Ack! changes to Dual Language admissions

By Joyce Szuflita
Last year you could list dual language programs as separate entries on your kindergarten application. This year you cannot. You will list the school in which the dual language program is housed and if you are assigned to that school, you may get the dual language or you may get the gen ed program. You will likely hear about your placement in the dual language program long after the window has closed on a g&t, charter or whatever other placement. This is a serious impediment to families who want to try for a number of different dual language programs or families who want dual language (but not gen ed) in a specific school.

Change has come about because of requirements at the state level about the placement of English Language Learners. We don't have a specific timeline for the assessments, and notification of placement within the program, but it is almost a guaranteed certainty that it will be long after you have to make decisions about g&t, charter and wait list placements from other schools.

Since families are ranking schools in order, it throws a monkey wrench into many families' ranking strategies. In the past if you liked a DL program, but didn't like the school's gen ed, you could list the programs separately. Now if you like the DL, you also have to be satisfied with the proposition that you may end up in that school's gen ed. That may be too great a risk for some.

If you have questions about the application:

write to ES_enrollment@schools.nyc.gov

they can direct you to the people who can give you all the specific information about ELL testing and the state requirements.