Section 200-RICR-20-30-3.5 - Program StandardsA. ELL programs shall: 1. Meet the linguistic and academic needs of the English Language Learners as indicated by the identification and assessment process. 2. Ensure that all English Language Learners attain proficiency in speaking, listening to, reading, and writing English at a level sufficient to enable them to succeed in the school's general academic program.3. Be aligned with: a. Rhode Island's English-language proficiency standards,b. Common Core State Standards (July, 2010), andc. content area standards not addressed by Common Core State Standards (July, 2010) (National Education Technology Standards www.CNET.ISTE.org/students/s_stands.html; Fine Arts Standards of the RI Arts Learning Network www.riartslearning.net/proficiency/; National Standards for History Basic Edition, 1996 http://nchs.ucla.edu/standards/; National Council for the Social Studies - NCSS Standards www.ncss.org/standards/).4. Provide clear pathways for each student to meet the Rhode Island Graduation-by-Proficiency Requirements.5. Use research-based instructional practices recognized as sound by experts in the education of English Language Learners at the elementary, middle, and high-school levels.6. Provide opportunities for achievement in all content-area classes or courses through specialized language instruction for English Language Learners until the student has reached a level of English-language proficiency permitting him or her to succeed in the LEA's general academic program.7. Ensure equitable access to all services, and materials that are provided to all other students.8. Include sufficient personnel and resources to effectively implement the program.9. Provide for the maintenance, analysis and use of data concerning student academic progress to help close all gaps in English Language Learner achievement levels.10. Ensure that specialized language instruction for English Language Learners is provided by appropriately certified and endorsed teachers who are highly qualified and who are provided with regular, sustained, high-quality, job-embedded professional development.11. Be designed by LEA administrators in consultation with:a. certified or endorsed ESL teachers,b. endorsed bilingual-education teachers,c. parents of English Language Learners,e. building administrators.12. Be distributed in the LEA's facilities in such a way that English Language Learners are not inappropriately clustered away from students in the school's regular education programs or assigned to only a restricted range of schools, when other school-housing options are available to provide quality services based on students' educational needs and scientifically research based instructional models. Cooperative service agreements between LEAs shall not operate in a way that abridges this principle.200 R.I. Code R. 200-RICR-20-30-3.5