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NYSESLAT exam

Each student will be required to take the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) starting in April 2019. This exam will gauge student growth in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and assess areas for improvement.

NYSESLAT levels

  • Based on how a student performs on each language modality, he/she will be placed into one of the following levels:

    • Entering (beginner)

    • Emerging (beginner)

    • Transitioning (intermediate)

    • Expanding (advanced)

    • *Commanding (proficient)
       

Why is this important?

  • Once a student scores Commanding, he/she has passed the NYSESLAT and has passed out of the ESL program.

  • A student must pass the NYSESLAT in order to graduate from high school and go to college.

  • If a student never passes the NYSESLAT, he/she will have to take additional English exams and classes to enter college.

  • The NYSESLAT is more difficult in high school (grades 9-12), which is why this test should be taken very seriously in middle school.

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