Admission policies

All students are eligible to apply for admission to AEL regardless of gender, race, religion, creed, or national origin. Students applying will be admitted based on age, readiness for our academic program, and space availability. Lincoln’s admission policy promotes cultural diversity and strives to maintain the U.S. and international character of the school’s educational program. This policy is designed in keeping with our Mission and Attributes of a Lincoln Learners (ALLs)  to ensure that all students admitted are provided the necessary tools to achieve academic success. 

Admissions decisions will be guided by English language proficiency level as determined by WIDA MODEL and academic readiness of the applicant, in addition to other factors/data.  

• The capability for students applying for Kinder 4-5 to demonstrate adequate toileting skills, age-appropriate daily living skills, and basic academic readiness skills.
• The capability for students applying for Grades 1-5 to demonstrate grade-level academic readiness in reading, writing, and math computation.
• The capability in Kinder 4 - Grade 6 to maintain progress with support services as appropriate within AEL’s available English Language Learner (ELL) and Learning Support program guidelines.
• The capability in grades 7 - 12 to maintain progress in an international, college-preparatory program, with support services as appropriate, within AEL’s available English Language Learner and Learning Support program guidelines.
• English Language Proficiency is determined by WIDA Levels in grades 6 - 12 together with MAP scores in grades 6 - 8. Additionally, WIDA/MAP testing could also be a requirement for grades K - 5 depending on the student’s language proficiency level.

Admissions Priority: Because AEL is a family-oriented school, siblings of current students are given priority, regardless of application submission, if space is limited.

Wait-Listed: AEL does have a cap limit on class size for each specific grade and in the case of being wait-listed, the date that all paperwork is turned in is considered the date of wait-listing, not the initial contact date.  When seats are not available due to lack of space in a grade or program, applicants shall be wait-listed until a space becomes available.

Students who are entering in K4 must turn 4 years of age by September 30th following the August admissions date in order to be deemed eligible  for enrollment.  Students who are enrolled in a school whose calendar matches AEL will most often continue in the next grade level  if entering at the beginning of the school year, and will remain in the same grade if coming in the middle of the school year.  

However, students coming from schools with vastly different calendars (i.e. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, India) will continue in the same grade level even if that means the student remains in the same grade for the equivalent of one and a half school years. It is a requirement that all students complete a full year of classes before being promoted to the next grade.  

Beginning in grade 8 (the second year of Argentine Secundaria), students who transfer to Lincoln from countries without educational agreements with Argentina may need to do makeup or “equivalency” studies for certain Secundaria courses they have not taken in Spanish language and Argentine culture.  

To qualify for the Argentine Bachillerato, students must complete all required equivalency studies and reach a minimum Spanish proficiency, which is defined as the level required for successful completion of Spanish 2.  Students who do not qualify for the Bachillerato by the end of their senior year may complete the Bachillerato requirements by taking the appropriate recuperation exams after their graduation from the U.S. program.

Official Statement from National Programs Office:
In Argentina, education is compulsory from 4 years of age through high school and grades 1 - 12 are divided into two levels: primary and secondary.  Secondary school begins in grade 7 and, by law, all of our students actively pursue the Argentine HS diploma, bachillerato.  Some countries (Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela)  have educational agreements with Argentina and students arriving in Argentina are exempt from taking the “equivalency” studies.  Furthermore, students are enrolled for the duration of their stay in Argentina in Spanish and Social Studies classes that follow the curriculum requirements for Argentina regardless of nationality or length of stay in the country. 
 
Grade Level Placement (Grade 10-12)
Grade placement in grades 10 - 12 is contingent upon the number of credits received by the end of school year prior to admission that are transferable to AEL. Because of this, students may not be eligible to enroll in the next grade when amount of credits received to date do not meet the minimum required at that grade level:

Minimum required at completion of grade 9: 6
Minimum required at completion of grade 10: 12
Minimum required at completion of grade 11: 18

Learning in a diverse environment is beneficial for all learners, teachers, and our community. Our Learning Support teams comprise certified and experienced special educators.

At AEL we provide support for students at all grade levels in a manner determined on a case by case basis taking into account how best to meet the students’ needs and the number of students in that grade level currently receiving support. Great care is taken to determine the type of services requested/required for the student to be successful and the manner in which these services will be provided. Admissions decisions are based on a careful assessment of each student’s strengths and needs. An offer of admittance is made when the Admissions Committee has reviewed all of the information requested, and it is determined that AEL can meet the student’s needs with the services we provide and/or can access locally. Full disclosure and open communication are critical in ensuring an appropriate placement. Failure to disclose information related to learning needs may result in the withdrawal of an offer of admission.

We believe that students with learning needs excel when expectations set for them are high but attainable. Every student who enters our Learning Supported program is serviced through an Individualized Learning Plan, and great care is taken to meet all of their needs. Once a student is admitted to our school, we work diligently to collaborate and provide the best services possible for students to reach their full academic potential. As much as possible we differentiate and scaffold instruction with accommodations in the regular classroom setting. Some students may receive additional support with Learning Support staff and best efforts are always made to provide the least restrictive setting possible given the structure of our school. Support staff across the school collaborate with teachers on a regular basis to aid with small group instruction, assessment, and at times co-teach where appropriate.

Students whose first language is not English are part of our ELL (English Language Learner) program until an Adequate Proficiency Level of English is acquired. In addition, because we are a bilingual school, all students enrolled at Lincoln are also enrolled in a Spanish class determined by placement evaluation. The overarching goal is that students who are enrolled for the long term will eventually reach an Adequate Proficiency Level in both English and Spanish.  AEL’s Language Support Program is different for each grade level and language support that is needed.   Students who arrive from abroad with no Spanish proficiency in grade 12 may require additional support in Spanish in order to receive the Argentine Bachillerato diploma.  

English Language Requirements for Admission

Prior to acceptance at Lincoln, all students enrolling in grades 6 - 12 without compelling evidence of Adequate Proficiency Level in English will undergo a WIDA evaluation. Compelling evidence of English proficiency level includes but is not limited to, enrollment in a US accredited school (or other English-speaking accredited school) for a minimum of 5 years, enrollment in English class of record is considered a Native Level English course, Grade in English course is Average or better, English teacher recommendation is for Native Language course, and writing level of Personal Statement is considered fluent. All students enrolling in grade 5 who meet the requirements for an English language evaluation may not require the exam as a condition of admittance. The determination of said requirement is made by the Admissions Committee.

Should a student be deemed to require an English Language Evaluation, the student’s English Level will be assessed with a WIDA evaluation.  It is the role of the Admissions Officer with the Language and Learning  staff to arrange for testing dates and times.