Supporting Students

 

Academic Staff

EL Collaborative Teacher

Our Noblesville EL Collaborative Teachers collaborate closely with all classroom and subject area teachers through discussions and coaching to help support both our language learners and our teachers. Our goal is to foster success and growth in English proficiency in the classroom by providing support (guidance) to the classroom teachers and learners alike. EL Collaborative Teachers encourage communication and collaboration between native English speakers and English learners in the classroom, realizing(valuing) the important contributions English learners bring to the classroom. EL Collaborative Teachers also support Tier 1 instruction and language development and access to the academic learning that takes place in the classroom.

Our EL Collaborative Teacher fosters relationships with EL families and connects them to our NS Community,  realizing they are an important cornerstone of their student’s success. 

EL Instructor

The English Learner Instructor provides direct support to English Learners in order to assist in language acquisition.  These direct services are typically within the classroom where the EL instructor works side by side to support both social and academic language development.  The EL instructor teams with the EL Collaborative teacher to analyze data to determine which students are supported based on language development proficiencies.  The EL Instructor contributes to collaborative team conversation within PLC’s, grade level team meetings, and the EL Collaborative teacher team.  Additionally, the EL Instructor provides assistance to the EL Collaborative Teacher in screening new students and proctoring the annual WIDA assessment.  The EL Instructor fosters a positive relationship with both EL students and their families by assisting with family engagement opportunities.

Bilingual Family Liaison

The Bilingual Liaison communicates with parents on behalf of the school district or individual school (e.g. attendance and homework issues, available programs/services, upcoming workshops) for the purpose of ensuring that an ongoing partnership between the home and school is formed. The BL assists in registration of new or enrolling bilingual families, coordinates and interprets parent meetings and conferences, and connects families with information or resources to enhance their experience within our Noblesville Schools community. 

Home Language Survey

Schools are required to administer a Home Language Survey to identify the native language(s) of all first time Indiana enrollees. In most cases, this will be students enrolling in kindergarten, but may also include out-of-state or immigrant students in other grades who are enrolling in Indiana schools for the first time. For students who are transferring from an Indiana school, school staff will contact the previous school to obtain the original Home Language Survey. If a language other than English is indicated for any of the three Home Language Survey questions, the student is considered to be a language minority student and needs to be assessed for initial proficiency with the WIDA Screener (or W-APT for kindergarten and first-semester first-grade students).

World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA)

Noblesville Schools utilizes WIDA English Language Development Standards. WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high-quality standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators. By focusing on what language learners can do, Noblesville educators understand that our students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds contribute to the vibrancy of our school. 

For more information on WIDA go here.