Moving on Up with WIDA: Helping Near-Proficient English Learners Reach Full Proficiency
Abstract
Most (48%) of all the English learners (ELs) in the state are at Level 4 or the near proficient level/advanced level. However, there is much consternation that ELs struggle to move to the Fluent English Proficient (FEP) level or Level 5, which is necessary for them to be successful participants in mainstreamed classrooms. Indiana’s recent adoption of the World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) standards for ELs is timely because of its focus on two central elements critical for the students’ progression, namely maintaining language and academic achievement simultaneously and the assumption of shared responsibility of ESL and content area teachers in teaching the students. This article revisits teachers’ concerns for Level 4 students and suggests pathways of practice aligned with WIDA’s standards for classroom instruction and professional development.
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