The State of Alaska mandated annual English Language Proficiency Assessment, ACCESS for ELLs, will be administered to all ELL students starting February 1st. The testing window is open until the end of March.

Trained ELL Program staff at schools will be administering the test, the testing dates will vary by school. Students who are eLearning or remote learning will be scheduled specific testing times - ELL staff will contact parents/guardians regarding the specific times. ACCESS for ELLs can not be administered remotely, students will need to come to school for testing.

ELL staff will follow the guidance from the school district and WIDA to ensure a safe testing environment: students will be seated at least 6 feet apart (individual testing can also be arranged), desks will be disinfected between students, and both ELL staff and students are required to wear masks.

ACCESS for ELLs helps teachers to determine the supports ELL students need. For a student to exit ELL in the State of Alaska, the student needs to reach an overall score of 4.5 or above in ACCESS for ELLs. The overall scores range from 1.0 (beginner) to 6.0 (fluent).

Prior to testing, students can take practice tests. You can find the link to practice tests here: Sample ACCESS for ELLs Test Items. You can also find more information about the ACCESS for ELLs assessment here.

If a student misses testing due to COVID-related or other reasons, this will not change the student's eligibility for ELL support services. The student will continue to receive ELL Program support until he/she is able to take the ACCESS for ELLs test and meet the State of Alaska exit criteria (overall score of 4.5 or above).

If you have any questions or concerns regarding testing, please contact the ELL staff at your student's school or Virva Elliott, the Director of ELL Program, at virva.elliott@k12northstar.org or (907) 452-2000 ext. 11467. 

Parents and Educators who are interested in learning more about Imagine Learning:

The Imagine Learning Alaska Support Team is inviting you to participate in a virtual Parent Night via Zoom on September 22nd at 6 p.m.

You can expect to understand how:

1. How the program works behind the scenes

2. What the student experience looks like

3. Strategies to help students get the most out of the program.

4. Where to go for help

Join Zoom Meeting
https://imaginelearning.zoom.us/j/99327279820?pwd=TGxWbEhpL09nQUxiOHp5WnB6bG1Rdz09&from=msft

Meeting ID: 993 2727 9820
Passcode: 782553

Find more information here: https://www.smore.com/nx75y.

Students and families have three learning options for a safe return:

o In Person/Blended Learning

o eLearning

o Homeschool through Fairbanks BEST

Next Steps:

o By default, your child(ren) will be enrolled in the In Person/Blended Learning option.

o If you want to choose the eLearning option, contact your attendance area school.

o If you want to choose homeschool, contact Fairbanks BEST.

o If your child is enrolled in a charter school, please contact the school directly.

More information in English: https://www.k12northstar.org/Page/9982

Translations: 

• FNSBSD Alaska Smart Start 2020 Opciones de Aprendizaje

• FNSBSD Alaska Smart Start 2020, Mga Pagpipilian sa Pagkatuto

• FNSBSD 阿拉斯加智能启动 2020 教学选项

We will discuss Title III-A Grant for School Year 2020-2021.

Link to connect to the meeting through Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/99422081651?pwd=bHNNRHJDQmJnL1F1T2dwcmpIVmg5QT09

Meeting ID: 994 2208 1651
Password: 6mZRPR

Presentation slideshow.

Parent and Staff Survey: Title III-A Grant.

Join us on Monday, April 27th at 3 p.m. to learn about the supports that are available for parents and students through our school district and the ELL Program. There will also be tips for quick activities to do at home to meet the social-emotional needs of our children and ourselves.

Connect to the Zoom meeting through this link:
https://zoom.us/j/99422081651?pwd=bHNNRHJDQmJnL1F1T2dwcmpIVmg5QT09

Meeting ID: 994 2208 1651
Password: 6mZRPR

Click on the ELL Logo or the Facebook Logo to go to the ELL Program Facebook page to view the wonderful videos and recipes from around the world shared by our ELL Program staff.

Update 3/17/2020:

ELL & MEP College and Career Night has been canceled due to the statewide school closures. 

Please keep an eye for College & Career related resources we will be posting soon (which students can access from home).

In the meanwhile, if you have any questions, please email Virva Elliott, Director of ELL Program, at virva.elliott@k12northstar.org.

ACCESS for ELLs testing, the federally mandated annual English Language Proficiency Assessment for English Learner students, will begin February 3rd, 2020 and will continue through March 31st, 2020.

ELL staff at each school will coordinate with principals the specific dates and times for pulling students out for ACCESS testing at the school level. Grade 1-12 students will be scheduled to take the online ACCESS for ELLs, and Kindergarten ELL students will be scheduled to take the paper-based ACCESS for ELLs test individually.

ACCESS for ELLs will assess the students’ English Language Proficiency in four domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. The results of this assessment will be available in June 2020. If you have questions regarding ACCESS for ELLs testing, please do not hesitate to contact the ELL Program Director, Virva Elliott, at 452-2000 ext. 11467 or virva.elliott@k12northstar.org. You can also visit https://wida.wisc.edu/assess/access for more information.

• Using the WIDA Writing Rubric
• Leading for Equity: Classroom Walkthrough
• Classroom Educators: Engaging Newcomer Multilingual Learners              
• Language for Learning in Mathematics
• Doing and Talking STEM
• Foundational Concepts for K-12 Educators

Are you a certified teacher interested in earning your ESL endorsement? University of Alaska is now offering a graduate certification opportunity (18 credits) that is offered fully online. Please see flyer (link below) for more information, deadline to apply is November 15th, 2019. While the program is targeting grade levels K-6, interested teachers from all grade levels are invited to apply.

Graduate Certificate in ESL Flyer