Content teachers face many challenges, one of them being expectations for their ELL students. "What can they do?" and "How much can I expect from them?" are questions I often hear from teachers who have ELLs in their classes.
In Pennsylvania, all ELL students take the WIDA ACCESS test each year to measure their English proficiency. The ELL teacher in your building receives a detailed report that can help you to see the students strengths and weaknesses in their English Proficiency (for example, maybe their listening comprehension is a weakness while their oral production skills are a strength).
Also, WIDA has produced the Can-Do Descriptors that accompany the student's score. Very easily, the teacher can see what a certain student is capable of based on their WIDA score in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
**It is important to note that the Can-Do Descriptors are a great starting point, but nothing can replace knowing your students. Though the WIDA ACCESS score is a great place to begin, as with all assessments, multiple measures are the best judge of student ability**
If you click on the link below, you can find the Can-Do Descriptors mentioned in this post.
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