Learning to Speak the Language

May 14, 2012

Federal accountability provisions require states to establish accountability systems for English language programs in school districts that support EL students. Unfortunately, current federal requirements exceed the technical resources of many states and districts. WIDA researcher Gary Cook and colleagues have co-authored a federal report that illustrates several methods state policymakers, standard-setting panels, and technical advisory panels can use to do this work. The document addresses analytical methods for determining meaningful English language performance standards; methods for establishing a realistic time frame for attaining performance standards; and how to account for students’ EL proficiency level when setting academic progress and proficiency goals. More information is available here.