English Learner Education Program
Welcome to our ELE Home Page!
Beverly Public Schools has an established K-12 English Learner Education (ELE) program that proudly serves the diverse linguistic needs of our multilingual students. We believe that the cultural and linguistic experiences of our students are assets from which to develop as a learner in our school and greater community. We also believe that the connection between home and school is essential to fostering a positive learning experience for students, so we greatly appreciate your support in your child’s education.
If you would like to learn more about our ELE program and services, or have any specific questions, please review the district ELE Program Guidelines or contact Caitlyn Bellezza for more information.
Caitlyn Bellezza
Director of English Learner Education
978-921-6100 x21120
What is an EL?
English learners, or ELs, are students who are learning and improving their English skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. ELs may come from non-English speaking homes or homes where English is spoken in addition to the families’ native language. ELs may be born in the United States or they may be born in another country. In order to successfully access the grade-level curriculum, ELs require explicit English instruction in addition to their classroom work, which is provided by an English as Second Language (ESL) teacher.
How are students identified as English Learners?
All students enrolling in the Beverly Public Schools must have a completed Home Language Survey in their registration documents. Based on this form, along with any discussions with the family, students who are identified as coming from a family that speaks a language other than English are screened to determine their English language proficiency.
If your child is identified as an English Learner (EL), he/she is provided with English as a Second Language (ESL) services as part of our English Learner Education (ELE) program. ESL services are available at all five of our elementary schools as well as our middle and high schools and these services occur during the regular school day.
What is the instructional model?
The ELE program recognizes that your child has many strengths and that these strengths may include your child’s first language, culture, previous schooling, and family support. The program also recognizes that acquiring the English language is essential to realizing one’s potential in our English-speaking society. The goals of our ELE program support this necessity and are as follows;
- To provide a welcoming and supportive environment where students feel free to take risks and explore the English language.
- To facilitate the rapid acquisition of English language development so that students may participate fully in all general education activities.
- To facilitate the development of English language skills and comprehension in the areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing.
The ELE program provides ESL instruction from Kindergarten through Grade 12 and utilizes the Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) model with sheltered content instruction (SCI) in the classroom and English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction delivered by a licensed ESL teacher. ESL instructional time depends on the student’s English language proficiency level (ranging from a WIDA Level 1 - Beginner to a Level 6- Reaching/Proficient speaker) and instructional service delivery will take place in small pull-out and/or general classroom push-in groups using a co-teach model.
Image excerpted from MA DESE Quick Reference Guide: Pull-Out ESL
Overview of Systems Available to Assist Limited English Proficient (LEP) Parents
Beverly Public Schools is committed to providing equitable access to information for all students and families in the public school district. To view the most frequently used methods and systems accessed by district personnel to support Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents of all native languages represented in the district’s public school system, please see the following document:
Overview of Available Systems '22-'23
Translations using Google Translate are provided in Arabic, Albanian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Massachusetts Curriculum Guides and Parent-Teacher Conference Resource
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has developed a resource to help family members understand the curriculum standards for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Click on the grade-level link to access the resource in various languages.
The ELE Team has developed a Family Member’s Guide to Parent-Teacher Conferences resource. Click on the link to view the resource in the preferred language.
BHS EL & FEL Resource Site (See the side bar to launch the site!)
We are very excited to share our newest EL and FEL resource at the high school, the BHS EL & FEL Resource Google Site. This site was developed as an informational resource for English learners, former English learners and their families. It includes information like:
- ESL and core course explanations
- Graduation requirements
- Information about higher level academic courses
- Services offered at our school
- Applications in home languages for various school services such as our laptop program
- Information about extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs
- Important events and milestones based on year in high school
- Outreach opportunities and public services offered in the Beverly community
The goal of this resource is to provide multilingual students and their families with essential information to help them make the most of their high school experience. Check often for updates!
OLA Program Updates for 2021-2022
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has added a Family Resources page to their English Learner Education section of the website. This section includes information about supporting refugee and immigrant families and may be found here.