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
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Based on how a student performs on each language modality, he/she will be placed into one of the following levels:
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Entering (beginner)
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Emerging (beginner)
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Transitioning (intermediate)
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Expanding (advanced)
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*Commanding (proficient)
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Why is this important?
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Once a student scores Commanding, he/she has passed the NYSESLAT and has passed out of the ESL program.
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A student must pass the NYSESLAT in order to graduate from high school and go to college.
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If a student never passes the NYSESLAT, he/she will have to take additional English exams and classes to enter college.
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The NYSESLAT is more difficult in high school (grades 9-12), which is why this test should be taken very seriously in middle school.