Support of English language learners (ELLs) will be comprehensive, high-quality, and culturally responsive. If we reopen using in-person or hybrid instruction we will complete the ELL identification process within 30 school days of the start of the school year for all students who enrolled during COVID-19 school closures in 2019-2020, as well as all students who enroll during summer of 2020 and during the first 20 school days of the 2020-2021 school year. After this 20 day flexibility period, identification of ELLs will resume for all students within the required 10 school days of initial enrollment as required by Commissioner’s Regulations Part 154.
Northport-East Northport UFSD is committed to comprehensive, high-quality, and culturally responsive instruction for ENL students, we will provide the required instructional Units of Study to all ELLs based on their most recently measured English language proficiency level during in-person or hybrid instruction. Further, we will maintain regular communication with the parents/guardians and other family members of ELLs to ensure that they are engaged in their children’s education during the reopening process which includes telephone contact, text messages, social media, emails and regular mail in their preferred language. We will provide all communications for parents/guardians of ELLs in their preferred language and mode of communication. We utilize Propio translation services to assist with translation services. This service can translate live conversations as well as documents.
ELL students will be provided with 1:1 computing devices so that they are able to complete their work during remote or hybrid models. Training opportunities for students and parents/guardians will be provided to ensure that the students are able to utilize the technology effectively while working at home.
Northport-East Northport UFSD will provide professional learning opportunities for our district that support best practices and equitable instruction for ELLs as well as general education students to help address learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 school closures. The district also has access to the Western Suffolk BOCES Professional Learning Catalog to support teachers to assure ENL is personalized and research-based.
In order to assure that students have opportunities to study world languages we are prepared to teach Italian, Spanish, and French in the live in-person, hybrid, or remote format upon reopening. With the support of Western Suffolk BOCES, we will provide professional learning opportunities to our district and the region that supports best practices in all three formats of instruction and provide equitable instruction for our ELLs, SWDs, and general education students who are studying world languages such as Italian, Spanish, or French to help address learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 school closures.
Through using our district and BOCES resources, we are well prepared to reopen our schools and serve ELLs, and students learning world languages as they expand their skills, knowledge, and language acquisition.