EDUCATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
The Governing Board intends to provide English language learners with a challenging core curriculum and instruction that develop proficiency in English as rapidly and effectively as possible in order to assist students in becoming productive members of our society.
The district’s program shall be based on sound instructional theory and shall be adequately supported so that English language learners can achieve results at the same academic level as their English-proficient peers.
To ensure that the district is using sound methods that effectively serve the need of English language learners, the Superintendent or designee shall regularly examine program results, including reports of the students’ academic achievement and their progress towards proficiency in English. The Superintendent shall ensure that schools compile data on programs for English language learners in order to help determine program effectiveness and shall annually report these findings to the Board and shall also provide the Board with regular reports from any district or school-wide English Learner advisory committees.
(cf. 4112.22/4212.22 – Staff Teaching Students of Limited-English Proficiency)
(cf. 6190 – Evaluation of the Instructional Program)
The Board encourages staff to exchange information with other districts and the county office of education about programs, options and strategies for English language learners that succeed under various demographic conditions.
The Superintendent or designee shall maintain procedures which provide for the identification, assessment and placement of English language learners and for their redesignation based on criteria adopted by the Board and specified in administrative regulations.
Students who are English language learners shall be educated through sheltered English immersion during a temporary transition period not normally intended to exceed one year. Nearly all of the classroom instruction in the district’s sheltered English immersion program shall be in English. (Education Code 305, 306)
In the structured English immersion program, classroom instruction shall be in English. However, clarification, explanation and support, as needed, may be in a student’s primary language.
An English language learner shall be transferred from a structured English immersion classroom to an English language mainstream classroom when the student has acquired a reasonable level of English proficiency as measured by any of the state-designated assessments approved by the California Department of Education or any locally developed assessments. (Education Code 305; 5 CCR 11301)
A student has acquired a “reasonable level of English proficiency” when he/she achieved the following:
- Early Advanced score on the California English Language Development Test
- English writing mastery demonstrated on the district timed writing exercise
- English reading mastery demonstrated on the district reading assessments
Meeting English Language Arts standards by scoring at the basic level on the CST for ELA.
Alternatively, a language appraisal team may determine reasonable fluency.
(cf. 6011 – Academic Standards)
(cf. 6162.5 – Student Assessment)
(cf. 6171 – Title I Programs)
Parental Exception Waivers
Upon the request of his/her parent/guardian, a student shall be placed in an English language mainstream classroom. (5 CCR 11301)
Parent/guardian requests for waivers from Education Code 305 shall be granted in accordance with law and administrative regulation.
