Students and their families who speak languages other than English are welcomed to Cincinnati Public Schools at the district's Welcome Center for English-Language Learners (ELL).
The Welcome Center, located at the Academy of World Languages in Evanston, is designed to help English-Language Learners achieve high academic standards in English.
There are 63 languages other than English spoken by CPS' students and families. Spanish, French and Arabic, in that order, are the most common nonEnglish languages found among CPS' families.
When a nonEnglish-speaking family enrolls in a Cincinnati public school, school staff schedule an appointment for the family with the ELL Welcome Center and requests the services of an interpreter as needed.
Staff at the ELL Welcome Center give the ELL student an English-proficiency test. Parents are given the test results and an explanation of the English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in Cincinnati Public Schools. These ESL programs are designed to assist students whose native language, or home language, is not English.
Interpreters are provided, and documents are translated for school-related purposes. Students are provided with English/other-language dictionaries. The Welcome Center also provides volunteer tutors to help students succeed in school.
Some students lack the listening, speaking, reading or writing skills in English that allow them to participate in classes. These children are identified as Limited English Proficient (LEP). Staff at the ELL Welcome Center develop an initial educational plan for the student so that teachers and school staff can tailor the student's education for the best possible chance of success.
The ELL Welcome Center also helps families with translations and assistance in filling out paperwork and forms required to enter students in school such as food-service applications, transportation forms, health forms, etc. At the same time, parents are introduced to district procedures and given information about the school calendar, school closings, discipline procedures, etc.
To provide a well-rounded, culturally diverse education, the ELL Welcome Center staff plan and assist with many cultural programs such as the Children’s Day “We Are All Neighbors" celebration. Staff also provide information about the culture of the United States.
A large part of helping ELL students succeed in school involves helping parents fit into the community. The Welcome Center staff provides information about community resources, health-care services and social-service agencies that can help non-English speaking families. In addition, information is available about free English classes for adults, parenting classes and many other resources.