Philosophy

A student’s primary language and prior experiences set a firm foundation for learning.

Because both native and second languages interact, our district acknowledges the rich, elaborate first language experience.

An understanding and proficiency in more than one language will benefit our students as they move towards realizing the attributes outlined in the D102 Portrait of a Graduate.

Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee

New Families to D102 and the United States

FACE to FACE

District 102 celebrates its diversity and multilingual population of parents and students. Our goal is to provide rich, engaging learning environments for all learners. If a student speaks a language other than English in his/her home and qualifies for additional support, D102 offers English Learners (EL) services through two program models: Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) and Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI).

Language Programs

TBE programs are offered in Russian, Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu at Pritchett; in Russian, Telugu, Spanish, and Hindi at Tripp; in Russian and Hindi (EC) at Meridian, and in Spanish and Russian at AJHS. TBE is a program model that is defined by the State of Illinois as required for groups of 20 or more children from the same language group who attend the same school and who have been identified as needing EL services.

TPI programs are offered at Prichett, Tripp, Meridian, and Aptakisic Junior High. TPI is a program model that serves students who are in a school attended by 19 or fewer students of the same language group who qualify for EL services. These teachers build student language and literacy skills, as well as pre-teach concepts and vocabulary aligned to the curriculum in the English language.

Bilingual Spanish Kindergarten at Tripp

Students who speak Spanish at home may participate in a full day Spanish Kindergarten program at Tripp School in which they learn to read and write in both Spanish and English. If your family speaks Spanish and are interested in the program please contact David Castañeda at dcastaneda@d102.org.

Los estudiantes hispanohablantes pueden participar en un programa bilingüe para Kinder en la escuela Tripp. En este programa, los estudiates aprenden a leer y escribir en ambos inglés y español. Si su familia habla español y tiene interés en este programa, puede contactarse a David Castañeda a dcastaneda@d102.org.

When families register a child for school, they complete a Home Language Survey. If a student speaks a second language in the home, our TBE and/or TPI teachers will begin the screening process.

Screening Process

Home Language Survey
Screener tools- ACCESS Screener (grades 1-8), Pre-IPT (EC), WIDA- MODEL (K), Native Language
Screener (TBE only)

Notification of Eligibility

If a student qualifies for the program, D102 will notify the family in writing. The letter will indicate how the child scored on the English Language proficiency screener and what program is being offered.

Students vary in their English language proficiency, which ranges from level 1 through 6. Students will use materials aligned to the curriculum at all levels.

• Entering – Level 1

• Beginning- Level 2

• Developing- Level 3

• 
Expanding- Level 4

• Bridging- Level 5

• Reaching- Level 6

Pull-out Instruction

Typically these students ranges are in the levels of 1, 2, and 3 and are pulled out of the Language Arts block to work with the TBE/TPI teachers on skills to enhance their English language proficiency. During this time, the teachers work on reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

Push-in Instruction

The TBE/TPI teacher will push-in to a classroom during Language Arts, Science, and/or Social Studies for students with higher proficiency, in the upper 3, 4, and 5 levels. The TBE/TPI teacher will assist the general education teacher with the EL clusters/groups within the classroom. These EL students are on their way to exiting the program, so the support may look different than it does for levels 1, 2, and 3.

Co-teaching

The TBE/TPI teachers collaborate with the classroom teacher to plan instruction that targets the need of the English Learners within the classroom. English support is flexibly provided in a variety of ways by both the classroom teacher and the TBE/TPI teacher. This kind of support is provided for students of all levels of English language proficiency. How do students exit from TBE and TPI programs? English Learners who meet the State of Illinois criteria on the ACCESS test can exit the program. To meet this criterion, a student must earn at least an overall composite proficiency level of 4.8. In D102 we believe that bilingualism is an asset and encourage students to continue to pursue proficiency in multiple languages as part of their academic journey.

Bilingual Parent Events

August 13, 2024 @ 7pm

New Parent Night at Meridian School

November 12, 2024 @ 6:30pm

Library Night at Vernon Area Library

February 4, 2025

Learning through Games at AJHS Library

March 19, 2025

Cultural Fair

D102 School Concert Provides Opportunity for All Students

Third-grade student’s desire to sing propels her to learn English.