Bilingual Education Programs, in accordance with state and federal regulations, provide Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) and Transitional Programs of Instruction (TPI) to serve the needs of limited-English proficient students. Classes in Spanish or Lao are offered for students whose native language is either Spanish or Lao. Transitional Bilingual Education provides equal access to education through the use of two languages, one of which is the child's native language and the other English. The goal of the program is to develop the student's English language proficiency without the loss of native language skills. The Transitional Program of Instruction consists of a multilingual preschool and English as a Second Language (ESL) services to students from language backgrounds other than Spanish and Lao. Adult ESL classes are also offered.
The Rockford School District offers a number of bilingual programs.
Placement Procedures
A student who speaks another language in addition to or instead of English registers at the Parent Information Center, located at Roosevelt School. An evaluation is made of the student's native language skills as well as skills in English. The results are used in recommending the program placement for each student according to his/her needs. Each student's placement is reviewed and updated on an annual basis according to program guidelines and regulations.
1997-98 Program Schools - TBE
The TBE Programs are currently serving approximately 1,000 Spanish speaking students and 150 Laotian speaking students in the following locations:
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1997-98 Program Schools - TPI
The TPI Programs are currently serving approximately 200 students representing over 10 languages at the following locations:
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For more information contact the Bilingual Education Office at 815-966-3163 or 966-3195.