English Learner Prg Teacher

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has set ambitious goals to ensure that every child—in every school and every neighborhood—has access to a world-class learning experience from birth, resulting in graduation from high school college- and career-ready. Receiving meaningful access to the Instructional Core through appropriate EL instruction is a key component of Services for English Learners. The ELPT is a leader in the school who supports the administration in strengthening components of those services and guides teachers through continuous practice of improvement of core instruction for ELs.

The ELPT provides native language instruction and support for EL students up to 50% of their schedule.

Overview

The Office of Language and Cultural Education (OLCE) annually asks principals to nominate an English Learner Program Teacher (ELPT). The ELPT should be a teacher leader who supports school leadership in the administration of the EL program. Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) for schools with 20 or more ELs who speak the same home language. Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) for schools with 19 or fewer ELs who speak the same home language. The ELPT leads professional development of teachers regarding English Language Development (ELD) and instruction for English Learners (ELs), and engages parents of ELs to participate in the education of their children.

ELPT Commitments

INSTRUCTIONAL

• Work with administration to support all teachers of ELs. ELPTs must participate in the school ILT representing ELs. Supports may include but are not limited to:

  • Participate in grade level meetings

  • Participate in the MTSS team to plan curriculum/instructional supports and differentiation for ELs and support documentation in Branching Minds

  • Collaborate with bilingual/ESL teachers in aligning instruction with CCSS and WIDA ELD and share current research and best practices around EL instruction with faculty

  • Coach teachers to implement high quality instruction and identify assessment best practices

  • Engage in EL data analysis to inform instruction

• EL instructional priorities include:

  • Provide access to a high-quality curriculum that meets the needs of ELs, including native language instruction across all content areas that is language-proficiency appropriate, grade-level appropriate and standards-aligned (English language development standards: ELD), meaningful, and responsive to their communities and identities.

  • Schools implement a balanced assessment system that includes alignment of the language of instruction with the language of assessments, differentiation and supports for ELs when tested in English, as well as informed decision-making that understands the limitations and information that can be interpreted from assessments given to students who are not yet proficient in English and unable to demonstrate their mastery of content in that language