Best practices are intended to support multilingual learners (MLs) in all classes, no matter their proficiency level. These strategies are expected to be used by all teachers within lessons, assignments, and assessments to support MLs and all learners. Best practices are strategies that educators can quickly implement within daily instruction, activities, and classroom assessments.

Description

Alternative Assigments or Assessments may be used as a temporary modification. This best practice can be appropriate for a Student with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) or a newcomer: “Districts may use a curriculum that temporarily emphasizes English language acquisition over other subjects, but any interim academic deficits in other subjects must be remedied within a reasonable length of time” (EL Toolkit, Chapter 4). However, long-term modifications are not allowable for students seeking a South Carolina high school diploma.

Examples:

• The student is provided an alternate text or assessment.
• The teacher uses simplified text to teach and assess below grade-level standards.
• A translated copy of a text is provided to the student.
• The text is different from other students' text and is used to teach or assess below grade-level standards.

	Teacher	Student
	The teacher explicitly plans to do the following: provide alternative assignment or assessment based on the student's language proficiency and exposure to a United States school setting	The student may: be assessed with an alternative assessment complete a modified assessment

 

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	Teacher	Student
	"We will use this shortened text to review the idea."	"I can show what I know with this picture." "May I use the picture dictionary to show you?"

Recommended Domain(s)	Recommended Level(s)
Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing	Entering (1) through Emerging (2)  *For a limited period of time