CHAPTER 1: Our English Learners-Identification
Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) welcomes and values all Multilingual Learners and their families. Students traditionally known as English learners (EL) will be referred to as Multilingual learners (ML). The district strives to meet their needs and to guide students in realizing their full potential as learners as well as pivotal members of our society. The overarching English Learner Roadmap principle guiding this chapter is:
This chapter explains how newly enrolled students are identified, tested, and designated as Multilingual Learners. It contains a glossary of the different designations related to Multilingual Learners. It also introduces the federal and state guidelines related to English learners. This chapter explains the history of the legislation that guides programs, supports, and procedures regarding English learner education.
PYLUSD will use the terms English learners and Multilingual learners strategically going forward: English learner (El) will be used when referring to obligations of Title III, and Multilingual learner will be used particularly when referring to the asset-based approach the district takes for language learners. PYLUSD embraces the position that the Multilingual learner designation provides recognition of students’ home languages as assets to their education while acknowledging that learning English is one particular aspect of their education.
Enrollment Process
Every family enrolling a child in PYLUSD uses our online enrollment process linked below
- Enrollment Link: The district serves the cities of Placentia and Yorba Linda as well as portions of Anaheim, Brea, Fullerton, and rapidly developing county territory that reaches the Riverside County line. The district's 34 award-winning school sites include state and fee-based preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, a K-8 school, comprehensive high schools, a special education school, a continuation high school, a TK-12 home school, and a K-12 online school.
- The Home Language Survey (HLS) is a document required by the state of California. California Education Code Section 52164 which directs schools on whether to assess the English language proficiency of incoming students. The process begins with determining the language(s) spoken in the home of each student. Upon enrolling your EL student in one of our schools, you will be asked to fill out a Home Language Survey. This is only required if another language is spoken in your home. After filling out the Home Language Survey at the school site, it will be determined by the school's registrar if you will need an additional appointment with our Assessment Center Office. If needed, please call the Family Resource Center at the phone number for an appointment.
The following documents are needed to complete the enrollment process:
- Home Language Survey
- Parent/Guardian photo identification (A government or non-government-issued Photo ID)
- We will also need to know the name of each school that your student attended since kindergarten.
The enrolling student will be tested with the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), to determine his/her English proficiency level in listening, speaking, reading, writing. This information is essential in order for the school to provide appropriate instructional programs and services. ALL demographic fields on the HLS must be completed and only ONE HLS is required per enrollee upon initial enrollment. Depending on how a family answers the four questions, PYLUSD will determine if the ELPAC must be administered for the incoming student.
The assessment will take approximately two hours.If your student speaks little to no English, testing could take less time. You will be given the preliminary results after scoring occurs. A copy of your student's scores will be forwarded to the appropriate school site which will be used by the school's staff for the correct classroom placement of your student.
- Identification of English Learners (EL)
If the answers to questions 1, 2 and/or 4 of the Home Language Survey (HLS) indicate the enrolling student speaks a language other than English, the language proficiency assessment process will start. The newly enrolled students will be given the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) within 30 calendar days of enrollment. Per the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team decision, students with significant cognitive disabilities will be assessed the Initial Alternate ELPAC Beginning July 1, 2021.
Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)
The Initial ELPAC is used to identify students as being either an English learner or Initially Fluent English Proficient (IFEP) student. The ELPAC is a test that measures how well students listen, speak, read, and write in English. It also provides information to help teachers support them in the process of language acquisition and to inform parents/guardians about their child’s English proficiency. The Initial ELPAC assesses four domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
The Initial ELPAC is given to students in grades TK–12, including some with disabilities, whose primary language is not English as indicated in questions 1, 2, and/or 4 of the HLS to determine their English language proficiency status. Students with significant cognitive disabilities as documented in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) may instead take an alternate state English language proficiency assessment.
The ELPAC has been designed so that students, including many of those with special needs, can successfully participate in the test and demonstrate what they know and can do. As a result, the test includes accessibility resources (referred to as “Matrix 4”) that address visual, auditory, and physical access barriers. However, the ELPAC may still not be appropriate for all students with special needs.
Beginning in the school year 2021-2022, the state will implement the computer-based Alternate ELPAC for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
The results of the English proficiency assessments will determine a student’s course of study. If the student’s Initial ELPAC score falls within the Initial Fluent English Proficient (IFEP) level, he/she will be placed in a standard instructional program, without the need for English language development services. If the student’s score falls within the Intermediate English Learner OR Novice English Learner levels, he/she will be placed in the appropriate English Language Development (ELD) program or course, as depicted below.
The Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) is aligned to the CA 2012 English Language Development (ELD) Standards. Students are assessed in four domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Students who take the Initial ELPAC will receive an “Overall” score that falls into one of three levels:
The Overall score consists of the student’s Oral Language score and Written Language score. The Oral Language score consists of the student’s scores from the Speaking and Listening domains. The Written Language score consists of the student’s scores from the Reading and Writing domains.
The weighting of the Oral and Written Language scores is based on the student’s grade level. In kindergarten, the weighting of the Initial ELPAC Overall score allots 90 percent for Oral Language and 10 percent for Written Language.
In first grade, the weighting of the Initial ELPAC Overall score allots 70 percent for Oral Language and 30 percent for Written Language. In grades two through twelve, the weighting of the Initial ELPAC Overall score allots 50 percent for Oral Language and 50 percent for Written Language.
Parent Notification
The Superintendent or designee shall provide the following written notifications to parents/ guardians of English learners:
Assessment Notification: The district shall notify parents/guardians of their child's results on the state's English language proficiency assessment within 30 calendar days following receipt of the results from the test contractor.
Placement Notification: At the beginning of each school year, parents/guardians shall be informed of the placement of their child in a structured English immersion program and shall be notified of an opportunity to apply for a parental exception waiver.
Title III Notifications: Each parent/guardian of a student participating in, or identified for participation in, a language instruction program supported by federal Title III funds shall receive notification of the assessment of his/her child's English proficiency. Such notice shall be provided not later than 30 calendar days after the beginning of the school year or, if the student is identified for program participation during the school year, within two weeks of the student's placement in the program. The notice shall include all of the following:
- The reason for the student's classification as an English learner
- The level of English proficiency, how the level was assessed, and the status of the student's academic achievement
- A description of the program for English language development instruction, including a description of all of the following:
The manner in which the program will meet the educational strengths and needs of the student. The manner in which the program will help the student develop his/her English proficiency and meet age-appropriate academic standards.
The specific exit requirements for the program, the expected rate of transition from the program into classes not tailored for English learners, and the expected rate of graduation from secondary school, if applicable.
Where the student has been identified for special education, the manner in which the program meets the requirements of the student's IEP.
- Information regarding a parent/guardian's option to decline to allow the student to be enrolled in the program or to choose to allow the student to be enrolled in an alternative program.
- Information designed to assist a parent/guardian in selecting among available programs, if more than one program is offered.
Annual Measurable Objectives Notification: If the district fails to make progress on the annual measurable achievement objectives for English learners established pursuant to 20 USC 6842, the Superintendent or designee shall, within 30 days after such failure occurs, send a notification regarding such failure to the parents/guardians of each student identified for participation in a language instruction educational program supported by Title III funds. (AR 6123)
Monitoring English Learner Progress
School sites will monitor and regularly assess the progress of all reclassified English Learners for at least four years to ensure that they have not been prematurely exited from EL support programs and that they are meaningfully participating in the district’s standards-based educational programs comparable to their English-only peers. Progress monitoring should include using a combination of different data sources. These sources include local assessments, state assessments, classroom grades, courses taken, observations of student engagement, and attendance, along comparisons to the progress of other ELs of the same English language proficiency. The school site shall analyze this information at specifically targeted points throughout the school year and be able to make recommendations based on the student’s current EL proficiency level and their ability to perform at grade level.
If a site finds an EL student who is struggling to meet academic expectations, the site-based team shall take appropriate actions to support the student. Such steps include but are not limited to further assessing the student’s English Learning Program, notifying the student’s parents about the student’s lack of progress, and providing support for the student’s English language acquisition. Such supports can include but are not limited to, providing the core subject teaching staff professional development in strategies to support second language learners.
Elementary schools will monitor after the first and second trimesters and secondary levels will monitor after the first quarter, second quarter (semester), and third quarter. Detailed, tiered interventions should be documented in the Progress Monitoring Form when a student scores “Standard Not Met” on the SBAC or if the student receives less than a “C” or “2” in any core subject area. PYLUSD is committed to ensuring EL students acquire content knowledge by monitoring meaningful access to grade-appropriate core content instruction and remedying any content deficits in a timely manner.
Long-Term English Learners
LTELs, otherwise known as Long-Term English Learners, English learners in which all of the following apply: 1) is enrolled on Census Day (the first Wednesday in October) in grades 6 to 1, inclusive; and 2) have been enrolled in a U.S. school for six or more years; and 3) has remained at the same English language proficiency level for two or more consecutive prior years, or has regressed to a lower English language proficiency level, as determined by the ELPAC (CDE Reporting Office Glossary of Terms for English learner (EL) Reports).
English learner “At Risk” of Becoming a Long-Term English Learner (“At Risk”): an English learner to which all the following apply: 1) is enrolled on Census Day (the first Wednesday in October) in grades 3-12, inclusive; and 2) has been enrolled in a U.S. school for four or five years; and 3) has scored at the intermediate level or below (level 3 or below) on the prior year administration of the ELPAC (CDE Reporting Office Glossary of Terms for English learner (EL) Reports).
Primary Language Assessments
For students identified as being of limited English proficiency, a further assessment is made to determine the student’s primary language proficiency, including speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing. This assessment may be used, along with the results of the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), to determine appropriate instruction and support services for English learners.
The Spanish Language Proficiency assessments are administered by testers who speak, read, and write English and Spanish. They are appropriately trained and prepared to evaluate cultural and ethnic factors.
PYLUSD utilizes the IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT) to assess Spanish Language Proficiency. The IPT is a paper-based instrument that consists of Oral, Reading, and Writing assessments in three grade spans.
*TK, K, and 1st-grade students only take an oral assessment.
Spanish Oral Assessments
- Pre-IPT
- Grades TK - K (1st semester)
- IPT I Oral
- Grades K - 6
- IPT II Oral
- Grades 6-12
Spanish Reading & Writing Assessments
- IPT 1
- Grades 2-3
- IPT 2
- Grades 4-6
- IPT 3
- Grades 7-12
Students with a primary language other than Spanish, have their primary language proficiency evaluated through an informal parent questionnaire.
Tools and Resources For Providing English Learners With A Language Assistance Program
While the ESEA, as amended by ESSA, does not give a definition of a “long-term English learner,” Section 3121(a)(6) mandates a report every two years of the number and percentage of “ELs who have not yet attained English language proficiency within five years.” For more information, see Section I of the NRG (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016, p. 38).
KEY POINTS
- EL services and programs must be educationally sound in theory and effective in practice.
- EL programs must be designed to enable ELs to attain both English proficiency and parity of participation
- in the standard instructional program within a reasonable length of time.
- LEAs must offer EL services and programs until ELs are proficient in English and can participate meaningfully in educational programs without EL support.
- Additionally, LEAs must provide appropriate special education services to ELs with disabilities who are found to be eligible for special education and related services.
- Multilingual Learners: Additional Designations
PYLUSD Multilingual Learners (ML) data is disaggregated according to the date of initial U.S. TK-12 enrollment and years enrolled. This data assists in planning for students’ educational needs. English Language Development (ELD) courses are designed for English learners who are newly enrolled in school in the United States and are at the Emerging and Expanding proficiency levels. Academic Language Development (ELD/ALD) courses are designed for Long Term English learners and students at risk of becoming Long Term English Learners. Students enrolled in ELD/ALD are also enrolled in a grade-level English course. English Learner designations are defined in the Newcomer Toolkit published by the U.S. Department of Education.
* Please note that students may have more than one designation at a time.
For additional details and instructional implications, please use the following links to learn English Learner Typology: Key Characteristics and Considerations and EL Toolkit of Strategies.
- English Learners: State and Federal Guidelines
Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District follows federal, state, and local laws and policies to properly educate all English Learners. The district’s major goal is to ensure that our EL students have equal access to a high-quality education so that they fulfill our mission: The Reason We Exist-” We inspire all students through rigorous and relevant educational experiences that empower them to become responsible, ethical, and contributing citizens.”
In this section of the chapter Federal and State laws about the education of ELs are described, followed by a brief explanation of how these laws are enforced. These descriptions are adapted from the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Federal Law
The most important Federal laws establishing the rights of all students are set forth in the:
Constitution of the United States, Fourteenth Amendment (1868)
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that "...No State shall...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Civil Rights Act, Title VI (1964)
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that "...No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin...be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to, discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Equal Educational Opportunities Act (1974)
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act makes educational institutions responsible for taking the necessary steps to overcome linguistic and/or cultural barriers that keep students from equal participation in instructional programs. Specifically, "...No State shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual on account of his/her race, color, sex or national religion, by … the failure of an educational agency to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students in its instructional programs..."
California Law
Former State Bilingual Education Act: AB 507
This act (1984) established specific bilingual program requirements for identification, instruction, staffing assignments, classroom composition, reclassification, and parent involvement.
CA Education for a Global Economy Initiative (Ed.G.E.) (Proposition 58).
In November 2016, California voters approved Proposition 58, also known as the CA Ed.G.E. Initiative. The purpose of the CA Ed.G.E. Initiative is to ensure that all children in California public schools receive the highest quality education, master the English language, and access high-quality, innovative, and research-based language programs that prepare them to fully participate in a global economy.
The CA Ed.G.E. Initiative authorizes school districts and county offices of education to establish language acquisition programs for both native and non-native English speakers and requires school districts and county offices of education to solicit parent and community input in developing language acquisition programs.