Bilingual Education

English Language Learner (ELL) Programs at McPherson

Home Language Survey and Language Screeners

When your student is enrolled at McPherson for the first time, you are given a Home Language Survey to complete. The Home Language Survey, or HLS, asks two questions:

Is a language other than English spoken in your home?

Does your student speak a language other than English?

The answers given on the HLS are used to decide whether or not the student is screened for admittance into a program for ELs. Students who must be screened are given a test of their English language proficiency level in some or all of the following categories: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The categories for which they are tested depend on the student’s age and grade level.

If, based on the test score, your student is considered an EL, your student will then be placed into a Transitional Bilingual Education Program or a Transitional Program of Instruction. Both ELs and native-English speaking students also have the option to enroll in a Dual Language Program if positions are available.

Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) - Spanish

McPherson IB World School offers a Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) program for English Learners proficient in Spanish, spanning grades K through 8th. Students in this program are entitled to receive instruction in their native language, along with curriculum materials. Additionally, TBE students receive English as a Second Language (ESL) services and employ sheltered instruction strategies to facilitate their understanding of English-taught material. The TBE program places students with a bilingual certified teacher in classrooms that also include students not enrolled in the TBE program.

Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI)

Our school provides a Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI) for English Learners proficient in languages other than Spanish, including Spanish speakers in Pre-K. TPI students benefit from ESL services and sheltered instruction strategies to enhance their comprehension of English-taught material. The TPI program places students with an ESL certified teacher in classrooms that also include students not enrolled in the TPI program.

Assessment of English Learners

All students identified as English Learners will participate in the annual ACCESS test. ACCESS results determine whether students continue in the program or transition from it in the subsequent school year. Some students may be eligible for ACCESS accommodations. 

For more information, visit:

https://www.cps.edu/academics/language-and-culture/english-learners-program/