ESOL instructional models vary from school to school and from class to class, in an effort to effectively meet the needs of ESOL students. Choosing the instructional model that is the best fit for the ESOL students in a school building will depend on several factors, including the students’ proficiency levels and the number/distribution of ESOL students and teachers at the school.

It is recommended that collaborative discussions take place between the ESOL teacher, school administration, and classroom teachers so that the academic and linguistic needs of the ESOL students are being adequately addressed to ensure their success. There are various instructional models that can be effectively implemented in your school’s ESOL program. The pull-out, plug-in, and self-contained models can be used, with flexibility, to create a student-centered program. A combination of more than one instructional model may also be used to meet the linguistic needs of ESOL students at a school.

Pull-Out Instructional Model
In a pull-out model, the ESOL teacher instructs students outside of the general education classroom in an ESOL classroom. This model of instruction is best for beginning and intermediate students, enabling the teacher to provide intensive language instruction that builds the communication skills and confidence of these students as they develop their oral language and receive instruction that specifically addresses their linguistic needs.

It is recommended that students be pulled for instruction during the literacy block when students are assigned to centers, writer’s workshop, or independent activities. Students should NOT be pulled during guided reading. Time allotted for pull-out instruction varies. Beginners should be seen most frequently (e.g., every day for a minimum of 50 minutes).

As ESOL teachers design their schedules, they should use language and achievement data to make instructional placement decisions for their students. Teachers should analyze these data points when developing their schedules:

• Number of students at specific English language proficiency levels (e.g., using LAS Links)
• Number of ESOL students at specific grade levels
• Literacy levels and achievement data of ESOL students

Plug-In Instructional Model
In a plug-in model, the ESOL teacher instructs students in the general education classroom. This may include co-teaching the whole class with the certified classroom teacher or instructing small groups of ESOL students during independent work/center time. The plug-in instructional model provides opportunities for intermediate or advanced ESOL students who have mastered basic communication skills, to participate in complex academic tasks through scaffolding provided by the ESOL teacher. This model is most effective when co-planning with the classroom teacher takes place on a regular basis.

Sheltered Instruction Model
In the self-contained model, or sheltered instructional model, students remain with the ESOL teacher in the ESOL classroom for an entire instructional block. In some cases, the ESOL students are instructed by the ESOL teacher for the entire literacy block, when ESOL is combined with balanced literacy instruction. The ESOL teacher must be dually certified in ESOL and elementary education. This instructional model is most often used to meet the language and literacy needs of ESOL students in the Multidisciplinary Education, Training, and Support (METS) Program.

Consult Model
In the consult model, ESOL students with special needs do not receive direct instruction from an ESOL teacher. The ESOL teacher provides indirect language development support through collaboration with the classroom teacher and special educator to avoid fragmentation of the student’s instructional day. Any decision to use the consult model must be made in collaboration with the ESOL supervisor in central office. Please contact Sonja Bloetner, supervisor of ESOL Instruction.

Considerations for the Implementation of ESOL Instructional Models
At any level of proficiency, a combination of instructional models may be implemented to take advantage of the benefits of the various models. Pre-planning in the master scheduling process is absolutely critical to ensure the success of the ESOL instructional model that has been selected for the school. In addition to this, co-planning between the ESOL and classroom teacher on a regular basis can ensure that optimal language and content instruction is taking place for ESOL students. Use language and achievement data to determine which instructional model best meets the needs of your ESOL students.

Both the pull-out and plug-in models offer various advantages. The plug-in instructional model allows you to collaborate within the classroom setting; the pull-out instructional model allows you to provide more focused, specialized English language development instruction for ESOL students in a separate setting. For beginners and some intermediate students, pull-out instruction is highly recommended. The plug-in model can be very effective with students at high intermediate and advanced proficiency levels when students are more effectively able to access academic language in the general education classroom and participate in classroom discourse. The instructional models in a school may vary based on the number of ESOL teacher assigned to a school (e.g., 1–2 ESOL teachers: mostly pull out vs. 6–9 ESOL teachers: mostly plug-in).

Updated November 17, 2009| Maintained by William_J_Prather@mcpsmd.org