ELL Program Planning

four adults sitting around a table covered in books and looking at a laptop

Choosing the right program for your English language learners (ELLs) will depend on a number of factors that vary by school, district, and state, such as the number of ELLs you have and their educational background. Here are some resources to help you get started, and we encourage you to look at other program models and resources as you evaluate or choose your instructional programs.

What You'll Find in This Section

A woman watches a young boy read aloud from a paper

What is a student at a beginning level of learning a new language able to do?  How about a student who is more advanced?  Language proficiency standards set guidelines for students' language development and are chosen at the state level. For example, states who are members of the WIDA Consortium use WIDA's English language development standards.  Other states, such as California and New York, have their own language proficiency standards.  To learn more about your state, see our State Resources section.

English Language Proficiency Standards

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There are many different kinds of programs for English language learners (ELLs) that involve a variety of supports in students' home language and/or in English. To learn more about how these different programs work, take a look at the resources below.

Programs of Instruction