Initial Placement

According to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is a violation if Multilingual Learner students are retained for failure to demonstrate basic skills in English.  The same policies that apply to all students in the school system regarding age-appropriate grade placement should also be followed for ML students.

In accordance with the “Office of Civil Rights Guidelines”, Danbury Public Schools place students in grades according to their chronological age in Kindergarten through eighth grade. The student's grade-level placement is based on academic readiness and age. Students will be placed within the most age-appropriate grade level for student success and integration among his/her peers. Regardless of prior schooling, the student will not be placed any lower than his/her age-appropriate placement. 

Grade placement is made at the time of registration by the registrar at Central Registration in coordination with the ESL Test Examiner utilizing an Age-Grade chart. Students will be assigned to age-appropriate classes and not on the basis of English proficiency. Students are placed in this manner in order to give students peer support and maximize ESL teacher/classroom teacher collaboration.

At the high school level, guidance counselors evaluate student’s transcripts and historical grades in order to best determine initial placement for students. The student’s academic and language support needs, and English proficiency assessment results are reviewed to help make appropriate placements.

High school placement is not determined by age beyond 9th grade. K-9 Grade placement is age-appropriate and distinct from program placement. We do not penalize students by their country’s placement or schooling schedule.