English Learners Overview

    • Naperville 203 is a diverse community of learners that is home to over 84 home languages. The top most spoken languages other than English are: Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati and Arabic. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students bring a wide variety of strengths, knowledge and experiences that enrich our classrooms and schools. Our goal is to partner with families to foster the development of their home language while at the same time facilitating their learning of academic content and acquisition of the English language. 

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    Program Philosophy  

     
    Naperville School District values students’ diverse backgrounds and their unique contributions to the learning community. In order to empower learners who are meeting the challenges of a new language and culture, District 203 will support English Learners as they develop social, cultural, and academic competence by creating a learning environment that:
    • Expects students to meet high academic standards
    • Facilitates effective communication in English through reading, writing, speaking, and listening
    • Encourages risk taking and inquiry
    In this way, Naperville School District  will provide EL students with an optimal learning environment in every academic setting.
     

    Program Information

    • Naperville 203 currently offers three types of programs for EL/Bilingual students: Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI), Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) and Dual Language (Two-Way Immersion at Beebe, Elmwood, Mill St., River Woods, Steeple Run and Jefferson Jr. High).

    • Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI)

    • Naperville 203 offers English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in all schools that house EL students. ESL instruction is currently named Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI). Buildings that offer TPI have ELs of various backgrounds, but do not have greater than 19 students of the same language. Generally, EL students receive English instruction through push-in support within the classroom environment

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    • These English Learning (EL) support services are offered at the Ann Reid Early Childhood Center, all 14 District 203 elementary schools, Jefferson Junior High School and Naperville North High School. In addition to consulting with classroom teachers regarding their work with English Learners, EL teachers provide support to students both within and outside of the classroom. 

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    • Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE)

    • The Transitional Bilingual Program (TBE) in District 203 is offered in schools where there are 20 or more students of the same language group.The TBE program provides instruction in students’ home language while they are learning English. The amount of native language instruction is determined based on each individual student's English language proficiency. At this time, the district provides TBE in Spanish in our Early Childhood programs, and at Beebe, Elmwood, Mill St., River Woods, Steeple Run, Jefferson Jr. High, and Naperville North High School. 

    • Dual Language Program

    • The Dual Language Program is Naperville 203’s primary way of delivering TBE for ELs with Spanish as their home language in Kindergarten through 8th grade at the following schools:  Beebe, Elmwood, Mill St., River Woods, Steeple Run and Jefferson Jr. High.  Please click here to read more about the Dual Language Program.

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    • In all types of programs, students are entitled to 3 years of enrollment, but actual duration of services varies, depending on student performance on state mandated assessments.All English Learners participate in an annual assessment, ACCESS for ELLs, to measure their growth in English language proficiency. If you have questions about the EL program in District 203, please contact the Office of Language Acquisition at 630-848-3957.

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    Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy and Commendation toward Biliteracy

    • The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy is an award bestowed by the Illinois State Board of Education and given by Naperville Community Unit School District 203 in recognition and celebration of students who have attained a high level of proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. Students who have earned the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy or the Illinois Commendation Toward Biliteracy will receive their award at the time of their graduation. Their achievement will be acknowledged on student transcripts and diplomas. 

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    Please click here for more information about the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy and Commendation toward Biliteracy.

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