• When we consider a student’s language proficiency, we consider four areas or modalities: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. We measure these skills annually in March using a State assessment called ACCESS. Interpreting scores is important for parents, teachers and students. Understanding what the levels mean helps us understand how language is developing and where support is needed. 

     

    We generally look at the results of this assessment in three ways: Oral proficiency, Literacy, and Comprehensive.  Oral Proficiency Score includes listening and speaking skills. These skills generally develop first in children who are pre-literate and can be acquired versus learned. The Literacy Score includes reading and writing. These skills require active teaching and learning. A student’s overall Comprehensive Score represents a combination of all four modalities. 

     

    Although there is a tendency to look at the Overall Comprehension Score to determine a student's English Language Proficiency (ELP) level, it is more important for instruction to consider each individual modality and the grade level of the students. For example, students with high Oral Scores with low Literacy Skills  send up a red flag that the student needs additional support.  Each year these scores are provided to the parents and to the teachers. Discussing these annual performance scores at parent conferences can help show families how they can support their students at home. Individual student reports are available in multiple languages.