Aligning with New London Public Schools’ vision, United in Excellence, English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual programs are designed to meet the needs of our English Learners.  NLPS acknowledges and supports the Connecticut State Board of Education’s (CSBE) belief that to acquire English language proficiency and academic proficiency for students who are English Learners (ELs) we must provide high-quality, comprehensive and effective English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual Education programs utilizing research-based instructional practices that support ELs in general education classrooms.

New London Public Schools provides ESOL and Bilingual Education programs as mandated by State and Federal statutes; both have specific entry and exit criteria.

Program of instruction where students are taught English as a new language. In the case of newcomers in elementary schools, the ESOL Teacher works with students on a pull-out basis to develop their “survival” and literacy English language skills.  

Multilingual Learners participating in this program are enrolled in English mainstream classes and receive all instruction in English. ESOL support is provided by an ESOL Teacher targeting the English language literacy skills in the content areas. 

ESOL instruction focuses on vocabulary acquisition, understanding grammatical structures, and improving literacy skills. ESOL services are provided within the context of the classroom (push- in) or in a pull-out setting, providing small group instructional support. At the secondary levels, students are typically assigned an ESOL I, II, or III class where the teacher will provide instruction that supports listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.  

Support services are provided by certified Bilingual Teachers. Students are provided with programming that makes instructional use of both English and an eligible student's native language.  

The State of CT mandates that bilingual education is offered to all identified English Learners in any school where there are twenty or more students who share the same native language. A Transitional Bilingual Education program is a transitional program where academic content is initially taught in the student’s native language while English language skills are developed. As the English language skills improve, the use of the native language decreases.  

Students may not exceed 30 months in a Bilingual Education program unless an application for an extension is approved by the state.  If an eligible student does not meet the English mastery standard at the end of the initial thirty months or at the end of an extension of the bilingual education program for such student, the local board of education shall provide language transition and academic support services to such student. Such services may include, but need not be limited to, English as a second language programs, sheltered English programs, English immersion programs, or other research-based language development programs.  

Developing proficiency in a second language, being able to communicate in a meaningful and functional way, and appreciating diverse cultures are the aim of the World Language Program. The emphasis is on fostering genuine communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing to guide the language learner from structured practice to open-ended, personalized communication.  The language program also encompasses the National Standards for World Language Learning: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. The World Language Program offerings include sequential courses at the secondary levels and up to Advanced Placement Spanish at the high school.

World Language teachers strive to promote learning a foreign language and enable students to communicate effectively in the target language (Spanish, French, or Chinese). At the high school level, students are eligible to receive the Seal of Biliteracy based on evidence of achieving the designated level of language proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. The Seal of Biliteracy recognizes a student’s academic efforts and the value of biliteracy. New London Public Schools is home to over 3500 students representing more than 25 language backgrounds. We are proud to have awarded the Seal of Biliteracy to many of our graduates.

An approach for teaching language and content to Multilingual Learners. In our district, sheltered English is presently used as a program of instruction for the secondary level. Academic subjects are taught using English as the medium of instruction. Teachers use the core curriculum that is modified to meet the language development needs of our language learners. Specific strategies are used to allow for comprehensible input.