• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• Tweet

Vermont

As of the 2007-2008 school year, Vermont's schools were home to more than 1,700 English language learners (ELLs), which marks a 114% increase from the 1997-1998 school year (NCELA, 2010). The top five languages or language groups spoken by ELLs in Vermont are French, Spanish, Chinese, Swedish, and Turkish (EPE, 2009).

Vermont is a member of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment), joining in 2003. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners which offers states programming for identifying and annually assessing the English language development of its English learners.

State ELL Resources

State Agency: State of Vermont Department of Education

ELL Website: Programs and Services, English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education

Recent Updates: UPDATE: Amendment to State Definition of English Language Learner, Program Exit Criteria, and Annual Measurement Achievement Objectives (AMAOs)* (PDF)

ELL Identification

Home Language Survey: Required. Vermont provides a K-12 Home Language Survey on its ELL website.

Placement Exam: WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test

ELP Standards & Assessment

ELP Standards: WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards

ELP Assessment: WIDA-ACCESS ACCESS for ELLs

ELL Instruction

Serving Students Learning English as a Second Language: A Guide for Vermont Educators

Although this guide was written in 1994, it continues to serve as a reference for administrators and teachers who want to learn about the basic legal and programmatic requirements for meeting the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). According to the State Departmenet of Education, "The guide provides information that remains useful and relevant for planning and implementing services at the district and school levels, especially in relation to language acquisition, bottom line legal responsibilities and civil rights policies, and district plans/procedures."

The guide includes a helpful section for building programming as well as the associated form for this purpose. Included in it are two major types of programming English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education. 

Educators may also find the following helpful:

English Language Learners in Vermont: Distinguishing Language Difference from Disability - A Resource Guide* (PDF)

Statewide Standards-Based Assessment

Assessment: Vermont Comprehensive Assessment System [CAS]

Additional Information

NCELA: Title III Information

WIDA: Statewide Contact Information

Common Core State Standards: Yes

Northern New England Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

NNETESOL serves all ESL professionals in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont working in private and public K-12 schools, post secondary schools, and adult education programs.

United Professionals AFT Vermont

United Professionals AFT Vermont is the Vermont State affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

Vermont State Parent Information Resource Centers

The Parental Information Resource Center project for Vermont, also known as PIRC-VT, is designed to help Vermont families assist their children with achieving success at school.

Vermont-NEA

Vermont-NEA is a National Education Association State Affiliate that regularly lobbies legislators for the resources schools need, campaigns for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and files legal actions to protect academic freedom and the rights of school employees.

References

Editorial Projects in Education (EPE). "Most Common Non-English Languages Spoken by ELL Youths, by State." Perspectives on a Population: English-Language Learners in American Schools (Education Week's Quality Counts 2009 Report). Pg. 13. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2009/01/08/index.html. January 2009.

Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students. Vermont Rate of EL Growth (1997/98-2007/08). Compiled July 2010 and retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/t3sis/state/vermont/data.