Transportation for English Language Learners (ELLs)
Guidance Overview:
City Schools has variable English Language Learner population trends with many low impact neighborhoods. Our overarching goal is to provide targeted language support classes to every identified English Language Learner. There are not English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) staff members at schools with fewer than five identified students, and parents are given the opportunity to transfer their children to schools where they will be offered consistent programming. These are the students who require transportation to the next closest ESOL center school. The purpose of this guidance is to be fiscally responsible in addition to responsive to the needs of English Language Learners. It is necessary for various departments and offices to collaborate and communicate in order to ensure a seamless accessible delivery of services.
Federal Requirement: Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act officially guarantees special instruction for English language learners in public schools; it states that people in the United States cannot be discriminated against based on their country of origin. Expanding this, in Lau v. Nichols, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the Department of Education’s May 25, 1970, Memorandum, which directed school districts to take steps to help ELL students overcome language barriers and to ensure that they participate meaningfully in the districts’ educational programs.
Transportation eligibility:
Transportation is provided for students who meet City Schools standard transportation criteria;
Elementary ESOL students (PK-5) with ESOL proficiency levels 1-4.9, based on intake and annual spring assessment, who live one or more miles from the nearest ESOL center school will be eligible for yellow bus service, or a school to school (corner to corner) route.
1. Students are identified within two weeks of enrollment, using the MSDE required WIDA intake assessment, and test scores reported to the central database.
2. The annual assessment window is from January to February, with results available mid-May.
First year middle grade ESOL students who live more than one and a half miles from their assigned school will be eligible for yellow bus or school to school routed service for one calendar year. Many times, these English Learners are accompanying younger siblings, and may also be vulnerable as new arrivals to the US.
*On a case by case basis, students who have exited from ESOL services may be permitted to receive transportation if there is space on the bus route, and a reason, such as having a sibling still attending the school.
Next steps:
ESOL Program Staff:
· Ensure that new students are identified within 10 days of enrollment and ensure that data points are submitted within this timeframe. Proficiency level scores should be reported to transportation coordinators.
Enrollment, Choice and Transfers Office:
· When reviewing and preparing transfers for ELLs, consider the closest possible school.
· If parents request a school that is not the next closest school, they should be reminded that transportation will not be provided.
· When exited ELL data is received in May of each year, assist with preparation of “transfer back to zoned school” letters for parents.
Family and Community Engagement Office (Communications) :
· Preparation of yearly notice to parents reminding them of various important notices such as:
1. Parents must notify their school and update their home address if they move,
2. Students will not be continued in transportation following meeting ESOL exit criteria, or if they move to a zone with ESOL classes at that school.
Transportation Office:
· Ensure that ESOL students are approved and routed for transportation within 5-10 days of receipt of the request.
· Update ETR database for transparency in reporting, especially with students with multiple reasons and needs.
· Ensure that school based transportation coordinators receive training on applying the following steps.
School Based Transportation Coordinators:
· Receiving schools request transportation for students who meet the transportation criteria.
1. Before entering the student in eTR, consult with the ESOL teacher or verify the score using the LEP application that’s available at http://eweb/LEP. MSDE exit criteria is an overall proficiency level of 5 on the WIDA assessment. Exited students do not meet the criteria for ESOL transportation.
2. Students who have transportation listed on their IEP, or students that are homeless should be coded as “homeless’, or “IEP” and “ESOL” should be noted in the special consideration field in eTR, in addition to the language needed to communicate with the parents.
3. Students who have chosen a school outside of their cluster school (closest ESOL school) are not eligible.
4. Ensure that home language is listed in ETR in order to be able to communicate with parents about bus routes etc.
5. Ensure that information about corner to corner bus routes is communicated with parents via telephonic interpreting service such as CTS language link.