During the month of September and throughout the school year, students new to Northvail School as well as our kindergarteners who are non-native speakers of English are given the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners) Placement Test (W-APT), which is a state assessment used to determine the English language proficiency of our ESL students. Classroom teacher recommendation and parental request are also criteria for entrance into the ESL program. Our new ESL students and returning students from the previous school year are then grouped according to language proficiency.

The ESL program is a "pull-out" program in which students are taken out of their mainstream classroom for 30 minutes of English instruction each day. Beginner students receive one hour of instruction daily. In March, all students take an annual assessment to determine their English language proficiency level. Those who score above the cut-score and/or have made significant progress in developing their English language skills are exited from the program. 

Throughout the school year, students are actively engaged in learning the English language. We focus on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Quite often, these skills are presented in lessons that revolve around seasonal or holiday themes so that not only are the students' language skills promoted, but they learn about the American culture as well.