The East Greenbush Central School District offers English as a New Language services to students in grades K-12 in accordance with NYS Education Department guidelines. Students are provided with ENL services based on their English proficiency level (Entering, Emerging, Transitioning, Expanding, Commanding).

We take pride in the rich diversity we have in our schools, and strive to create opportunities for students and their families to utilize and showcase their multilingualism.

It is important to understand that each student is unique; students acquire English differently. Research states that, in general, it takes students 1-3 years to gain basic communication skills and 5-7 years to acquire academic language.

Types of ENL Services

• Integrated ENL
  • Taught in the student’s regular classroom
  • A subject teacher and an ENL teacher instruct the entire class together to help students learn subject and language at the same time
  • ELL students are with both ELL and non-ELL students
• Stand Alone ENL
  • Taught in the ENL room
  • The ENL teacher uses best practices to teach English language skills and the subject areas
  • Students are with a group of peers 
  • By grade (no more than two contiguous grades)
  • By proficiency level
  • Focuses on the language needs 

State Assessments

ENL students will participate in the same New York State assessments (Grades 3-8 and Regents Exams) that their classmates take. Additionally, ENL students will take the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) which is given annually in April/May. This is not a pass/fail test, but rather, it shows a student’s English proficiency growth. This assessment tests an ENL student’s speaking, reading, writing and listening skills.

Scores arrive over the summer and parents are notified of the results at the beginning of the following school year. Results tell how much ENL instruction a student will receive in the following academic year. Once a student is commanding (proficient level of English), they will receive two more years of ENL services.

Seal of Biliteracy

The New York State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who have attained a high proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. The seal is affixed to the student’s diploma and there is a notation of the award on the official transcript.

Students graduating from Columbia High School can attain this designation by 1) demonstrating language mastery in both English and any other language, including American Sign Language and 2) applying to the Seal of Biliteracy program. Participation in this program is voluntary and no fees other than exam fees will be charged to any Columbia High School student. Seal of Biliteracy Application.

ENL Teachers

Resources