English as a New Language (ENL) Education at Shen (K-12)
Shenendehowa is proud of the rich diversity of its students. There are over 50 different languages spoken by our students and their families, and our population of English Language Learners (ELLs) grows each year.
English as a New Language (ENL) is a specialized instructional approach designed for students whose first language is not English. Trained and certified ENL teachers use methods, techniques and materials designed specifically to meet the needs of English Language Learners.
At all levels, students may be enrolled in Stand-Alone ENL courses or Integrated ENL/ELA courses, depending upon their English proficiency level. This level is determined by two assessments: The New York State Identification Test for English Language Learners (NYSITELL), for students entering New York State for the first time; and the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT), which assesses students’ progress at the end of each school year.
The ENL curriculum is aligned with both the New York State English Language Arts Standards and ENL Learning Standards.