At Brilla Schools, we believe that learning a new language is one of the most courageous things a child can do. Every day, our Multilingual Learners (MLLs) arrive in classrooms where they must listen, think, speak, read, and write in a language still taking root, and they do it with remarkable determination. This spring, our MLL scholars completed the NYSESLAT, the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test, and we want families and community members to understand the depth of care, preparation, and joy that made that moment possible.
More Than a Test
The NYSESLAT assesses four domains of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The goal is not dramatic overnight transformation, but meaningful and measurable growth. Research tells us it can take four to seven years for anyone to develop full academic proficiency in a new language, and our program honors that reality while holding high expectations every step of the way. For our scholars, the minimum benchmark is growth of one proficiency level per year. This goal reflects both the complexity of language acquisition and our deep belief in every child’s capacity to reach it.
Preparing with Purpose
Preparation for the NYSESLAT at Brilla is not a last-minute sprint, but woven into the fabric of daily instruction all year long. Our regular curriculum naturally builds all four language domains through read-alouds, close reading, writing instruction, and rich discussion. MLL Specialists collaborate closely with classroom teachers so that entering and emerging scholars receive targeted small-group instruction, exposure to state-provided practice materials, and familiarity with NYSESLAT question types. All preparation methods are designed to make the assessment feel like an opportunity to demonstrate growth, not a source of anxiety.
This year, the introduction of Lexia English strengthened that preparation further. This research-aligned blended learning program gave entering and emerging scholars additional structured practice across all four NYSESLAT modalities, building both competence and confidence in academic English. Jennifer Hall, Brilla’s MLL Network Manager, credits this layered approach of curriculum, specialist support, and supplementary tools as central to the growth our scholars demonstrated this year.
Joy and Rigor, Together
Our MLL scholars carry a load that deserves to be named and honored. They access rigorous grade-level content while simultaneously acquiring a new language, and they complete additional assessments that their peers do not face. Brilla’s MLL Specialists are intentional about balancing the demands of test preparation with genuine celebration of student effort. Scholars set their own goals, track their own progress, and are recognized for their hard work through incentives, encouragement, and the kind of consistent, caring presence that lets a child know their effort is seen.
That care bears fruit in ways that go beyond data. During the speaking portion of this year’s NYSESLAT, kindergarten scholars drew naturally on the character and virtue language at the heart of the Brilla curriculum. This is a quiet but powerful testament to the fact that the formation happening in our classrooms reaches every scholar, including and especially our multilingual learners.
The Role of Home and Family
Families are their children’s first and most important educators, and their role in language development cannot be overstated. The skills that support English acquisition (listening carefully, speaking with confidence, engaging with texts, asking and answering questions) are built through rich interaction in any language. Reading stories at home, discussing the news, asking a child about their day, sharing family history: all of it matters. Being bilingual is a superpower, and upholding the home language is a foundation for English language growth!
Results Worth Celebrating
This year, Brilla’s MLLs are meeting and exceeding their growth goals. In many cases, our multilingual scholars are outpacing their general education peers when it comes to growth. This result reflects the strength of our instructional model, the dedication of our MLL Specialists and MLL Fellows, and above all, the extraordinary effort of the scholars themselves.
The results that shine brightest are not always the ones on a score report. They are the kindergartener who speaks with courage and the scholar who owns their data and sets a new goal.
That is the extraordinary strength behind our Multilingual Learners.
Brilla Public Charter Schools 