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The ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Program was implemented in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in 1967 to meet the diversified educational and cultural needs of students who are learning English as an additional language. The program provides intensive instruction to support English language acquisition for ESOL students. Students enrolled in the ESOL Program come from a variety of cultural, linguistic, socio-economic and academic backgrounds.
The number of students enrolled in ESOL has increased dramatically each year, with students coming from more than 160 countries and speaking more than 130 languages. In FY 2007, there were 14,785 students enrolled in the ESOL program. The distribution by grade level continues to follow the pattern established over the past few years with the highest concentration of students at prekindergarten and the lower elementary grades. Students in grades pre-k-2 make up 62 percent of the elementary ESOL enrollment and 41 percent of the total ESOL enrollment. Although born in the United States, most of these children have lived in non-English speaking environments and come to school with very limited English language skills. In addition, many of them lack a basic oral language foundation in their own language that is prerequisite to developing reading and writing skills in any language.
The mission of the ESOL Instructional team is to provide a high quality instructional program for all ESOL students in grades pre-k through 12 by developing a standards based English language acquisition curriculum and providing instructional support to ESOL teachers and other MCPS staff.
Elementary School ESOL students receive English language instruction appropriate for their level of English language proficiency from an
ESOL teacher on a regularly scheduled basis.
Middle School ESOL students receive daily  instruction appropriate for their level of English language proficiency in ESOL classes
taught by an ESOL teacher.
High School ESOL students receive daily instruction appropriate for their level of English language proficiency in ESOL classes
taught by an ESOL teacher. Most high school ESOL students attend an
Intensive English Language Center.
ESOL Summer School
Intensive English language classes are provided for beginning level ESOL students in both elementary and high school summer school centers. Elementary classes last for four weeks and high school classes last for six weeks. Oral skills are emphasized in the elementary school. All students learn vocabulary and structures which are practiced in situations appropriate to their age, maturity and grade level.
The ESOL Counseling Team provides itinerant multilingual counseling services to ESOL students. To ensure alignment, the team has regular and ongoing communication and training with the Guidance Unit in the Office of Special Education and Student Services (OSESS). The team also assists in the training of school-based counselors to work with ESOL students.
The ESOL Parent Services team provides itinerant multilingual outreach services to parents of English Language Learners to enable them to engage fully in the MCPS instructional program. The Parent Services Team is aligned with parent outreach functions of the OSESS; the Division of Family and Community Partnerships; the Division of Academic Support, Federal and State Programs; and the Division of Early Childhood Programs and Services.
Translation Unit
The Translation Unit provides translations of system wide documents and essential correspondence from schools related to student achievement, health, and security to improve access to service for parents who communicate best in languages other than English.
The Testing Center administers the state-mandated English language proficiency assessment to students whose native language is not Standard American English and who are referred by the International Student Admissions Office.
Parent Center
The ESOL Parent Center Team works collaboratively with the International Student Admissions Office to provide family intake services to new international families enrolling students in MCPS. The multilingual staff orients new families to MCPS and its instructional programs. The Parent Center Team also coordinates interpretation services for schools and offices.
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