Special Needs Services
The goal of our Special Services program is to provide an appropriate education for students with mild learning disabilities and students experiencing academic difficulties.
The Special Services staff provides intervention to students whose learning difficulties are mild enough so as to allow them to participate in the Primary Years Program (PYP). Middle Years Program (MYP) and Diploma Program (DP).
Special Services offer small group instruction with a limited pullout model, and in-class support. Our aim is to give individual students the support necessary to succeed in the regular classroom.
Admission to AISL will be granted to students for whom we can provide an appropriate educational program. The professional staff will assess the student’s needs and the capacity of the school’s program to meet those needs. AISL does not have the facilities to provide a comprehensive range of special services for all learning disabilities.
For entering students who have been identified with a learning disability, parents are asked to include previous documentation, assessments and previous individual educational programs (IEP).
The special needs coordinator is Donna Chuula, dchuula@aislusaka.org
English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL)
AISL provides an ESOL support program for students who need it in Grades 2-10. The ESOL Coordinator oversees this program and screens potential secondary students whose mother tongue is not English.
In both Primary and Secondary sections of the school, trained and experienced ESOL teachers support the English language development of ESOL students. They share responsibility with class/subject teachers for helping these students to access the relevant curriculum. The ESOL support program uses a combination of withdrawal from class and/or in-class support. Withdrawal can mean anything from one-to-one intensive tutoring, to pair or small group work.
English is the language of instruction at AIS Lusaka, so developing competence in the English language is crucial to students’ success in all sections of the school. Students with limited English proficiency may be accepted as long as the school is able to provide for their needs with the required level of language support. Therefore, there is a language screening process for all students in Grade 6 and above whose mother tongue is not English. For Grade 8 and above, acceptance at AISL will not be confirmed until this screening has taken place. ESOL screening cannot be completed during the month of July.
English language proficiency is not the only factor that is taken into account when considering admission to the school and eligibility for the ESOL program. A student’s proficiency in their mother tongue, as well as their previous academic history are also considered. It is, therefore, imperative that the school receives accurate and up-to-date school records for the previous two years. All records must be translated into English.
English in the Early Years
In Pre-school to Grade 1, students’ English language is not assessed prior to starting school. Rather, they are placed in an age appropriate class and learn English, alongside their peers, in an English immersion program. There is no specialist ESOL support as students are immersed in a language-rich environment, which they experience holistically, through the medium of all their senses. They work side by side with their peers in a positive, interactive and purposeful environment. They participate naturally in the experiences that develop as they learn to listen, speak, read and write English, both in class and outside in the play areas.
ESOL in Grades 2-5
In Grades 2-5, students’ English language proficiency is not assessed prior to starting school. All students are placed alongside their peers in a class and follow the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). The ESOL Coordinator may decide to give an informal English language assessment during the child’s first week of school and will, in any case, liaise with classroom teachers to identify those students for whom an English language support program is required. This may include individual, pair or small group teaching, both in-class and in withdrawal to the ESOL classroom. ESOL support focuses on the specific language requirements and skills needed by students to access the grade level PYP curriculum, especially the Units of Inquiry.
ESOL in Grades 6-12
In Grades 6-12, where a potential student has had little or no prior experience of English-medium education and/or little in the way of English language teaching, the Admissions Officer liaises with the ESOL Coordinator to arrange an assessment of their English language proficiency. This screening involves a formal test of reading comprehension as well as a writing task. An oral interview is also conducted.
After the initial assessment, a decision is made about whether or not ESOL support is required. The student’s application is then referred to the Admissions Committee for decisions on admission, class placement and course selection. The school’s Counselors and/or DP Coordinator are involved in the admissions process as necessary.
In Grades 6-10 all students who, after assessment, are considered to be in need of extra support in English are placed alongside their peers in an Advisory class and follow the IB Middle Years Program (MYP). They may be scheduled with ESOL specialists in lieu of Language A and/or Language B, and all of their other classes are usually mainstream classes. They may also have subject-specific in-class support e.g. in Humanities, English. ESOL support focuses on the specific language requirements and skills needed by students to access the grade level MYP curriculum.
In Grades 11 and 12 students must demonstrate a high level of English language proficiency to succeed in the very academically challenging courses of the IB Diploma Program. There is no specialist ESOL support provided for students at this level.
Page updated 15 August, 2008