iLearn Schools believes that all students are capable of academic and social excellence. Each school’s goal is to effectively collaborate with teachers and parents, while developing learning strategies and behavior intervention plans that help students reach their maximum potentials.
The special education department has enforced specific policies and procedures to ensure that all children with disabilities in the jurisdiction of iLearn Schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, are identified, located, and evaluated. iLearn Schools continues to implement a comprehensive system of “Child Find”, and the school’s personnel actively lookout for students with disabilities or developmental delays to ensure that proper identification and evaluation measures are in place.
Generally, students who exhibit academic and/or behavioral difficulties are first brought to the attention of the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) team. The I&RS Team’s approach requires a collaborative school effort between administration, teachers, and parents to intervene when a student has been identified as making minimal academic and/or emotional progress in the regular education setting.
If the I&RS process exhausts all of the available school based regular education interventions with minimal success, the student is often referred to the Child Study Team (CST) for a comprehensive psychological, educational, social, and linguistic evaluation in order to gather additional information as well as to determine if the student is eligible for special education and related services. The recommendation for a CST evaluation can come directly from the I&RS team or from the parent at any time during the process. Prior to conducting any assessment as a part of initial evaluation, iLearn Schools obtains consent to evaluate. If the parent refuses to provide consent to conduct an initial evaluation, iLearn Schools considers the due process hearing pursuant to N.J.A.C.6A14-2.7 to compel to consent evaluation.
If a child is found to be eligible for Special education services, development and implementation of the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is completed for the student within 90 calendar days. The IEP is developed by the IEP team according to N.J.A.C.6A:14-2.3(K). The plan is reviewed with the parent(s), student, and the class teacher, and includes specific learning, social, and emotional goals for each student that correlate with the Core Curriculum Standards for his or her grade level. The student is then reevaluated every three years.
For further details about the Special education policies and procedures, as well as any questions around Special Education, please contact the Department Director’s office at our central office.
iLearn Schools serves a diverse population; therefore, the ESL program has been designated to increase English language proficiency for students whose native language is not English. iLearn schools strive to create a learning environment that encourages adaptation into the second language and culture, while maintaining respect for and pride in their cultural and linguistic heritage.
The ESL program delivers comprehensive instruction so that English Language Learners (ELLs) can attain the goals and outcomes as set forth by WIDA English Language Development Standards (ELD) and Common Core Standards (CCS).
Programs for ELLs are designed to provide the ELLs with opportunities to reach high expectations by granting equal access to quality education, while recognizing diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and experiences.
iLearn Schools’ ESL program’s objectives are set to improve the ELL’s social communication skills and cognitive academic language proficiency by developing proficiency in the four domains of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, while encouraging participation in instructional activities in general education classes and extracurricular activities. iLearn School’s ESL program utilizes numerous digital and paper-based resources, including, but not limited to, Penguin Readers CDs and books, News ela website, which is designed to improve Reading comprehension, and the Enhanced ELL solution program.
Each ELL’s pace varies in second language acquisition. The differential language acquisition of these students in the language domains must be taken into consideration for instructional planning and assessment. Attainment of academic standards for ELLs is possible if there is shared responsibility and collaboration based on common understanding and mutual goals among all teachers who serve ELLs.
iLearn Schools has a set of grading, accommodation & modification guidelines for ELLs, which is a collection of resources for general education teachers to better support ELLs, and adjust anticipation in mainstream classes.
iLearn Schools provides an English as a Second Language (ESL) Program which ensures that all Limited English Proficient (LEP) students as defined in the NJAC 6A:16 are provided with a free, appropriate public education as defined in NJSA 18A:35-15 to 26. iLearn Schools has developed a screening process, initiated by a home language survey, to determine which students in grades kindergarten through 12th must be tested to assess English language proficiency. Students of all grades who are not screened out must be tested using the WIDA MODEL. In addition, the following indicators must be considered (multiple measures): level of reading in English; previous academic performance; achievement on standardized tests in English; and teacher’s judgment. Students who do not meet the Department standard on a Department-approved language proficiency test and who have at least one other indicator, are considered candidates for the ESL program. State and federal law require parental notification and consent for placement in a language assistance program.
iLearn Schools has implemented an ESL-Only Program that is a daily developmental second language program of up to two periods of instruction based on each student’s language proficiency. The ESL-Only program teaches aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing in English using second language teaching techniques, and incorporates the cultural aspects of the students' experiences in the ESL instruction. A period is the time allocated in the school schedule for instruction in core subjects. Students whose language proficiency levels are entering or emerging are pulled out from their content area class for ESL instruction. Inclusion support during the content area instruction is provided for students whose language proficiency levels are developing or expanding. Depending on the student’s English language proficiency, he or she may be placed in either an inclusion or pull-out program.
The application process for the following school year starts by September of the current year. iLearn Schools does not discriminate in its admission policies or practices on the basis of intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, status as a handicapped person, proficiency in the English language or any other basis that would be illegal if used by a district board of education.
*We are currently accepting applications for 2024-2025