We are so happy that you are here! Our team works together to help our multi-lingual scholars develop English-language skills so they can succeed in academic and social settings and prepare them to become successful graduates of Loudoun County Public Schools. In so doing, we will empower our scholars to make meaningful contributions to the world!   

Communication

If you have any questions about the EL program at Hutchison Farm Elementary, please e-mail or call us at (703) 957-4350. Please ask the front office for a translator if needed. You can obtain our individual e-mail addresses by searching in the staff directory. To learn about your scholar's EL teacher, please click on their name. If you are not sure who their EL teacher is, please be sure to reach out to us. Write to us in your preferred language, as we can get anything translated.

More information on the EL program is available from the LCPS Division of English Learners' website or via phone at (571) 252-1390. The division also has an outreach program for families and communities, which provides many helpful services. We strongly encourage you to participate in their monthly FACE meetings. Please click here, for more information: Family and Community Engagement (Face)

EL Eligibility

Eligibility for the EL program is based on information provided by parents or guardians when they register their child to attend LCPS. If they indicate on the registration form that other languages are spoken at home, LCPS will administer a screening test at a later date to determine the level of English language proficiency. If a student is found eligible to receive EL services, an appropriate program of instruction will be designed and provided. More information about the screening process can be found here: Welcome Center

Instructional Approach

The LCPS EL program endeavors to be inclusive: our students will spend the majority of their time in their homerooms with their peers in order to maintain rigor and not "miss out" on any content instruction. The homeroom teacher, working in conjunction with the grade-level EL teacher, may provide additional supports to aid instruction and assessment to ensure equity. Some students who need more English-language support may get pull-out instruction, but the time out of the classroom is kept to a minimum. 

We work with our students to build background knowledge and vocabulary, listen, speak, read and write in the target language as much as they can in order to improve proficiency. Small-group instruction occurs in the classroom or in a designated instructional space. Additionally, several of our students use an app known as Imagine Learning and we ask that they use this highly effective app in school daily for a minimum of 20 minutes. We also work closely with parents and guardians, holding conferences and communicating via e-mail and text (TalkingPoints) to update them on their scholar's progress. We also enjoy sharing pictures with you. We highly value and encourage your participation in their English-language development, including coming into the classroom to serve as a volunteer. If you feel more comfortable communicating in your home language, feel free to do so. We have access to interpreters, translators, and translation apps. We also speak many languages at Hutchison Farm, including Spanish. Please be sure to notify LCPS that you prefer communication in your home language.

How We Measure Progress          

 Student progress is evaluated every January through a series of tests called the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) ACCESS for English Language assessment.  The ACCESS assesses students' proficiency in social language, as well as the language of science, social studies, mathematics, and language arts.

Students receive EL support until they are able to demonstrate a level of English proficiency that allows them to work successfully in the regular classroom. It is important to note that while verbal proficiency may be acquired rapidly, proficiency in academic subjects may take much longer.

EL Program Completion

When students achieve a composite score of 4.4 or higher on the WIDA ACCESS, they are considered proficient and able to succeed with minimal EL services. They must demonstrate a high degree of fluency in the four domains of English: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Students who obtain a passing score are thus put on "monitor status". While they don't receive direct services, we will check in with their homeroom teachers over the next two years to ensure that their English-language skills meet expectations for their grade level. Monitor students no longer require annual WIDA testing unless we see regression.