Falling Creek Elementary School is fortunate to have a diverse student population from many language and cultural backgrounds. The English Learner (EL) population at FCES is approximately one-third of the total school enrollment.
Program Mission Statement
Every English Learner, Always, in ALL ways!
Program Vision Statement
We are committed to meeting the individual needs of our English Learners by ensuring equitable access to engaging, high-quality, and rigorous instruction. We empower our ELs to be global citizens who are linguistically, socially, and culturally equipped for success in school and beyond
Program Description
The Language Instruction Education Program (LIEP) in Chesterfield County Public Schools is an English immersion program, which serves students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Criteria for entry, progress, and exit are based on student’s level of English language proficiency as measured by performance on research-based standardized statewide assessments. ESL instruction is available to English learners. ESL instruction incorporates Chesterfield County Public Schools curriculum, Virginia Standards of Learning, and WIDA’s English Language Development Standards. Instruction for English Learners emphasizes the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English. ESL instruction includes a variety of best practices that integrate language and content. Parent and family support is provided through outreach programs that address topics such as U.S. school culture, literacy, ways to be active participants in their communities, and English language development. Interpreter and translator services are available to CCPS schools. Funding is provided by CCPS and Title III, Part A under ESEA and as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.
Purpose of Program
The purpose of the ESL Program is to provide:
- Sheltered, collaborative, and direct instruction to English Learners
- Monitoring of student progress in English language development and academic success
- Professional development to ESL and mainstream teachers for working with English Learners
- Individualized support and consultation to school personnel regarding English Learners
- Communication, collaboration, and dissemination of information to English Learner stakeholders
- Resources and opportunities for community and school engagement for parents who are English Learners
- Outreach programs to empower parents of ELs to become decision makers and advocates for their children’s education.
Goals of the Program
The LIEP program prepares English Learners to thrive, linguistically, culturally, and academically in the mainstream. The ESL program in CCPS is based on current research which supports learning language through content. Through collaboration, ESL and mainstream teachers use sheltered instruction strategies to help non-native speakers of English develop the language and content skills necessary for success in the 21st century.