Placement Exams

Middle and high school students who do not speak English as a native language will be tested prior to entry to determine if they require enrollment into the English Language Development (ELD) program. Admission will be complete once the school determines if it can support the student’s academic needs. Students will only be able to enroll as a full time middle and high school student once they complete the ELD program.

The ELD department supports incoming students with limited or no proficiency in English  in developing their English and academic skills. The ELD program is an intensive English (EAP) instruction designed to teach students so they may acquire the language and communications skills necessary to successfully participate in the mainstream classroom from middle school to grade twelve.

ELD students are assigned in ELD levels after placement testing, and appropriate placement is based on the student’s level of English literacy/proficiency. Teachers provide student-centered instruction to support the acquisition of skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. ELD students move into sheltered courses (e.g., Algebra, Geometry etc.) upon satisfactory completion of the Intermediate B program. Instructors in both the ELD and mainstream classes will work collaboratively to ensure students’ success in both English and content classes.

Students are encouraged to attend ELD after-school programs that help students in overcoming their challenges in their English language acquisition. ELD students move on to the next level upon demonstrating established proficiency in all four skills, getting satisfactory results in their SLEP tests and having satisfactorily completed the requirements in their ELD classes. Students will “graduate” or exit out of the ELD program after completing the Advance B level. Their performance continues to be monitored, however, and they may be re-enrolled, if they need additional help.