In 1996, the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) published its first book of proficiency standards for teachers from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The standards were updated in 2001 and again in 2006 to meet the expectations of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Framework
According to the 2006 "Pre-K-12 English Language Proficiency Standards" publication, there are five language proficiency standards. The first standard is that "English language learners communicate for social, intercultural and instructional purposes within the school setting." The other four standards stress communicating information, ideas and concepts necessary for language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The full guidelines can be purchased from TESOL.

Specifics
In the early grades, TESOL language proficiency is focused on learning to read, from first to fifth grade. In sixth to eighth grade, there is a wider range of student performance and proficiency carries the expectations of social and academic success. In high school, TESOL understands that reaching the same language level as peers is increasingly difficult.

In pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, the primary goal is to create fostering and nurturing environment for non-native English speakers.

Levels
TESOL outlines five levels of proficiency for English learners. The first level is "Learning," in which the students have very little understanding of English. Level two is "Emerging," where students understand simple phrases and can verbally communicated to a limited level. In "Developing" (level three), students begin to use English spontaneously and are beginning to understand complex sentences. As "Expanding" students, the language skills are sufficient for day-to-day use. Finally, in level five, "Bridging" students express themselves fluently.