ELL (English Language Learning) at Groveland Park Elementary

Groveland Park Elementary has many multilingual students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Our EL students boast a rich variety of home languages and cultures. Just some of the home languages represented at our school include Arabic, Hmong, Vietnamese, Karen, Somali, Spanish, Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromo and Russian!  Amazing!

How are EL students identified?

1. Home Language Form: EL students in SPPS are identified through a form that is filled out by families when a student first enrolls in SPPS. 
2. English Screener Test: If there are languages other than English used regularly in the child's life, then the child will take a screener test to decide if they would benefit from working with the ELL (English Language Learner) teacher.
3. English Language Learner Services (Classes): Depending on the screener test score, students receive lessons and support from the teacher and possibly from our bilingual education assistant.
4. Annual ACCESS English Test: Every year, all eligible ELs take an English proficiency test called ACCESS to determine their level of English and if they need to continue in the program.
5. Exit: Students leave the EL program with an ACCESS score of 4.5 with scores of 3.5 in each domain of listening, reading, writing and speaking.

Also see video below.

How are EL students taught English?

The purpose of the ELL program is to help all ELs develop their academic English, or English for school, so that they can be successful throughout their time in school.  At Groveland, ELs are mostly served in their classroom.  The ELL teachers or EA will go into the classroom and help students learn the English needed to do their classroom work through mini lessons including vocabulary games, writing supports, visual supports, and more. 

Some older students may have a small group lesson in the ELL classroom to supplement (add to) the other teaching they get in their regular classroom or to help them understand the language they need for their classroom work.  To accomplish this, the ELL teacher and EA work closely with classroom teachers.

Groveland ELL Department Staff Members (2021-2022)

Kelli McCully - ELL Teacher (English/Spanish)

Grades K, 1, 2, 5

kelli.mccully@spps.org

Call or text: 612-548-1728

Shawna Nielson - ELL Teacher

Grades 3, 4

shawna.nielson@spps.org

Call: 651-744-6593

Askale Yigletu - Bilingual Educational Assistant (English/Amharic/Oromo)

askale.yigletu@spps.org

Call: 651-744-2631

More Information

St. Paul Public Schools' Office of Multilingual Learning

Minnesota Department of Education English Learner Education Site