North Providence School Department
2240 Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence, Rhode Island 02911
Phone: (401) 233-1100 | Fax: (401) 233-1106 |TDD: (800) 745-6575

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English Language Learners

NPSD’s English Language Learner program supports students who speak other languages, are learning English, and who may have recently moved to the United States.

Federal regulations mandate that schools assess English language learners each year in grades K-12.
Rhode Island is a member of WIDA, a multi-state partnership that has created an English language proficiency test called: ACCESS for ELs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication State to State for English Learners).
ACCESS for ELs is administered each year to any student who is receiving EL support and/or any ELL student who has been waived from EL programming. The ACCESS scores are used to determine the ELL students’ proficiency levels and progress in English language acquisition.
Scores are used to drive instruction and services for the next school year and provide important data that enhances instruction and learning in supports for ELs.
When an EL student reaches English proficiency determined by the ACCESS score and other exit criteria, he/she will exit the ELL program and be monitored for two years by an ELL specialist.