ELL Standards

Achieve, Inc. Resource Center for Standards

Features a searchable database of state and international academic standards in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, organized conveniently by subject, state, grade level, topic, and keyword. Allows for sophisticated searches and side-by-side comparisons of state standards.

National Center on Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota

Provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities and limited English proficient (LEP) students in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements.

NBPTS English as a New Language Teacher Standards

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has posted the English as a New Language Standards for Early and Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood. These can serve as a guide for what an accomplished ESL teacher knows and can do.

NCELA: ELP Standards & Assessment

NCELA offers a wide variety of information on English language proficiency standards and assessment at a regional and national level.

No Child Left Behind

Signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act resulted in widespread educational reform. NCLB focuses on stronger accountability for results, more freedom for states and communities, proven education methods, and more choices for parents.

State English Language Proficiency Standards: California*

This document presents a summary of the skills California students must master as they move toward full fluency in English.

State English Language Proficiency Standards: Minnesota

These standards highlight the English language development goals for English Language Learners (ELLs). They are designed to guide ESL and mainstream classroom teachers in their instruction to ELLs, inform policy makers, and provide a bridge to Minnesota’s content area standards.

State English Language Proficiency Standards: Texas

The English language proficiency standards outline English language proficiency level descriptors and student expectations for English language learners (ELLs). The English language proficiency standards are to be published along with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for each subject in the required curriculum.

State English Language Proficiency Standards: Wisconsin

This website from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction includes information on the ACCESS test, translation accommodations, standards, and criteria for reclassification of ELL students.

TESOL: ESL Standards for PreK-12

The ESL Standards for PreK-12 Students is the result of many years' effort on the part of TESOL members and others who have sought to improve the education of students who are learning English as a second or additional language in the United States.

TESOL: Pre-K-12 English Language Proficiency Standards

The new PreK-12 English Language Proficiency Standards, an augmentation of the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards, provides extensive matrices elucidating sample performance indicators, organized by the five standards (targeting language in social/intercultural interactions, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) and grade-level cluster. This publication is available for purchase from TESOL.

Texas Education Agency: Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines

This website, created by the Texas Education Agency, outlines the state's Prekindergarten Curriculum Guidelines and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Kindergarten.

Understanding the WIDA Language Proficiency Standards: A Resource Guide

Language proficiency standards from World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) that incorporate easy to understand benchmarks and connections with content learning.