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Curriculum & Assessment

Curriculum & Assessment

K-12 Summer Reading List - English
Grados Kindergarten y 12º: Plan de lectura de verano - Español
K e 12ª séries: Leitura de Verão - Português

 

Multilingual Learner Summer Resources - Recursos de verano para estudiantes multilingües - Recursos do verão para alunos plurilingües

The Office of Bilingual Education offers research-based programs and exemplary instruction for multilingual learners in the Framingham Public Schools. FPS has a diverse student population and currently instructs students from over 70 countries who speak approximately 72 languages.

We are committed to offering the highest quality of educational experiences to all students through language development programs in English, Spanish and Portuguese that foster grade-level social and academic language proficiency and mastery of state content-area standards, while simultaneously building on and celebrating students' cultural, linguistic and educational backgrounds, practices, and experiences. All of our language development programs follow the grade-level, district, standards-based curriculum.

 

A certificate for the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy and Language Opportunity Coalition Biliteracy Award, awarded to Framingham Public Schools Office of Bilingual Education in 2019-2020.

 

ESL Instruction:

A diagram outlining the focus of English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in Massachusetts public schools.

A clock and a Venn diagram illustrate the components of an ESL program: curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

A document outlining the WIDA English Language Development Standards, with text about integrating language development standards with content area standards.

 

The main purpose of ESL instruction is to advance students identified as English Learners’ (ELs) language development and promote our students academic achievement across all content areas and beyond.  English language proficiency includes social and academic language in listening, speaking, reading, and writing (WIDA, 2012a). 

Assessments:

Federal and Massachusetts state laws require that students identified as English Learners (ELs) be assessed annually to measure their proficiency in each of the four language domains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.  In fulfillment of these laws, all students, in Kindergarten- Grade 12, identified as English Learners (ELs) are required to participate in the ACCESS test. In addition to the ACCESS test, the Framingham Public school system has created and adopted assessments that further evaluate students’ social and academic English language development, as well as proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese for students’ participating in the Dual Language/Two-Way Bilingual and Transitional Bilingual Programs.

English Language Proficiency Assessments:

All students identified as English Learners in grades Kindergarten-12 will complete the following assessments:

 

ACCESS 2.0:

 

ACCESS (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Learners) is a secure, state-mandated large-scale English language proficiency assessment given annually to monitor students' progress in learning academic English.  This assessment the four language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing and corresponds to the WIDA English Language Development Standards.

ACCESS 2.0 is administered annually. 

A blue background with white text explaining the Framingham Oral Language Comprehension and Production Assessment Matrix (OLA-F).

 

Framingham Public School  ESL Writing Assessment:

The Framingham Public School district developed an ESL Writing Assessment that is aligned to the  WIDA and Common Core Standards. The purpose of this district-wide summative assessment is to:

  • drive our instruction with the most current data of the English language development and progress of our students.
  • show trends of strengths and areas to develop across the district.
  • inform the development of Student Success and Acceleration Plans.

This assessment will be administered biannually to all students identified as  English Learners.

The following assessments are administered to students that participate in the Two-Way/Dual Language program:

District developed 6-8 Spanish Language Development Assessment:

Students in grades 6-8 that participate for the Two-Way program complete a district developed test that evaluates student  progress in each of the following areas:

  • speaking
  • listening comprehension
  • grammar
  • reading comprehension
  • writing

This assessment is administered annually. 

Framingham Public Schools Oral Language Proficiency Matrix:

This assessment is administered bi-annually to all students that participate in the Dual Language Program.

Authentic assessment:

The Framingham Public School district utilizes portfolio and other authentic assessment across the grade levels to showcase student accomplishments and demonstrate  academic growth and mastery of grade level standards. Federal and Massachusetts state laws require that students identified as English Learners (ELs) be assessed annually to measure their proficiency in each of the four language domains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.  In fulfillment of these laws, all students, in Kindergarten- Grade 12, identified as English Learners (ELs) are required to participate in the ACCESS test. In addition to the ACCESS test, the Framingham Public school system has created and adopted assessments that further evaluate students’ social and academic English language development, as well as proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese for students’ participating in the Two-Way/Dual Language Bilingual and Transitional Bilingual Programs.

Standardized Test for all students in Grades 3-12:

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS):

All students in the Massachusetts Public School System will be taking the MCAS 2.0 test.  This assessment is given to students beginning in grade 3 to help inform parents, teachers and students of a child’s strengths, areas that benefit from further development and informs teacher instruction.

Students identified as English Learners in their first year of enrollment in U.S. public schools have the option of not participating in the ELA portion of the MCAS.  All ELs, without exception, must participate in MCAS Mathematics and Science and Technology/Engineering tests scheduled for their grade, regardless of year of enrollment in U.S. schools.   Students identified as English Learners who are in their second year of enrollment, or beyond must participate in all MCAS testing.

Students identified as English Learners, who are proficient Spanish-speaking students in grade 10 and have been enrolled in schools in the continental United States for fewer than three years, may take the English/Spanish MCAS in Mathematics if they are able to read and write at or near grade level in Spanish.

Students with Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Accommodation Plan will receive accommodations as stated in their Plan.


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