ESL Program

The RFISD staff is proud to serve our Emergent Bilinguals (EBs) and their families. The ESL staff seeks to honor the experience of each learner while providing a safe atmosphere to learn the new language as fluent listeners, speakers, readers and writers in the context of all subjects. We provide services according to TEA guidelines, including those identified as immigrant and migrant.

 

We believe that these students deserve strong advocates. The ESL program director oversees state and federal compliance, spending, program design, professional development and instructional models. All ELs have a Special Program Coordinator who ensures that they are receiving appropriate services through the gifted and talented, special education, and 504 programs as appropriate. The coordinator serves as the LPAC chair and coordinates academic, social and emotional needs. Additionally, both elementary campuses have an ESL-certified teacher fluent in Spanish who oversees the broader needs of these learners acting as an advocate on the LPAC, in daily school life, and works with classroom teachers and the family to collaborate as needed. At the secondary level, our EBs have language labs as needed for additional support. The ESL team ensures that we adhere to state and federal compliance in addition to serving needs above and beyond the law. Finally, our Family and Community Engagement Liaison ensures that families remain a priority in the education of their children. We have staff that provide a weekly language lab where families can participate in language-building opportunities. Our team coordinates a variety of ways that families can get involved in our school system partnering with campus administration. We are very proud of the number of parents who come into our buildings daily to support the important work in schools. This is a highly involved group of parents, and that does not happen without the support of a variety of staff members.

 

There are several models designed to serve the needs of these diverse learners, and RFISD provides pull-out services through an ESL model. At the elementary grades, these students are served in the classroom using sheltered instructional strategies. ESL teachers spend time in the classroom and in pull-out if needed. At the secondary level, most students have a period in the day where they have time dedicated to language development tied to the ELAR standards. A small few are served in the English classroom with an ESL-certified ELAR teacher only. It remains a district goal to support as many teachers as possible in obtaining their ESL Supplement.

 

Key staff members noted above are as follows and may be contacted by email or phone using the RFISD staff directory:

 

ESL Program Director:  Christy Weete

 

Special Program Coordinator: Candy Morris

 

Phone: (361)790-2212 FAX: (361)790-2305

Location: 619 N. Live Oak St Rockport, TX 78382 Mailing: PO Box 907 Rockport, TX 78381