Our Academy for Innovation in Medicine (AIM) ESOL program is designed to serve students in grades 6-12 whose home language is one other than English. Through a language screening process it is determined that these students may lack English language proficiency in social and academic instructional language and would benefit from the services provided by the ESOL program. The ESOL program is designed to provide students with targeted language support during the process of second language acquisition.

English learners (ELs) face unique challenges in the classroom as they strive to learn academic content at the same time they are developing their English language skills. ELs need strong support in the content areas, which at AIM may be offered by means of targeted interventions, accommodations, elective courses, or differentiated instruction in required courses by a classroom teacher who holds the ESOL Endorsement and has been trained to understand English proficiency levels, utilizing the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards to differentiate instruction for ELs.

In implementing our ESOL program, AIM employs teachers who meet GaPSC teaching certification requirements and have an ESOL endorsement. Of the six state-approved instructional models through which ESOL students are served, AIM currently uses the following:

• Pull-out model outside the academic block: students receive small-group language instruction from the ESOL teacher

• Push-in model within the academic block: students remain in the classroom and receive content instruction from their content area teacher, along with language assistance from the EOSL teacher

At AIM ESOL instruction uses a standards-based curriculum that emphasizes social and academic language proficiency, with the overarching goal that students will use English to communicate and demonstrate academic, social, and cultural understanding. During instructional blocks, to meet this goal, the AIM ESOL teacher uses evidence based teaching strategies such as explicit skill instruction, explicit discussion of vocabulary and structure, establishing clear lesson goals for students, questioning to check for understanding, summarizing new learning in a graphical way, offering multiple practice opportunities and providing students with targeted task-related feedback. Activities are designed, and materials may be purchased and used, to facilitate these learning experiences.

The effectiveness of the AIM ESOL program will be evaluated annually using multiple data sources such as the state required EL Language Proficiency Assessment, state EL Student Growth Reports, and other state required assessments. Annual improvements/adjustments will be made as needed based on this evidence/data analyzed during the program evaluation cycle.

ESOL Contact Information

For questions or concerns related to the ESOL program, please contact:

Willie Washington

Federal Programs Director

wwashington@aimgeorgia.org

2450 Piedmont Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

404-595-7997