Division of ESOL/Bilingual Programs → Curriculum and Instruction → ESOL in High School

ESOL in High School

The English For Speakers of Other Languages program at the high school level enrolls linguistically and culturally diverse secondary students who require intensive English language instruction and orientation to a new cultural and academic environment. ESOL students in Grades 9-12 receive ESOL services at an Intensive English Language Center (IELC) which is part of a high school. ESOL students receive daily English language development instruction from an ESOL teacher. The amount of daily ESOL instruction varies according to the level of English language proficiency with those at the lowest level of English language proficiency receiving the most intervention.

• Beginning students in ESOL Level 1 receive three ESOL classes daily.
• Beginning students in ESOL Level 2 receive two ESOL classes daily.
• Intermediate students in Level 3 and Level 4, as well as Advanced students in Level 5 receive one ESOL class daily.  
• ESOL students at all proficiency levels have access to the general education curriculum in core content areas of Math, Science, and Social Studies.  

The composition of the student population in each ESOL level is usually multi-grade and heterogeneous. ESOL classes provide structured instruction in the acquisition of academic English with specific emphasis on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills that are prerequisite for success in a rigorous academic environment. Students develop competency in understanding spoken English, using grammatically correct English to express social and academic needs and in organizing and clearly expressing their ideas in written English. Students explore developmentally appropriate texts representing the genres of narration, poetry, drama and exposition. As students become more fluent with spoken and written English, they are also taught to analyze text from an historical and cultural perspective and develop critical reading and thinking skills.

The ESOL curriculum is in the process of being aligned to the WIDA English language development standards and the Common Core State Standards.

High school students with interrupted formal education may be referred to the Multidisciplinary Education, Training, and Support (METS) Program for appropriate, intensive instruction in English language and basic academic skills.

Students who are at least eighteen years of age and have significant interrupted formal education may be referred to the Students Engaged in Pathways to Success (SEPA) Program for intensive instruction in English language and basic academic skills and to participate in vocational training to prepare them for the world of work beyond high school.

List of ESOL Centers and resource teachers in Montgomery County high schools