Entrance Policy

The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that a Home Language Survey (HLS) be completed at the time of registration. The HLS will inform the school of a student’s dominant language. If the dominant language is not English, the student will be evaluated with the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT). The W-APT measures English language proficiency and helps determine whether or not the student is in need of English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction.

The W-APT measures English proficiency levels in the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing. It also provides a composite score to describe the student’s overall language proficiency level, as follows:

• Level 1 - Entering 
• Level 2 - Emerging 
• Level 3 - Developing 
• Level 4 - Expanding 
• Level 5 - Bridging
• Level 6 - Reaching

ELD services are indicated when the student scores less than 4.6 on the W-APT. The ELD evaluator, the ESL teacher and guidance personnel work together to develop a schedule for the student upon placement in the ELD program.

The Performance Definitions frame the English language proficiency standards and provide criteria that shape each of the six levels. The Resource Guide: Performance Definitions (PDF) provides more detail about the terminology associated with this evaluation.
 

Performance CAN DO Descriptors