English as a New Language

What is ENL?

ENL is an acronym for English as a New Language. Students with language backgrounds, other than English, in our school are provided support with ENL services daily. Students receive direct support from an ENL teacher with specific instructional strategies, such as higher focus on vocabulary building, visuals, and hands-on activities. All students classified as ELL’s (English Language Learners) will receive a curriculum modified to their current comprehension level of the English language through reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. 

The ENL Teacher Mission:

We, as ENL teachers, believe that every student deserves to feel welcomed in a school, no matter their cultural background or language.We aspire to advocate for students and families who have come to our district by providing them resources and learning opportunities. Our goal is to teach a culturally relevant curriculum for equality in our school building and support academic goals for all students who are learning English as a New Language.

NYSITELL & NYSESLAT:

When a student first enters the Rochester City School District,the parent or guardian is required to document any languages spoken at home, other than English. Families that qualify are required to take the NYSITELL prior to starting at their new school district. The NYSITELL provides data on how much English language proficiency a child has and determines their ELL status. A child can be classified as Entering, Emerging, Transitioning, Expanding, or Commanding, based on the score. The NYSITELL data provides information for ENL teachers to provide the adequate amount of support during the school year.

During the months of April through May, English Language Learners are required to take the NYSESLAT test yearly. This assessment provides ENL teachers with data on growth since the NYSITELL data collection through four separate assessments on listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills in English. Students can “test out” of the ELL status once they have shown proficient learning of English by receiving an “Expanding” score on the NYSESLAT.

Who are the ENL teachers?