Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)

To be identified as SLIFE in Massachusetts, a student must meet all the following criteria:

• The DOE25 SIMS field indicates the students is an English learner.
• The student is 8 to 21 years old.
• The student enrolled in a school in the United States after grade 2 or exited the U.S. for 6 months or more and did not attend school during this time.
• Prior exposure to formal schooling is characterized by one of the following:
  • No formal schooling;
  • Significant interruptions in formal schooling;
  • Consistent but limited formal schooling (e.g., school days were significantly shorter).

In addition, the list below outlines common characteristics often shared by students who have experienced significant interruptions in formal schooling. Ultimately, districts should use a holistic approach to determine whether students' gaps in education indicate that they will need significant support beyond what is provided in existing English learner education (ELE) programs to access grade-appropriate content and build foundational skills.

When a student is identified as SLIFE, the district should indicate this designation in the student's school profile, cumulative folder, and on SIMS field DOE041 to help facilitate provision of appropriate supports and services.

Frequently, students identified as SLIFE share some of the following experiences, strengths, and needs:

• May have emerging literacy skills (in home language and/or English).
• May need intensive support to strengthen foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, or other content areas (in home language and/or in English).
• May function approximately 2 or more years below Massachusetts grade-level expectations in home language literacy and numeracy.
• May have strengths in pragmatic life skills but less experience with decontextualized academic tasks.
• May be used to oral communication over written communication.
• May experience cultural dissonance when learning in a formal schooling environment.

• Learning Together: Academic Support in SLIFE Education
• Language Foundations: Linguistic Support in SLIFE Education
• Supporting Hearts and Minds: Social-Emotional Learning in SLIFE Education
• Building Bridges: Family Engagement in SLIFE Education
• Stronger Together: Community Partnerships in SLIFE Education
• Marking Growth: Progress Monitoring in SLIFE Education
• Small Numbers, Big Impact: SLIFE Education in Low Enrollment Settings
• Developing a New Integrated SLIFE Pathway
• Compiled Vignettes

In Spring 2022, the Office of Language Acquisition partnered with the Center for Applied Linguistics CAL) to complete a national literature review about SLIFE, focusing on two primary research questions:

1. What can the Department learn about SLIFE nationally and in MA that would help the Department to accurately identify and provide effective, differentiated services for SLIFE?; and
2. What are effective policies, practices (definitions, processes, program models, curricula, and tools), and programmatic approaches for supporting the academic success and well-being of SLIFE in Massachusetts and the nation?

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

The SLIFE District Self-Assessment is designed to support Massachusetts school districts in evaluating and enhancing their services for SLIFE. Developed in alignment with DESE's Guidance for SLIFE Identification, Services, and Support, the tool provides a structured framework for districts to reflect on their current practices, identify areas for growth, and develop actionable plans to better meet the academic, linguistic, and social-emotional needs of SLIFE. The ultimate goal is to ensure that SLIFE receive equitable, responsive, and high-quality educational experiences that recognize their unique backgrounds and potential.

Using the Tool Across Diverse District Contexts

Districts across Massachusetts vary widely in size, resources, and SLIFE populations. The tool was intentionally designed to be adaptable to accommodate these differences. For example:

• Low-Enrollment SLIFE Districts: In districts with no or few SLIFE, the tool can help establish foundational practices and ensure readiness to support SLIFE as enrollment patterns shift. Even if formal identification systems and programming are minimal, the tool encourages proactive planning and staff training aligned with SLIFE guidance.
• Districts with Established SLIFE Programs: For districts with existing SLIFE services, the tool offers a structured opportunity to evaluate programming and services, identify gaps, and refine practices. It supports continuous improvement and alignment with updated SLIFE guidance.
• Districts in Transition: Districts experiencing demographic changes or programmatic shifts can use the tool to guide strategic planning, build staff capacity, and ensure that new or evolving services are responsive to student needs.

Regardless of context, the tool promotes a strengths-based, culturally responsive approach to serving SLIFE. It encourages districts to honor students' backgrounds, engage families and communities, and foster inclusive environments that support academic and personal growth.

Resources

1. Introduction to the SLIFE District Self-Assessment : Provides an overview of the tool, its' purpose, and how districts can utilize it in their unique contexts.
2. SLIFE District Self-Assessment : The self-assessment tool aligned to the MA SLIFE Guidance.
3. Student and family data collection form : Guidance and sample questions to gather input from students and family members about their experiences and insights.
4. Orientation webinar: Slides , notes , and a recording of an introductory webinar that outlines the purpose and use of the self-assessment tool. The webinar can be viewed individually or as a group as an introduction to the tool's technical aspects and key content.

A SLIFE Success Portfolio may serve as a systematic structure through which to gather various sources of data, include multiple voices (e.g., administrators, social workers, teachers, students, caregivers), and collaboratively make asset-based decisions to shape the student's educational experience. These sample tools come from the MA SLIFE guidance and are optional templates that districts could use, adapt, or modify to best meet their needs.

Sample SLIFE Success Portfolio Cover and Introduction

SLIFE Success Portfolio Part A: Understanding the Student

• Sample Language Background Form
• Step 1: SLIFE Pre-Screener
• Educational Background Review
• Additional Existing Student Data
• Step 2: SLIFE Interview — Sample List of Interview Questions
• Student Inventory: Interests, Skills, and Goals

SLIFE Success Portfolio Part B: Supporting the Student

• Student Academic Support Plan
• Wraparound Support
• Student Orientation Plan
• Communication, Coordination, and Collaboration Plan

SLIFE Success Portfolio Part C: Ongoing Progress Monitoring

• Sample 1: SLIFE Support Checkpoints
• Sample 2: SLIFE Progress Monitoring Form
• Sample 3: SLIFE Sample Student Success Plan

In 2011, a Massachusetts Working Group was established to address the unique needs of students identified as SLIFE. In 2012, the working group drafted a definition of "SLIFE," which helped educators more effectively identify and support students. Subsequently, the Department's first iteration of guidance for working with SLIFE was published in 2015 and then revised in 2019.

In collaboration with practitioners, the Department continues its history of supporting the unique subset of English learners (ELs) identified as SLIFE. In 2022, the Department's Office of Language Acquisition (OLA), in partnership with the Region 1 Comprehensive Center (R1CC), initiated the latest phase of SLIFE work, responding to requests from school districts and educators for more support in operationalizing the SLIFE definition and guidance.

This current phase, driven by data showing increasing numbers of newcomers arriving in Massachusetts school districts, involves the three-pronged approach outlined above: research, a community of practice, and guidance and tool development.