Student Support Services
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
The Dexter Community School District provides an appropriate planned instructional program for identified students whose dominant language is not English.
The goal of the ELL Program is to provide English Language Learners with instructional support that will enable them to participate fully in their educational experience in our schools and in their social lives in our community.
The objectives of the ELL program are to develop both basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP), to develop proficiency in the language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, to develop competence in intercultural interactions, and to encourage participation in the full range of instructional activities in the regular education curriculum and in extracurricular activities in our schools.
Currently we have several ELL teachers in our district who are providing services to our ELL students, including Martina Bricio, Janine Comella, and Emily Xu.
Assessment of English language learners
The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs is MDE’s standardized, state-wide test that assesses the progress of English language learners on an annual basis. Every student identified as an ELL K-12 participates in the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs.
WIDA/W-APT Resources
Here is the link to: WIDA site to access W-APT testing materials and scoring guidelines.
Home Language Survey
For more information about our ESL program please contact:
Janine Comella, EL Program Coordinator
(734)424-4240
comellaj@dexterschools.org
EL Program Coordinator
Janine Comella has been an educator at Dexter Community Schools since 2002. She began at Mill Creek teaching World Cultures (Spanish, French and German) and since then has taught World Cultures in all grade levels from up to 8th grade. In 2011 Janine earned her endorsement in English as a Second Language from Cornerstone University. Since then she has taught EL in all grade levels. She has a passion for designing individual plans that support each student and the classroom teacher. Janine earned a bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University in German and a master's degree in the Art of Education from the University of Michigan. She enjoys domestic and international travel, biking, and spending time on the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.
734-424-4100 ext. 3127, 7315
EL Support Teacher
Emily Xu has served as an EL support staff and a Mandarin Chinese teacher in the Dexter Community Schools since 2015. She holds an undergraduate degree in English Education and a Master's degree in Foreign Languages & Applied Linguistics from China. In 2017, she earned her Master's degree in Master of Arts in Teaching majoring in Secondary Education, followed by a post-master's degree in Educational Specialist in Leadership from Oakland University in 2020. Currently, she teaches Mandarin and ESL and also works as a support teacher at Mill Creek. Emily and her husband, Hui, have a son and a daughter who attend Dexter Schools. In her spare time, she finds joy in traveling, exploring museums, going hiking, and spending time with her family and friends.
734-424-4150
SECTION 504
Section 504 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal law prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities. For a student to qualify for protection under this law, he/she must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his or her major life activities. Major life activities include (but are not limited to) the following:
The referral process includes:
- Referral
- Evaluation
- Eligibility Determination
- Section 504 Plan (if eligible)
- Annual review of 504 plan
- Re-evaluation (At least every 3 years)
Members of the evaluation team may include: 504 coordinator, staff, personnel, and teachers who know the student and his/her situation, parent(s)/guardian(s), school nurse, other individuals who know the student and the student (if appropriate).
If you feel your child should be referred and evaluated for a Section 504 accommodation plan, please contact the building or district coordinator.
Dexter Community Schools Section 504 Coordinators
Please contact one of the following staff members if you have questions regarding the referral process:
District Coordinator Adrian Edwards
(734) 424-4240 ext. 7036
edwardsa@dexterschools.org
edwardsa@dexterschools.org
Dexter Early Education Complex
(734) 424-4120
504 Coordinator Jill Covington covingtonj@dexterschools.org
Principal Brooke Stidham stidhamb@dexterschools.org ext. 3001
Assistant Principal Katie Heikkila heikkilak@dexterschools.org ext. 2001
Wylie Elementary
(734) 424-4140
Counselor Mollie Kemp kempm@dexterschools.org ext. 4202
Creekside Intermediate
(734) 424-4160
Counselor Carrie Ragnes ragnesc@dexterschools.org ext. 6323
Counselor Carrie Ragnes ragnesc@dexterschools.org ext. 6323
Assistant Principal Abby Holland hollanda@dexterschools.org ext. 6002
Mill Creek Middle School
(734) 424-4150
Assistant Principal Brett Pedersen pedersenb@dexterschools.org ext. 5002
Assistant Principal Brett Pedersen pedersenb@dexterschools.org ext. 5002
Dexter High School
(734) 424-4240
Assistant Principal Lauren Thompson thompsonl@dexterschools.org ext. 7002
Assistant Principal Lauren Thompson thompsonl@dexterschools.org ext. 7002
READING INTERVENTION
Reading Intervention (TITLE I)
The Title I program is designed to help disadvantaged children meet high academic standards by participating in either a schoolwide or targeted assistance program. Schoolwide programs are implemented in high-poverty schools following a year of planning with external technical assistance and use Title I funds to upgrade the entire educational program of the school. Targeted assistance programs provide supplementary instruction to children who are failing or most at risk of failing to meet the district's core academic curriculum standards. In Dexter Community Schools we utilize a targeted assistance program. School-based decision-making, professional development, and parent involvement are important components of our district's Title I program. Students are selected for reading intervention support based on NWEA, Fountas and Pinnell and classroom data.
Read by Grade 3 Law Resources
- Michigan Department of Education website
- Facts for Families (English)
- Facts for Families (Spanish)
Intervention eligibility process
K-2 - First and second grader intervention eligibility is determined by a multi-criteria approach using district assessment and a universal screener. This data includes the NWEA and a child’s current reading level. Reading level is determined by the classroom teacher using Fountas and Pinnell reading assessment. Kindergarten students are eligible for intervention during the winter and spring support rounds. This provides kindergarten students with adequate amount of time to adjust to the school environment. It also allows for classroom teachers to initiate classroom interventions. Kindergarten eligibility is determined using a variety of district assessments which include: letter/sound identification, rhyme, blending and segmenting. The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) is also used to determine eligibility.
3-4 - A student’s intervention eligibility is determined by a multi-criteria approach using district assessments and a universal screener. This data includes the NWEA and a child’s current reading level. Reading level is determined by the classroom teacher, using the Lucy Calkins or Fountas and Pinnell reading assessment. ADD ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED (ASK CRAIG)
The following staff assist with reading intervention at the elementary level:
K-2 reading intervention support at the DEEC
Karen Porter (need picture and bio)
734-424-4120 ext. 2218, 3220 (School)
porterk@dexterschools.org
3-4 reading intervention support at Wylie
Laura Armbruster (need picture and bio)
K-2 reading intervention support at the DEEC
Megan Hendricks has been teaching since 1999. She strives to build strong relationships with students and provide personalized learning opportunities. She is passionate about working with struggling readers. In 2002, Mrs. Hendricks earned her Master’s degree with a specialty in reading. She is highly collaborative and works closely with classroom teachers and parents to best meet the needs of her students. She also brings personal experience as a mother of a child who struggled during early elementary school.
hendricksm@dexterschools.org
3-4 reading intervention support at Wylie
Jessica Savoni is a Michigan State graduate who began her career in Dexter Community Schools in 2012. Mrs. Savoni worked as a kindergarten teacher for five years before becoming Wylie’s reading interventionist. Her early childhood experiences have molded her teaching style to incorporate students’ social and emotional needs while making reading fun! Mrs. Savoni strives to provide students’ with appropriate reading tools so they can independently transfer their knowledge into the classroom setting. She also works to build students’ literacy confidence so they are able to take reading risks. Mrs. Savoni’s ultimate goal is for all of her students to leave her classroom with a love of reading.
734-424-4140 ext. 4051 (School)
savonij@dexterschools.org
HOMELESS/TRANSIENT STudents
The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students.
Under the act, children in homeless situations have the right to:
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Receive a free, appropriate public education;
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Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment;
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Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents;
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Enroll in the local school, or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is your preference and is feasible. (If the school district believes that the school you select is not in the best interest of your children, then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal that decision.)
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Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this;
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Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children's needs.
Complete the Temporary Residence Statement in PowerSchool during registration or complete the Temporary Residence Statement form at any time and return to your school counselor or principal to see if your family qualifies for this status.
For more information, please read the National Center for Homeless Education McKinney Vento Guide: