An ELL student in your class writes an essay with brilliant ideas but significant grammatical errors. A native English speaker writes a grammatically correct essay with shallow thinking. How do you grade them fairly? If you give equal weight to grammar, the ELL student is penalized for being multilingual. If you ignore grammar, you're not preparing the ELL student for academic contexts where grammar matters. The answer is to separate what you're measuring and be intentional about what you prioritize in September.

September is when you're identifying what each student can do as a thinker and writer. For ELL students, those are often at different developmental levels. Your job is to recognize both and build from each one.

What You're Actually Measuring in September Essays

When you grade an ELL student's essay, you're measuring three separate things that get tangled together if you're not careful: thinking and analysis, writing skill, and English language proficiency. Separate them. You want to know: Can this student think at grade level? Can this student write at grade level? Can this student handle grade-level English? Often the answers are different.

• A student might have sophisticated thinking and weak writing skills in their home language too. That's a writing instruction issue, not a language issue.
• A student might have strong writing skills in their home language but lack the vocabulary to express ideas in English. That's a language development issue that will improve with time and exposure.
• A student might be developing in all areas. That's where differentiation matters most.

Grading Framework for ELL Students in September

Give feedback on thinking and organization separately from feedback on language. An ELL student's essay might be strong on analysis and organization but need work on sentence control and vocabulary. Name both. Work on both. But don't let language struggle hide strong thinking, and don't let sophisticated vocabulary hide weak thinking.

Reasonable Accommodations in September Assessment

It's reasonable in September to allow ELL students to: write shorter essays while they're building fluency, use a dictionary or translation tool, get extra time, or choose to write in their home language on a first draft (then translate with support). These aren't lowering standards. They're recognizing that developing English proficiency is a separate challenge from developing writing skill.

Building on Strengths Rather Than Focusing on Deficits

When you return an ELL student's September essay, lead with what the student demonstrated in thinking and organization. Then address language development as an area of growth, not failure. 'Your analysis of the theme is really strong. I notice you used complete sentences but could vary your sentence structures more. Here's a tool that can help.' This frames language as a learnable skill, not a barrier to success.

Creating Space for Language Development All Year

One September essay doesn't tell you where an ELL student will be in March. Language develops continuously. A student who struggled to express ideas in September might be articulate by spring. Build this growth into how you interpret their progress and set expectations moving forward.