Community Consolidated School District 146

• 31% of families in District 146 call a language other than English their home language. The top three languages spoken are Arabic, Spanish, and Polish. All together, 27  different languages are spoken in District 146.
• 15% of students in District 146 qualified for EL / Bilingual services.  Of those students, 53% of them speak Arabic, 28% speak Spanish, and the rest (19%) speak another language.
• 7% of all students in District 146 were born outside of the United States in one of 18 different countries around the world.

1. When an attendance center has an enrollment of 20 or more English learners of the same language classification, the school district must establish a transitional bilingual education (TBE) program for each language classification represented by those students. A further assessment of those students to determine their specific programmatic needs or for placement in either a full-time or a part- time program may be conducted. This applies only to students enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12 in an attendance center.
2. When an attendance center has an enrollment of 19 or fewer English learners of any single language classification other than English, the school district shall conduct an individual student language assessment to determine each student's need for home language instruction and may provide a transitional bilingual program in the languages other than English common to these students. If the district elects not to provide a transitional bilingual program, the district shall provide a locally determined transitional program of instruction (TPI) for those students. This applies only to students enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12 in an attendance center.

District 146 offers both TBE programs and TPI programs based on the school’s enrollment. 

Initial Identification

When families register their children with District 146 for the first time, one of the papers they fill out is a Home Language Survey. This Survey asks two questions:

1. Is a language other than English spoken in your home?
2. Does your child speak a language other than English?

If the answer to either of these questions is "Yes" then the student must be assessed for English language proficiency. This is generally done within the first few weeks of a child attending school. 
 

English Language Proficiency Screening

If a student has been identified through the Home Language Survey as needing to be screened for English Proficiency, then ELL / Bilingual staff in the student's school will screen the child with one of the following screening tools:

A student may be exempted from screening if one of the following is verified:

• If the student comes with ACCESS scores or screening scores from their previous district then those scores will be used for placement in place of screening. The scores must be from the most recent school year.
• If the student has previously met the State of Illinois's exit requirements from EL programs.
• If the student meets ALL of this criteria:
  • Resides in a home where language other than English is spoken, AND
  • Has not previously been screened or identified as an English learner, AND
  • Has been in general education classes in their previous school, AND
  • Has been performing at or above grade level as evidenced by having met or exceeded Illinois Learning Standards in reading and math on the student's most recent State Assessment, or a nationally normed standardized test as long as the student did not receive any English learner accommodations.

If the student is determined to be "not proficient" then the student is eligible for placement into an ELL / Bilingual program that is most appropriate for their needs.

Waiving Services: Parents who wish to waive ESL / Bilingual services for their students must submit a signed letter indicating that they do not want ESL services for their students.  Please see Parent Resources for additional information on parent rights and waiving ESL / Bilingual services.

Additional Screening/Assessment

In order to determine the appropriate program or level of services within a program, students may receive additional screening.  

All students from Kindergarten through 8th grade will be assessed for their Fountas and Pinnell reading level. This F&P screening helps ELL / Bilingual staff to know the student's current reading level and guides instruction.

If a child speaks Spanish, then they will be assessed using the LAS in order to determine their Spanish proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. The level and intensity of bilingual Spanish supports that the child will receive will be guided by this information.

If a child speaks Arabic, they will be assessed using a district-developed assessment in order to determine their Arabic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing.  The level and intensity of bilingual Arabic supports that the child will receive will be guided by this information.

English Proficiency Assessments

In order to ensure that all English Learners in District 146 are making adequate progress in acquiring academic English and increasing English language proficiency, the school district uses the following assessments and resources.

ACCESS for ELLs
The ACCESS test is a secure English language proficiency test given annually to all students in grades K-12 who have been identified as English Learners (ELs). Students are assessed in the four language domains of Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The ACCESS test is only administered during the annual test window for the state of Illinois. Based on the results of this assessment, the student will be assigned an English proficiency level. That level will be used to determine what EL Support services the student will receive at his/her school.

Students whose parents have waived English learner services are still required by the State of Illinois to take the ACCESS test annually until they demonstrate sufficient English proficiency.

Alternate ACCESS for ELLs
The Alternate ACCESS for ELLs is a secure English language proficiency test given annually to students in grades 1-12 who have been identified as ELs and have significant cognitive disabilities that limit their participation in the standard ACCESS test.

Students are assessed in the four language domains of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The Alternate ACCESS test is only administered during the annual ACCESS test window for the state of Illinois. Based on the results of this assessment, the student will be assigned an English proficiency level. That level will be used to determine what EL Support services the student will receive at his/her school.

WIDA Screener for Kindergarten
WIDA Screener for Kindergarten is an individually administered paper-and-pencil test that helps educators identify students as English learners (ELs). It is typically given to students one time when they enter your school or district as they start Kindergarten or first grade.

WIDA Screener Online
WIDA Screener Online is an English language proficiency assessment given to new students in grades 1–12 to help educators identify whether they are English learners (ELs). It is available for free to WIDA Consortium members.

Pre-IPT
The Pre-IPT (IDEA Proficiency Test) measures the English proficiency of pre-Kindergarten students. District 146 uses this test as a screening test to identify and place pre-K students in EL programs.  If the results of this placement test show that the student needs English language support, he/she will be placed in an appropriate English learning program.

LAS Links Español
The LAS Links Español is used to assess students' Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills in Spanish. This assessment is used as a screening tool in order to help identify those students who may need additional native language support in order to access the content being taught in English only classrooms.  Only those students from a Spanish language background are screened using this assessment.

District 146 Arabic Assessment
The District 146 Arabic Assessment is used to assess students' Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills in Arabic. This assessment is used as a screening tool in order to help identify those students who may need additional native language support in order to access the content being taught in English only classrooms. Only those students from an Arabic language background are screened using this assessment. EL / Bilingual program staff pay particular attention to dialectical differences and take these into consideration when assessing students.

Fountas & Pinnell Levels
All students in District 146 are assessed using the Fountas & Pinnell Levels in order to help determine a child's English reading comprehension level. This assessment is used to ensure that children are being appropriately challenged and supported as they learn to read and develop their reading skills. Our EL / Bilingual staff use the results of this assessment in order to help guide decisions about appropriate differentiation and to help with targeting specific skills.

ACCESS 2.0

The state of Illinois uses the ACCESS 2.0 assessment annually to determine the language-based support services your English Learner (EL) needs. ACCESS 2.0 was recently changed to align with Illinois’ college-and-career readiness standards. Illinois has increased expectations for language use on ACCESS 2.0 to meet these standards. ACCESS 2.0 composite score of 4.8 is needed to exit EL classification. Once your child has met exit criteria, you will receive a written notification from your child’s school. 

Dual Eligible students are those students who qualify for English Learner (EL) / Bilingual services and Special Education services. The level of EL / Bilingual services that a student will receive is determined in a student's IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting by EL staff, Special Education staff, parents, and any other specialist that may be part of that student's IEP team.  

​The EL / Bilingual teachers and Special Ed teachers will then meet to determine how services will be implemented in such a way as to ensure that the student receives both services, as mandated by state and federal law.

All Dual Eligible students, including those whose parents have waived EL services, will take the ACCESS test on a yearly basis as mandated by state law.  Accommodations listed on the student's IEP will be followed during ACCESS administration.  In some cases, students may take the Alternate ACCESS in place of the ACCESS test depending on the severity of their disability. 

Dual Eligible students must meet the same Exit Criteria that is used for all English Learners in order to no longer qualify for English Learner / Bilingual services.

Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC)

A Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) is required to be established in school districts that have Transitional Bilingual Education programs (20 or more English Learners from the same language background). The BPAC represents the interests of English learner (EL) students in Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) program(s), their parents, and community members of a school district. Its purpose is to ensure the district recognizes their voices and acts to meet their needs.

This committee’s role is advisory; it focuses on helping bilingual parents and community members better understand how bilingual programming works so they may advocate for the academic needs of their students. Additionally, it offers a detailed overview of the bilingual programs available, provides access to important resources, and encourages continued involvement in the school district. Through such efforts, a BPAC can strengthen a community’s investment in the outcomes related to EL students in TBE program(s). 

For more information on BPAC, 
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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why does my child need English learner (EL) services?
   EL / Bilingual services are important to supporting the student in their regular classes in English. This support helps the student’s acquisition of academic English in the areas of math, science, social studies, and language arts, which is important for continued academic achievement. EL / Bilingual services are provided through a pull-out and push-in model. 
2. How do I know if my child needs EL / Bilingual services?
   Every child who enrolls for the first time in District 146 is given a Home Language Survey. If the parent notes that the family speaks a language other than English at home, or that the child speaks a language other than English, we will assess the child’s English language proficiency with a screening test. If the results of this test show that the child needs English Learner services, he/she will be placed in a program.
3. My child speaks English very well; he/she talks to friends all the time in English, and watches TV and movies in English, so why does he/she still need EL services?
   Your child may speak English very well in certain types of social situations, but may need additional support in order to learn academic vocabulary needed for reading and writing in English at advanced levels. Academic English takes much more time to acquire and master than social language. For this reason we strongly encourage parents to keep their children in EL / Bilingual programming until they no longer need services as determined by yearly ACCESS testing.
4. What is the ACCESS test?
   The ACCESS test is an English language proficiency assessment given to Kindergarten through 12th graders who have been identified as English Learners (ELs). It is given annually in January and February to monitor students' progress in acquiring academic English. Based on the results of this assessment your child will be assigned an English proficiency level. That level will be used to determine what EL / Bilingual support services your child needs or they will be exited from the ELL / Bilingual program. You will receive a copy of your child's ACCESS scores each year. See the Assessment and Testing page for more information.
5. How long will it take to exit from EL / Bilingual services?
   It is difficult to predict how long a student will take in order to reach English proficiency. Research shows that it may take from 5 to 10 years, depending on the child. Every student is different and will progress at different rates.
6. Can my child receive Special Education and EL / Bilingual services at the same time?
   Yes.  All special education students who are also eligible for EL / Bilingual services receive both as mandated by state and federal law. For more information, please see the Dual Eligibility page.

District 146 Family Support Specialists offer assistance to our District families in a variety of areas and may be of particular help in transitioning new families into our school community. Support can be in place on a short-term basis or a long-term basis, and can be tailored to the needs of each individual family.

Examples of some supports and services that can be provided to families are as follows: 
Assistance with registration online or in-person, including residency requirements.
Translation (Arabic or Spanish) both written and verbal.
Communicating with teachers and staff regarding student / family needs.
Accessing community resources, such as affordable housing, financial assistance, internet access, healthcare, or mental health services.
Family consultation and / or home visits to support school or home routines.
Building parent engagement and parent education opportunities.
Goal setting for families and students to maintain a positive school experience.
To request assistance from a Family Support Specialist, please complete the form below.

English Request
Arabic Request
Spanish Request