As the pressure mounts to raise academic scores and improve graduation rates for all students, there is growing emphasis on closing the achievement gap for English Language Learners. Educators are challenged to offer effective solutions for ELL students who struggle with academic coursework while they are developing proficiency in English.

Provide Scaffolding to Increase Comprehension

Apex Learning offers online courses with extensive scaffolding for students who are not proficient in English. Controlled vocabulary and syntax, chunked text, and short page lengths with limited scrolling facilitate reading comprehension. The option to listen to instructional text read aloud in English (and in Spanish for math courses), rollover vocabulary supporting academic language proficiency, the use of media to provide multiple representations of concepts, and interactive self-assessments with immediate feedback provide critical assistance to ELL students.

Match Instruction to Individual Student Needs

Depending on the formal education received in their native country, their first-language literacy level, and their level of English proficiency, ELL students come to school with an especially diverse range of skills and knowledge. Apex Learning multiple course pathways make it possible to provide the right level of instruction to meet the unique needs of each ELL student.

• Develop Literacy and Math Skills with Age-Appropriate Content. Designed specifically for students ages 13 years and older, Foundations courses provide structured remediation focused on developing reading, writing, and math skills and strategies appropriate to grades 3 to 8, preparing basic- and intermediate-level ELL students for grade-level academic content.

• Support Success in Required High School Courses. Literacy Advantage courses in math, science, English, and social studies provide embedded literacy scaffolding. This scaffolding supports ELL students at the basic or intermediate level in comprehending grade-level academic content and progressing in high school courses required for graduation while simultaneously developing their capacity as readers and writers.

• Foster Higher Achievement for More Proficient ELL Students. The learning scaffolding in the Apex Learning Core courses benefits intermediate- or advanced-level ELL students who are more capable but may still not be achieving to their potential in their academic coursework because they are not fully proficient in English.