Wyoming: ELL Resources
As of the 2012-13 school year, Wyoming's schools were home to more than 2,500 English language learners (ELLs), which marks a 20% decrease from the 2002-2003 school year (Migration Policy Institute, 2015). Currently, the most common languages spoken by ELLs in Wyoming are Spanish, Chinese, Arapaho, Arabic, and Somali.
Wyoming is a member of WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) and joined WIDA in 2009. WIDA is a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners which offers states programming for identifying and annually assessing the English language development of its English learners.
State ELL Resources
State Agency: Wyoming Department of Education
ELL Website: Title III Website
ELL Identification
Placement Exam: WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test
ELP Standards & Assessment
ELP Standards: WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards
ELP Assessment: WIDA-ACCESS for ELLs
Statewide Standards-Based Assessment
Assessment: Student Assessments for Wyoming
Additional Information
NCLEA: Title III Information
WIDA: Wyoming Contact Information
ESSA: Wyoming ESSA State Plan
Statewide Organizations
Intermountain TESOL, an affiliate of International TESOL, provides professional development for ESL teachers in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Wyoming Education Association is a National Education Association State Affiliate that regularly lobbies legislators for the resources schools need, campaigns for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and files legal actions to protect academic freedom and the rights of school employees.
Wyoming Parent Information Center
The purpose of the Parent Education Network, Wyoming State PIRC, is to strengthen partnerships between families and schools and to implement effective parental involvement policies and programs to increase academic achievement for students in Wyoming.
Seal of Biliteracy Update: Wyoming
Wyoming is in the early stages of a Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. If you are aware of schools or districts that have adopted the Seal of Biliteracy in the state, send an update to the official Seal of Biliteracy site!
References
Ruiz Soto, Ariel G., Sarah Hooker, and Jeanne Batalova. 2015. States and Districts with the Highest Number and Share of English Language Learners. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/states-and-districts-highest-number-and-share-english-language-learners
Ruiz Soto, Ariel G., Sarah Hooker, and Jeanne Batalova. 2015. Top Languages Spoken by English Language Learners Nationally and by State. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/number-and-growth-students-us-schools-need-english-instruction-2009
Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students. Wyoming Rate of EL Growth (1997/98-2007/08). Compiled July 2010 and retrieved from http://www.ncela.us/t3sis/state/wyoming/.
