National League for Nursing to Offer Extra Support to English Learners Sitting for NLN Pre-Admission Exam (PAX)

Washington, DC, April 12, 2019 — The National League for Nursing has taken a key step in making its Pre-Admission Exam (PAX) more accessible to students for whom English is not their native language. Students living in the United States and learning English while preparing to apply to nursing education programs may now qualify for special support through the testing services offering the NLN-PAX.

Specifically, supports for qualified English-language learners will include the following:

• Additional time on the test, not to exceed time-and-a-half
• Recommendations for testing in a non-distracting environment, such as a separate room, where available, at the test location

The goal is to help ensure that the PAX scores earned by English learners accurately reflect what they have learned in school. Students must apply for the English learner supports through the office designated by the test administration location.

NLN President G. Rumay Alexander, EdD, RN, FAAN, professor and associate vice chancellor/chief diversity officer at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said, "Because we are serious about the National League for Nursing's core values of diversity and inclusion, we are committed to diligently as well as positively pursuing and deploying inclusive actions that students regardless of their backgrounds have an opportunity to compete on equal footing for coveted spots in our nation's nursing programs. With care for today's diverse patient population requiring cultural sensitivity, nurses that speak a plurality of languages, including English, are in great demand, and the League is determined to facilitate their entry into practice with this new approach."

"In keeping with the National League for Nursing's mission to promote excellence in nursing education, NLN Testing Services seeks to ensure that English-language learners, who are otherwise strong candidates for admission to schools of nursing that use the NLN-PAX, receive the support they require to boost their chances of success in the application process," said NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education "released non-regulatory guidance to help states, districts, and schools provide effective services to improve the English language proficiency and academic achievement of English learners (ELs) through Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)." The National League for Nursing has adopted these recommendations for identifying English learners.

More information as well as English Learner Support forms may be obtained through NLN Testing Services at 1-800-732-8656 or custhelp@nln.org.

About the National League for Nursing
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 40,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members. NLN members represent nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education, and health care organizations and agencies. Events | News Release Archive | NLN Press | NLN Vision Series (Position Statements)

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