When a student registers for school in the North Andover School District,  as part of the registration process, the parents complete a Home Language Survey if English is not the first language spoken at home.  If the home language survey indicates the student’s first language is not English, then the ESL teacher will test the student’s English to see if the student qualifies for ESL services. In addition, a student’s English may also be tested if the student’s teacher believes that the student is unable to perform ordinary classwork in English.

At the beginning of each school year, the ESL teacher will send a notification letter home, as required by state law, to those students who still qualify for ESL services. Parents can have their child opt out of ESL services at any time by signing an opt-out form. Students will leave or transition out of the ESL program when their English proficiency test scores and classroom grades indicate that they can fully participate in all grade level classwork.

Once the student is in the ESL program, he/she will be given English language support from a licensed ESL teacher. This support may be in the form of small group work outside the classroom or individual tutoring. The ESL teacher has a curriculum designed to support the work the student is doing in class. Please call the ELE Program Coordinator, Marion Mako, at (978) 794-0124 if you have any questions.