2021-spring BLC Guidelines for Student Promotions

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
1		Guidelines for Student Promotions (as of May 2021)
2		LEVEL 0 TEACHERS	LEVEL 1 TEACHERS	LEVEL 2 TEACHERS	LEVEL 3 TEACHERS	LEVEL 4 TEACHERS	LEVEL 5 TEACHERS	LEVEL 6 TEACHERS

3	Focus at this level	While in level 0, students develop familiarity with letter/sound relationships and learn to respond to simple, familiar language. They start to produce simple language.	While in level 1, students start using English to communicate simply. They make the transition from just hearing language to using it in a basic way. They start being able to read.	While in level 2, students make the transition from one-or-two-word utterances to understanding, reading, and using simple full sentences and a wider range of personally relevant vocabulary and phrases.	While in level 3, students become able to use language more fully for conversations beyond basic and every day needs. They are still mostly focused on concrete language, but can apply it to different kinds of situations and contexts.	While in level 4, students become able to understand and discuss more abstract concepts in simple sentences. They develop the skills to read and understand a wider range of materials from the real world.	While in level 5, students make the transition to understanding and discussing abstract concepts and inferred meaning. They move from having some hesitation to speaking more fluidly with mostly accurate grammar and understanding most native speech.	In level 6, the main goals are vocabulary enrichment and language sophistication, increased understanding of American cultural context, and communication practice.
4		If students can demonstrate the skills below most of the time, they should be promoted to level 1.	If students can demonstrate the skills below most of the time, they should be promoted to level 2	If students can demonstrate the skills below most of the time, they should be promoted to level 3	If students can demonstrate the skills below most of the time, they should be promoted to level 4	If students can demonstrate the skills below most of the time, they should be promoted to level 5	If students can demonstrate the skills below most of the time, they should be promoted to level 6
5	Speaking	Answer simple questions with yes, no, or other one-word responses. Respond to simple questions about personal information (eg. name, address, perhaps phone number). Verbalize basic needs with simple words or phrases. (eg. I need paper). State lack of understanding with a one- to two-word phrase (eg. Sorry? Say again? Please repeat.) Count to 10 in English.	Engage in simple conversation about basic needs and everyday activities by forming short sentences or questions using a limited vocabulary. Use simple sentence structure when speaking. May still produce run-ons, fragmented speech or awkward usage of words. Respond to routine social phrases (eg. Hi, how are you? Paper or plastic? Have a good weekend). Ask for and respond to simple requests for clarification.	Engage in conversation on familiar topics when the teacher speaks slowly and clearly. Recognize when they do not understand part of a conversation and ask questions for clarification. To a limited degree, express themselves on unfamiliar topics by putting together words and structures they know.	Engage in conversations on familiar, concrete topics with mostly correct grammar, sentence structure, and pronunciation. Engage in conversations on unfamiliar / extemporaneous topics, when the teacher speaks slowly and clearly. Grammar and sentence structure may still be awkward when speaking this way.	Engage in conversations about both concrete and abstract concepts and topics beyond their immediate personal needs with the teacher speaking at normal pace. Grammar and sentence structure are mostly correct.	Engage in conversation with ease about unfamiliar, abstract, and/or hypothetical concepts (eg. items in the news, personality, civics) with mostly correct grammar and sentence structure.
6	Reading	Recognize and know the sounds of all or nearly all of the uppercase and lowercase print letters. (May not know the names of all the letters.)	Recognize familiar words and personal information words in print (eg. first and last names, address, school, etc.). Read and understand simple sentences on familiar topics.	Read and understand short texts with basic vocabulary on familiar topics. Recognize sight words and sound out simple words. Recognize words that signal differences between present, past, and future events. Scan simple authentic documents to find specific information (eg. telephone numbers, work schedules, hours of operation).	Read, understand and discuss simple, short texts on familiar topics.	Read and discuss essential information from complex and varied texts. Predict meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary in material rich in context clues.	Read and discuss information from complex, varied and longer texts. Predict meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary in material rich in context clues. Recognize and understand many idiomatic expressions.
7	Writing	Write all or nearly all of the uppercase and lowercase print letters. (May not know the names of all the letters.)	Write simple sentences on familiar topics. Fill out simple forms that require limited biographical or personal information.	Write 4-5 simple sentences / loosely organized paragraph based on personal experiences or familiar material (eg. family, weekend activity, request for information). Grammar and sentence structure are increasingly correct, but may still have errors even for simple sentences.	Write a short note or message to convey information (eg. to a landlord about a repair, or a child’s teacher about an illness). Use mostly correct verb tense and sentence structure for simple messages.	Write at least one paragraph, with a main idea and supporting details (eg. for a detailed accident report). Use mostly correct spelling, capitalization, sentence punctuation, and basic grammatical form.	Write more than one paragraph about complex topics, developing a flow of sequential events with mostly accurate grammar.
8	Listening	Know the sounds of all or nearly all of the consonants. Be able to identify at least some of the vowels.	Identify pieces of information from a slowly paced audio clip or story on a familiar topic that is read aloud.	Listen to a simple, live or recorded conversation on a familiar topic using familiar vocabulary at slow speed (eg. voice mail) and demonstrate understanding. Follow 1,2,3 oral directions.	Listen to a live or recorded conversation on a familiar topic using mostly familiar vocabulary at near normal speed and demonstrate comprehension. Differentiate between formal and informal language, including reduced speech (eg. How’s it going? Versus How are you?	Listen to a live or recorded conversation on a mostly familiar topic at normal speed and demonstrate comprehension. Recognize common idioms (eg. Give me a break!) and many phrasal verbs (eg. get off, get out of, pick up) in context.	Understand and respond appropriately to inferences, emotional content, formality level, and other non-explicit meaning.
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