ESL Identification and Services (English as a Second Language)

 ESL (English Second Language)

A Language Minority student is a student whose native, dominant, or home language is a language other than English.  They are still considered to be a Language Minority student, even if they are proficient in the English language.

A Limited English Proficient (LEP) student is a Language Minority student whose proficiency in reading, writing, listening, or speaking in English is below that of their peers.  

 The district enrollment form includes residency information that assists in determining if the student is ESL. De Soto School District currently has one Language Minority student and five LEP students.  Districts that have more than twenty ESL students enrolled must have a full-time, certified ESL/Bilingual teacher.  Our district is required to keep track of all ESL students that are enrolled, determine the individual needs of each student, and provide differentiated instruction with appropriate language assessments. 

 All ESL students are assessed with the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT) for ESL students to determine English proficiency and given the ACCESS test to evaluate continued need and progress.  The district complies with all regulations set by DESE.