English Learner Program

In alignment with our mission to Restore America’s Heritage by Developing Servant  Leaders, we are honored and proud to serve our scholars as they transition from  English Learners into proficient, fluent English speakers. We know that a scholar cannot  learn what he or she cannot understand, and that is why transitioning identified  scholars to English fluency is a critical component to individual scholar success. 

In A Thomas Jefferson Education, Oliver DeMille writes, “If you really want to teach  students a language, simulate the way native speakers learned it—in stories, in shared  tradition” (86). A critical component of an American Classical Leadership Education is  learning about our American heritage. From nursery rhymes and fairy tales to seminal  works of political philosophy, we are happy to have the opportunity to share this  heritage with our English Learners through our songs, poems, stories, and classics. By  teaching classics, our English Learners will acquire language in a way that is culturally  rich as well as technically proficient. 

At the same time, we recognize and value the home languages and cultures of our scholar population. We are teaching approximately  300 scholars who are learning English, we celebrate the many families that compose our school  community. This uniquely American quality of our population is one of our country’s  beauties and is reflected in our national motto—E pluribus unum—out of many, one.

With several different languages spoken by our scholars and families, John Adams Academy recognizes and celebrates the rich language and cultural diversity that our scholars bring to all of our campuses. 

Our English Learner Services employs committed, motivated and knowledgeable staff who assists schools, staff, and parents with implementing programs and policies that support EL scholars and their families, including:

Effective identification, scholar placement, and communication policies and procedures.

• Implementation of instructional programs and professional learning opportunities designed to meet EL scholar needs and ensure access to rigorous curriculum and research-based instructional classroom practices to create safe, vibrant, and effective learning environments.
• Ensuring ongoing support and monitoring of scholar progress.
• Engaging parents of EL scholars in the academy and school site planning, learning, and governing activities.
• Providing interpretation and translation services to parents and schools, and primary language assistance to scholars.
• Administering annual reclassification activities. 

English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) Resources

ELAC dates and locations are to be determined by each site. Please contact the front office for more information about your site's ELAC.