Bilingual Online Resource Center
Click on one of the following drop-down menus to find more resources:
Parent Resources
The Bilingual Department believes that parents are children’s first and most important educators. In an effort to support bilingual parents in this important task, we:
Conduct a parent orientation and interview of all parents of newly enrolled bilingual students, to assess their needs and to provide links to community resources at our Bilingual Intake Office
Translate and disseminate important information in the most commonly spoken languages in our district. Visit translated materials.
Monitor Bilingual Language Lines in 7+ languages where parents can call, request information, and seek assistance for non-emergencies in their native languages.
Create and update essential information in the 
Multilingual Learner Family Guidebook.
Support parent-teacher conferences by training and scheduling Bilingual Assistants and Cultural Brokers who speak multiple languages as well as involve community partners to share out translated resources and services with interpretation support.
Provide multiple Parent Engagement Opportunities
Please visit the Adult Education page for services available to parents of our Multilingual Learner students.
Student Resources
The Bilingual Department helps support Multilingual Learner students in the Lansing School District in a variety of ways, including:
One-on-one assistance from Bilingual Assistants placed in the 6 highest need district schools
Multilingual Learner Before & After School Tutoring (AST) Programs
Programs offered at all LAP schools
Bilingual Education Summer Tutoring (BEST) Summer Camp
6-8 week summer program held at Gardner International Magnet School
Social and emotional support.
Students who are struggling with strong emotions, peer conflict, behavioral issues, grief, or trauma can receive support from our ELD Mentoring Liaison.
Please visit the Multilingual Learner Student Opportunities page for current services available to Multilingual Learner students.
Teacher Resources
Lansing School District’s Bilingual Department provides support to teachers and other school personnel who are educating our Multilingual Learners.
Teachers are encouraged to reach out to the department to:
Request translation/interpretation services
Access translated materials
Request a home visit with translation services.
Bilingual Resource Center
The Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center offers a Teachers’ Bilingual Resource Center where the staff is free to browse and borrow resources to assist in the teaching of a variety of subjects and English language levels. Should a staff member wish to obtain his/her own copy of a resource, the Welcome Center will facilitate this purchase (provided funds are available).
Specialized training is also offered on a one-to-one basis to help teachers learn what resources meet their needs best and how to utilize the resource in their practice. Staff is welcome at any time to drop on or make an appointment for consultation and training.
Download the Classroom Words in Multiple Languages Booklet
Teacher Support Guides for Multilingual Learners
The Lansing School District wants to ensure that Multilingual Learners across all levels of language proficiency can access and fully engage with the rigorous grade-level Michigan English Language Arts Standards. These English language learning targets are based upon WIDA’s Six Levels of English Language Proficiency and the Michigan English Language Arts Standards.
Please see the Pacing Guidelines for EL Support at bottom of the Pacing Guidelines page.
LSD Multilingual Learner Academic Resource Toolkit
The Bilingual Education Department of the Lansing School District has developed a list of resources to support educators in the delivery of instruction for students at all grade levels. Please feel free to contact the Bilingual Department for any additional information you would like to add to this library of resources.
LSD Multilingual Learner Academic Resource Toolkit
WIDA Standards
A framework that distinguishes five levels of language proficiency which are defined by specific criteria: Entering, Emerging, Developing, Expanding, and Bridging. Level 6 (Reaching) represents the end of the continuum rather than another level of language proficiency.
Please download the WIDA Standards Guide.
ESL Steering Committee
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can support EL students in your building and/or classroom, you are invited to join the ESL Steering Committee by emailing Nicole Namy: nicole.namy@lansingschools.net
And join the ESL Steering Committee Google Classroom to have constant access to resources to support EL students in your school.
Community Learning Center
The 
Community Learning Center is a welcoming and safe space located in the Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center, available by appointment, and filled with useful materials and resources to support Lansing School District Staff, Students, & Families, as well as the community at large.
Luke Kane - CLC Coordinator
Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center
2400 Pattengill Ave.
Luke.Kane@lansingschools.net
Professional Development Opportunities and Professional Associations
Professional Development Opportunities
Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)
The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model was developed to facilitate high-quality instruction for MLs in content area teaching. It is used in hundreds of schools across the U.S. as well as in several other countries.
The Lansing School District provides SIOP workshops each year.
For more information please see
SIOP Presentation Part 1
SIOP Presentation Part 2
Professional Associations
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Michigan Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MITESOL)
National Association of Bilingual Educators (NABE)
Michigan Association of Bilingual Educators (MABE)
Multilingual Learner (ML) Key Terms
A list of frequently used terms in the field of instruction for MLs is listed below. Having a common vocabulary and understanding the meaning of certain key terms enhances collaboration between our staff and schools in the district.
BICS - (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) The type of language proficiency typically utilized in social and informal settings to carry a conversation with another person.
CALP - (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) The type of language proficiency required to complete schoolwork and progress in academic situations. (Cummins, 1984)
Cultural Brokers - Provide translation and interpretation support to bridge the language gap between schools and Multilingual Learner families
MLs - (Multilingual Learners) A Limited English Proficient (LEP) student is described according to the federal government definition used in No Child Left Behind (NCLB) below. In Michigan, LEP students are referred to as Multilingual Learners (MLs). An ML is a student age 3-21, who is enrolled (or about to enroll), in a U.S. elementary or secondary school and meets these requirements:
- Was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English; and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; or
- Is a Native American, Alaska Native, or native resident of outlying areas and comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on the individual’s level of English language proficiency; or
- Is migratory, speaks a native language other than English, and comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; or
- May be unable, because of difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language, to:
- Score at the proficient level on state assessments of academic achievement;
- Learn successfully in classrooms that have the language of instruction be in English or ·
- Participate fully in society
ESL - (English as a Second Language) ESL is the actual teaching process of the English language to students who are not native English speakers.
ELD - (English Language Development) English Language Development (ELD) means instruction designed specifically for English language learners to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English. This type of instruction is also known as "English as a Second Language" (ESL), "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages" (TESOL), or "English for Speakers of Other Languages" (ESOL). ELD, ESL, TESOL, or ESOL are versions of English language arts standards that have been crafted to address the specific developmental stages of students learning English.
Entry criteria - Entry criteria are a set of guidelines that designate students as English language learners and help place them appropriately in bilingual education, ESL, or other language support services. Criteria usually include a home language survey and performance on an English language proficiency test.
Exit criteria - Exit criteria are a set of guidelines for ending special services for English language learners and placing them in mainstream, English-only classes as fluent English speakers. This is usually based on a combination of performance on an English language proficiency test, grades, standardized test scores, and teacher recommendations. In some cases, this redesignation of students may be based on the amount of time they have been in special programs.
FLEP- (Formerly Limited English Proficient) The status of Formerly Limited English Proficient (FLEP) means that a student was Limited English Proficient (LEP), but is now fully English proficient. The student understands, speaks, reads, and writes English, and possesses the thinking and reasoning skills needed to succeed in general academic classes at or above the student’s age or grade level.
Lansing School District LEP Codes - The codes listed below have been created by LSD staff to track ELs progress internally:
- Y - Yes (Student is LEP and EL)
- F - 1 Year Former LEP
- C - 2 Year Former LEP
- N - Not LEP
- L - 3+ Year Former LEP
- R - Returning (To LEP Y status)
- T - Test (Student needs to be tested to evaluate if LEP Y or LEP N)
Lau v. Nichols - 'Lau vs. Nichols' is a lawsuit filed by Chinese parents in San Francisco in 1974, which led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that identical education does not constitute equal education under the Civil Rights Act. School districts must take "affirmative steps" to overcome educational barriers faced by non-English speakers (Lyons, 1992).
LEP - (Limited English Proficient) A student who does not speak English or whose native language is not English AND currently cannot perform ordinary classroom work in English. The student receives instruction that is specifically designed to assist him/her both in learning English and in learning core area subject matter content.
Long-term English language learner - A student who has been enrolled in U.S. schools for more than six years but continues to struggle academically due to limited English proficiency.
Newcomer Program - A newcomer program addresses the needs of recent immigrant students, most often at the middle and high school level, especially those with limited or interrupted schooling in their home countries. Major goals of newcomer programs are to acquire beginning English language skills along with core academic skills and to acculturate to the U.S. school system. Some newcomer programs also include primary language development and an orientation to the student's new community (Genesee, et al, 1999).
Pull-out ESL - Program in which EL students are "pulled out" of regular, mainstream classrooms for special instruction in English as a second language.
Push-in ESL - In contrast with pull-out ESL instruction, a certified ESL teacher provides ELs with instruction in a mainstream or content-area classroom.
Structured English Immersion - Structured English immersion is designed to impart English language skills so that the ELs can transition and succeed in an English-only mainstream classroom once proficient. Instruction in these programs is in English, and teachers use strategies such as visuals, graphic organizers, and gestures to help make the English content comprehensible (ED, 2015) (see http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ell/glossary.html#newcomer_program).
Sheltered Instruction and Use of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) - In the sheltered English classroom, the student is “sheltered” in learning English through the teacher’s embedding of second language learning principles in the classroom. Principles used in sheltered instruction include the following:
- A decrease in the complexity of the language used
- A slower rate yet normal intonation of speech
- Use of context clues
- Extensive use of models, graphics, and visuals
A connection between the content and the students’ experiences. The results of these instructional practices are an increased understanding by the student as the teacher is using language that is “comprehensible” to the student. Underlying sheltered instruction (SI) is Stephen Krashen’s theory of “comprehensible input.” Krashen theorized that language learners best acquire language if the “input” from the speaker (teacher) is one step beyond the student’s current ability or “input + 1” (Krashen, 1982).
SIOP includes teaching comprehension of the content for students through techniques such as the use of visual aids, modeling, demonstrations, graphic organizers, vocabulary previews, predictions, adapted texts, cooperative learning, peer tutoring, multicultural content and native language support. When using SIOP, teachers strive to create a nonthreatening environment where students feel comfortable taking risks with language. They also make specific connections between the content being taught and students’ experiences and prior knowledge. The eight interrelated components of SIOP address the linguistic and academic needs of ELs:
- Lesson preparation
- Building background
- Comprehensible input
- Strategies
- Interaction
- Practice and application
- Lesson delivery
- Review and assessment (Short et al., 2002)
TESOL - (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) TESOL is a professional association of teachers, administrators, researchers, and others concerned with promoting and strengthening instruction and research in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages.
WIDA - (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is an English language proficiency test given to EL students. It assists educators with programmatic placement decisions such as identification and placement of ELs. Test items are written from the model performance indicators of WIDA's five English Language Development (ELD) Standards: Social & Instructional Language, Language of Language Arts, Language of Mathematics, Language of Science, and Language of Social Studies.
Test forms are divided into five grade-level clusters and each form of the test assesses the four language domains; Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
School Resources
Lansing School District’s Bilingual Department provides support to teachers and other school personnel who are educating our Multilingual Learners.
School Staff are encouraged to reach out to the department to:
- Request translation/interpretation services
- Access translated materials
- Request a home visit with translation services.
- Utilize and share the Multilingual Learner Family Guide
- Download the Classroom Words in Multiple Languages Booklet
Bilingual Resource Center
The Dr. Eva L. Evans Welcome Center offers a Teachers’ Bilingual Resource Center where the staff is free to browse and borrow resources to assist in the teaching of a variety of subjects and English language levels. Should a staff member wish to obtain his/her own copy of a resource, the Welcome Center will facilitate this purchase (provided funds are available).
After surveying district teachers and staff regarding resource needs, Title III funds were used to purchase:
- Picture dictionaries and flashcards which can be used at the elementary level
- Content area dictionaries for the secondary level
- National Geographic resources to support 7-12th grade levels
- Resources to support learners for Entering, Emerging and Expanding language levels
- Books for parents of early childhood students to read to their children in their own native languages (note: research has proven the positive effects of a parent retaining their native language with their children)
Specialized training is also offered on a one-to-one basis to help teachers learn what resources meet their needs best and how to utilize the resource in their practice. Staff is welcome at any time to drop on or make an appointment for consultation and training.
LSD Multilingual Learner Academic Resource Toolkit
The Bilingual Education Department of the Lansing School District has developed a list of resources to support educators in the delivery of instruction for students at all grade levels. Please feel free to contact the Bilingual Department for any additional information you would like to add to this library of resources.
LSD Multilingual Learner Academic Resource Toolkit
WIDA Standards
A framework that distinguishes five levels of language proficiency which are defined by specific criteria: Entering, Emerging, Developing, Expanding, and Bridging. Level 6 (Reaching) represents the end of the continuum rather than another level of language proficiency.
Please download the WIDA Standards Guide.
LSD Procedures for Educators of Multilingual Learners with Suspected Disabilities
LSD Procedures For Educators of Multiingual Learners with Suspected Disabilities with Appendix
Professional Development Opportunities and Professional Associations
Professional Development Opportunities
Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)
The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model was developed to facilitate high-quality instruction for ELLs in content area teaching. It is used in hundreds of schools across the U.S. as well as in several other countries.
For the past three years, the Lansing School District has provided four-day workshops to over 60 school educators. For more information please see
SIOP Presentation Part 1
SIOP Presentation Part 2
Professional Associations
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Michigan Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MITESOL)
National Association of Bilingual Educators (NABE)
Michigan Association of Bilingual Educators (MABE)
Community Resources
Resources from Local Community Organization
Capital Area District Library - Language Learning
Capital Area Michigan Works - Resources
IRRC (Immigrant & Refugee Resource Collaborative) Resource Page
Other Websites with Resources
Including Resources available in a variety of Translations
ALCU (American Civil Liberties Union) - Know your rights
BRYCS (Bridging Refugee Youth & Children's Services)
CORE (Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange)
Switchboard - Resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States
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