Each year, Massachusetts schools enroll an increasing and diverse number of English learners (ELs) with limited or interrupted formal education. Students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) often possess a variety of school readiness skills, sociolinguistic proficiencies, content knowledge, and academic ways of thinking different from students who have consistently attended Massachusetts schools.
Definition and Guidance
Sample Interview
Sample Pre-Screener
Interactive Guide to SLIFE Students
In Spring 2022, the Office of Language Acquisition partnered with the Center for Applied Linguistics CAL) to begin a multi-year research project designed to better understand SLIFE, to synthesize national trends and best practices, and ultimately, to support the state in meeting the academic and socio-emotional needs of these students.
The first goal of this project was to conduct a national literature review, focusing on two primary research questions:
Here is the completed literature review and executive summary:
Understanding and Supporting Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) in Massachusetts: A Review of Literature — November 4, 2022
Understanding and Supporting Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) in Massachusetts: Literature Review Summary
This project will continue through 2025 and includes the following additional components:
Year 2 (2022-23): a quantitative analysis of DESE's existing data regarding SLIFE
Years 3-4 (2023-25): qualitative research about current SLIFE and educators in Massachusetts through focus groups, surveys, interviews, student shadowing, and classroom observations
Last Updated: November 17, 2022
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