The Office of English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Programs and Bilingual Programs has released a state definition of a Student with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). This is a student who meets the following criteria:

1. Is a multilingual learner;
2. Has an English language proficiency level (as measured by WIDA assessments) of level 2.0 or below for students in grades 2-3 or level 2.5 or below for students in grades 4-12;
3. Is at least eight years old; and
4. Has experienced at least one of the following:
   1. No formal schooling
   2. Interruptions in formal schooling (defined as two or more re-enrollments or two years or more less schooling than typical peers)
   3. Consistent but limited formal schooling outside the United States; and/or
   4. Functions at two or more years below expected grade level in native language literacy and/or math skills relative to typical peers

For the past two and a half years, members of the Maine Department of Education (DOE), the Multilingual Learner Advisory Committee (MLAC), Support Ed, and Agora Learning, have been developing this definition to be specific and easily applied and understood.

Support Ed provided four webinars on SLIFE characteristics and general needs, resources and strategies for serving SLIFE, graduation and post-secondary education guidance and opportunities, and a wealth of resources for educators to refer to. Recordings of webinars are archived here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/multilinguallearner/p

A padlet of SLIFE resources can be found here: https://padlet.com/diane30/maine-department-of-education-supporting-students-with-limit-a2eouyixynryahtm?utm_source=Padlet.

Agora Learning and Support Ed are continuing their work to develop a SLIFE screener to be used by our Maine school districts. Maine DOE will be developing a SLIFE guidance manual and additional professional learning opportunities that will support districts to identify SLIFE and develop SLIFE programming.

If you have questions regarding the Maine DOE SLIFE definition, please contact:

Rebecca Carey: rebecca.carey@maine.gov

Robin Fleck: robin.fleck@maine.gov

Bilingual education, including language immersion programs, offer exciting and impactful interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students. Research shows that developing proficiency in two or more languages has cognitive, educational, economic, and sociocultural benefits.

In response to interest in developing bilingual programs from a variety of schools across the state, the Maine Department of Education launched the Multilingual Education Task Force (METF) in May of 2022. Over 100 educators and community members came together to learn about bilingual education and to provide the Department with recommendations to inform its plan for promoting bilingual programs and supporting interested schools. The Department would like to express its sincere appreciation to METF participants for their contributions to this important work.

The Multilingual Education Task Force Report compiles participants’ recommendations and offers a road map of action steps for the Department. Educators and community members who would like to pursue the development of a bilingual program in their school are encouraged to contact April Perkins, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) & Bilingual Programs Specialist, at april.perkins@maine.gov.