• ELIGIBILITY PROCEDURES

    In order to be eligible for English Learner (EL) services, the State of Minnesota requires that a student (1) has a home language other than English and (2) be determined by developmentally appropriate measures to lack the necessary English skills to participate fully in classes taught in English.

    The following procedures are used by Glencoe- Silver Lake Schools to determine student eligibility for the English Learner program:

    1. A student is identified as a potential EL by the Home Language Questionnaire.
    2. The student's English language proficiency is assessed using the WIDA Screener or W-APT (Kindergarten).
    3. Based on the WIDA screener score a student may be placed in the English Learner program.
    4. The student's parents are notified of the results.
    5. The EL student is placed in the English Learner Program.
    6. The student is exited from EL services based on his/her performance on the WIDA ACCESS 2.0 English language proficiency test which is administered to all EL students annually.

     

    LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS

    District 2859 recognizes the language performance descriptors provided by the WIDA Consortium as adopted by the Minnesota Department of Education. Click here to see the current language performance definitions.

     

    ASSESSMENT AND TESTING

    EL teachers carefully track the academic performance and language proficiency of EL students. The main indicators used are the WIDA Screener, the WIDA ACCESS 2.0, and ongoing assessment by the EL teacher and classroom/content area teachers.

    • WIDA Screener: The initial assessment is the WIDA Screener. This placement test is given to a student only once. It measures the English language development of a student and helps determine whether or not a student qualifies for EL instructional services.
    • WIDA ACCESS  2.0:  The annual state assessment for ELs is the WIDA ACCESS 2.0.  This is an English language proficiency assessment for Grades K–12. The test is administered every year to help school districts monitor the English language development of students identified as English language learners.
    • Ongoing Assessments: EL teachers continually monitor the progress of their students through daily interaction and class time. EL teachers regularly consult with EL students' classroom teachers to target any problem areas where a student may need additional instruction or support. EL teachers also track student performance on standardized district and state tests.