Identification and Placement

On registering for school, all families are required to fill out a home language survey indicating the language(s) used at home and in different contexts. When a language other than English is listed, the building administrative assistant forwards the survey to the EL teacher.

The EL teacher follows up in a variety of ways, which can include:

• contacting the student’s former and current teachers
• reviewing files from previous schools
• speaking with the family
• observing the student in class
• conducting a formal assessment

If testing reveals that the student has limited English proficiency in any of the language areas (listening, speaking, reading, or writing) and teacher/family comments are consistent with the findings, the student enters the ELE Program and is identified as an English Learner.

Based on their abilities, an EL is placed at one of four English proficiency levels: Entering (Level 1), Emerging (Level 2), Developing (Level 3), or Expanding (Level 4). The level placement will be re-evaluated by EL staff at the end of each academic year. When a student meets the criteria for Former English Learner (FEL) status, they exit the ELE program and no longer receive direct EL instruction. An EL teacher will then monitor their academic progress for four years.

Exit criteria include:

• Good academic standing
• Teacher recommendation
• ACCESS test results: A minimum score of 4 in all language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), with a cumulative score of 4.5
• MCAS scores at least Partially Meeting in all subject areas