English Learners (EL)

EL Program Goal

The goal for the school district's English Learner (EL) program is to ensure that students will be prepared to experience success in all areas of the curriculum while maintaining their cultural identity.  EL instruction emphasizes improving academic English reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, and strives to honor ethnic identity.  EL students are provided with authentic opportunities to use the English language in a variety of academic and social contexts.  

Over 4% of students in the Menomonie Area School District speak a language other than English as their primary home language.   A significant number of these K-12 students need assistance to be successful with the English-only K-12 curriculum. EL instruction emphasizes improving English reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, and strives to honor ethnic identity.  EL students are provided with authentic opportunities to use the English language in a variety of academic and social contexts.  

English Learner Identification

Home Language Survey (HLS)

The HLS is designed to help identify students for whom a limited exposure to English may serve as a barrier to academic success. The HLS does not make a final determination of EL status. It is the first step in the process.

Kindergarten

Screener: WIDA Kindergarten Screener
First Semester Kindergarten evaluates oral components only; Listening and Speaking
Second Semester Kindergarten evaluates oral and literacy skills; Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Eligibility Requirements for EL Program: An overall composite score below 5.0

Grades 1 to 12

Screener: WIDA Screener (Online or paper)
Assess all four domains Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Eligibility Requirements for EL Program: Overall Composite score is below 5.0

English Learners (EL) in School District of the Menomonie Area

• Over 4.1% of our students speak a language other than English
• Over 8 languages are spoken by current EL students
• The most spoken languages are Hmong and Spanish. Others include Chinese, German, Arabic, Ukrainian, Turkish, and Vietnamese

Exit (Reclassification)

• Annual ACCESS for ELLs: Measures growth in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• Students exit when either:
  • Their overall composite score is 5.0 or higher, or
  • They have a borderline score (4.5–4.9) and demonstrate proficiency on the Multiple Indicator Protocol (MIP) (classroom evidence, writing samples, teacher input).
• Monitoring: After reclassification, students are monitored for two years to ensure continued academic success.