Scenario Response 3

The student who studied extensively will either be non-alphabet literate or Roman alphabet literate depending on her home country’s language. She will most likely need some support, but not for a long period of time as she will be able to catch up academically much more quickly than a student who does not have formal schooling.

The student who was uprooted when civil war broke out may only be semiliterate in their native tongue. They may struggle with adapting to a routine in school and if they experienced war firsthand, they may suffer from trauma triggers, anxiety, and other psychological issues. They will most likely not be at or near grade level academically in their home language.

For both students they will need to take the home language survey, as well as the WIDA test to gauge their language abilities. By having them complete the WIDA test then the accommodations and scaffolding that each student needs will be listed according to their score.

For the first student with extensive schooling in her native language, she will most likely score higher on the WIDA and may be able to be added to regular classes with an ESOL course to support her. It depends on whether her native language uses the Roman alphabet or not.

For the second student with interrupted schooling, they will probably score lower on the WIDA test and will most likely need to be in sheltered classes until they get up to a level where they can be in regular courses with ESOL support.

In my district all of this is handled by the administrators and guidance counselors. I really have no say on when an ESOL student is ready to enter my classroom.