The document discusses the process of identifying English Language Learners (ELLs) in schools. It begins by explaining that the first step is sending home a Home Language Survey to determine if a student speaks a language other than English at home. Issues with solely relying on this survey are identified, such as parents not accurately reporting home languages. The document then explains that ELL testing must be age-appropriate and assess listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities. It highlights the importance of also testing students in their primary language to best plan instruction. Considerations for the identification process like timing, administration and follow up are discussed. The document concludes by providing an example of identification issues at one school where not all ELL siblings are receiving proper

1. IdentificationofELLs
By:
Megan Cervini, Alexandra Johnson, and Michelle Pope

2. HomeLanguageSurvey
The first step in identifying English language learners
(ELLs) is to send home a home language survey.
This survey allows administration to know if the student
speaks a language other than English at home.
Ideally, a parent would be walked through the survey in order
to ensure accurate answers.
The NYC home language identification survey can be found
here:
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2CF11E0F-BDBE-4DCB-9E7B-
7452A6AB6CDF/0/HLIS_5_24_07_ENGLISH.pdf

3. ProblemswithHomeLanguageSurvey
● It should not be the only means of identifying ELs
● Parents can indicate if they want their child to only
speak English
● Parents may fear that their child will not be able to
attend their school and their child won’t be treated like
other students
● When a school suspects a student is an EL there must be
an assessment

4. IdentificationTesting
● Testing must be age appropriate and also assess the student's’ ability to
listen, read, write,and speak English
● Not uncommon for students to test proficient in listening and speaking but
not reading and writing
● Purpose of assessments consist of:
○ Identifying a student’s need for EL services
○ Establishing and EL’s English Proficiency
○ Determining the number of ELs in a district and their English language and
learning needs
○ Examples of Tests: Bilingual Syntax Measure (BSM) of listening and speaking;
IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT); Language Assessment Scales (LAS); WIDA_ACCESS

5. Assessment inPrimaryLanguage
● Helpful to test students in both their primary language
and English→ This is critical for planning and
implementing Bilingual Programs
● Provides key information about a student’s ability to
listen, speak, read, and write in both languages
● The Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM)
created in California→ The purpose was to assess
students’ ability to listen and speak in any language
● Helpful for assessing the primary languages of students
who speak languages other than English & Spanish

6. Assessment inPrimaryLanguagecont.
● Administering SOLOM
○ An assessor observes a student engaging in listening and speaking
tasks and then rates the students’ skills in these tasks based on the
five language areas: comprehension, fluency, vocabulary,
pronunciation, and grammar
○ The assessor must be proficient in the language being tested
○ Reading and writing should be accompanied along with SOLOM
○ Administration can create their own identification assessments in
English or other languages in which staff members are proficient

7. IdentificationConsiderations
When should we test?
Identification testing should be done as soon as possible. A good rule of thumb is to
assess a student within his or her first five days at school.
1. It allows a school to determine programming needs as soon as possible.
2. It enables students who have been identified as ELs to receive appropriate
programming as soon as possible.
Who should conduct the testing?
-ESL and bilingual education teachers are trained to administer identification
testing and should be the ones to do it.
-In the absence of this, school administrators must make every effort to assign and
train staff to do this task.
-Whoever is assigned to do it must be proficient in the language that is being
tested.

8. IdentificationConsiderationsCont.
How do we test?
-Test administration can range from minutes to hours.
-The older the student & the higher the language proficiency the longer the test will
take.
-Testing should be done in a comfortable, quiet environment to ensure accurate results.
-Be sure to document test findings and track student growth.
What to do after the test?
-Conduct a parent and/or student interview, with proper translating/interpreting services,
to determine prior schooling and other background knowledge.

9. IdentificationofELLsatPS347
ELLs are identified by sending home a home language survey.
Parents are then responsible to fill it out and return it to
the school.
Based on home language, students may then be recommended for
ESL services without further identification testing.
Currently, there are only a handful of students at PS347 who
receive ESL services from our ESL teacher.

10. IdentificationofELLsatPS347Cont.
Many of the parents at our school are uneducated themselves
and may struggle to appropriately complete the home language
survey.
For example, there are three siblings at the school: one in
kindergarten, one in fourth grade, and one in fifth grade.
The student in kindergarten is identified as an ELL and
receives ESL instruction, however, the fourth and fifth
grader do not. It is all because of how the form was filled
out by the parents.