English Language Education Services

The mission of the Atlantis Charter School English Language Learner (ELL) program is to provide scaffolded English language instruction, primarily in English, to English learners in order for students to achieve oral and literacy proficiency in English and thus access and succeed within the general content curriculum. The vision of the program is to validate and build upon students’ home languages and cultures, so that students may add English language proficiency to their diverse repertoire of social and linguistic skills.

We achieve this mission and vision by:
• Respecting parent/guardian preferences regarding their preferred language use with teachers and with their students
• Recognizing the importance of a student’s home language and the various roles home languages may play within a single student’s life and among a group of diverse students
• Holding ELL students to high standards and implementing appropriate scaffolds and strategies to enable students to access grade level curriculum
• Collaborating with each other and with parents and families to meet the diverse needs of each student and offer enrichment opportunities for each student’s strengths

Students qualify for ELL services through a state mandated screening process, and as of the 2018-2019 school year, 10.5% of students were receiving ELL services. English Language Instruction at Atlantis is provided through the SEI model, which is defined in G.L. c.71A as “an English language acquisition process for young children in which nearly all classroom instruction is in English but with the curriculum and presentation designed for children who are learning the language. Books and instruction materials are in English and all reading, writing, and subject matter are taught in English. Although teachers may use a minimal amount of the child’s native language when necessary, no subject matter shall be taught in any language other than English, and children in this program learn to read and write solely in English.”

Content-licensed educators and ELL educators work in partnership to provide English language development both in content classes by sheltering academic instruction to ensure students are learning grade level curriculum and discipline-specific academic language and in ELL/ESL classes through targeted English language instruction to develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in English.

We believe that a strong partnership between parents/guardians, students, and staff is critical to the success of the ACS English Language Education program. This is accomplished through consistent two-way communication led by staff, administration, the English Learner Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC), and the Family and Community Resource Center (FCRC). For information on ELPAC meetings, please contact Donalda Silva.