BP 6174 — Education for English Language Learners

Section: 6000 - Instruction
Status: Active

Adopted: 2016-01-26

Revised: 2020-02-13

Policy text

EDUCATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

The Governing Board intends to provide English learners with challenging curriculum andinstructionmaximizetheattainmentofhighlevelsofproficiencyinEnglish,advance multilingual capabilities, and facilitate student achievement in the district’s regular course of study.

English learners shall be provided differentiated English language development instruction which is targeted to their English proficiency level. Such instruction shall be based on sound instructional theory, be aligned with state content standards, emphasize inquiry-based learning and critical thinking skills, and be integrated across all subject areas.

No middle or high school student who is an English learner shall be denied enrollment in any of the following:

Courses in the core curriculum areas of reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and history-social science, courses required to meet state and local high school graduation requirements, or courses required for middle school grade promotion However, an English learner may be denied participation in any such course if the student has been enrolled in a school in the United States for less than 12 months or is enrolled in a program designed to develop the basic English skills of newly arrived immigrant students, and the course of study provided to the student is designed to remedy academic deficits incurred during participation and to enable the student to attain parity of participation in the standard instructional program within a reasonable length of time after the student enters the school system.
A full course load of courses specified in item #1 above
Other courses that meet the “a-g” course requirements for college admission or are advanced courses such as honors or Advanced Placement courses, on the sole basis of the student’s classification as an English learner.

The district shall identify in its local control and accountability plan (LCAP) specific actions and services to enhance student engagement, academic achievement, and other outcomes for English learners. The Superintendent or designee shall encourage parent/guardian and community involvement in the development and evaluation of programs for English learners. The Superintendent or designee may also provide an English development literacy training program for parents/guardians and community members so that they may better support students’ English language development.

Staff Qualifications and Training

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that all staff employed to teach English learners possess the appropriate authorization from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

The district shall provide effective professional development to teachers (including teachers in classroom settings that are not the settings of language instruction educational programs), administrators, and other school or community-based organization personnel to improve the instruction and assessment of English learners and enhance staff’s ability to understand and use curricula, assessment, and instructional strategies for English learners. Such professional development shall be of sufficient intensity and duration to produce a positive and lasting impact on teachers’ performance in the classroom. Identification and Assessment The Superintendent or designee shall maintain procedures for the early identification of English learners and an assessment of their proficiency using the state’s English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). To oversee test administration, the Superintendent or designee shall annually designate a district ELPAC coordinator and a site coordinator for each test site in accordance with 5 CCR 11518.40-11518.45.

Once identified as an English learner, a student shall be annually assessed for language proficiency until the student is reclassified based on criteria specified in the accompanying administrative regulation.

English learners’ academic achievement in English language arts, mathematics, science, and any additional subject required by law shall be assessed using the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. As necessary, the test shall be administered with allowable testing variations in accordance with 5 CCR 853.5 and 853.7. English learners who are in their first 12 months of attending a school in the United States shall be exempted from taking the English language arts assessment to the extent allowed by federal law.

Language Acquisition Programs

The district shall offer research-based language acquisition programs that are designed to ensure English acquisition as rapidly and as effectively as possible and that provide instruction to students on the state-adopted academic content standards, including the English language development standards.

At a minimum, the district shall offer a structured English immersion program which includes designated and integrated English language development. In the structured English immersion program, nearly all of the classroom instruction shall be provided in English, but with the curriculum and presentation designed for students who are learning English.

For the purpose of determining the amount of instruction to be conducted in English in the structured English immersion program, “nearly all” means that all classroom instruction shall be conducted in English except for clarification, explanation, and support as needed.

The district’s language acquisition programs for grades K-3 shall comply with class size requirements specified in Education Code 42238.02.

In establishing the district’s language acquisition programs, the Superintendent or designee shall consult with parents/guardians and the community during the LCAP development process. The Superintendent or designee shall also consult with administrators, teachers, and other personnel with appropriate authorizations and experience in establishing a language acquisition program.

At the beginning of each school year or upon a student’s enrollment, parents/guardians shall be provided information on the type(s) of language acquisition program(s) available to students enrolled in the district, including, but not limited to, a description of each program, the process to be followed in making a program selection, identification of any language to be taught in addition to English when the program includes instruction in another language, and the process to request establishment of a language acquisition program.

Reclassification

When an English learner is determined based on state and district reclassification criteria to have acquired a reasonable level of English proficiency pursuant to Education Code 313 and 52164.6, or upon request by the student’s parent/guardian, the student shall be transferred from a language acquisition program into an English language mainstream classroom.

Program Evaluation

To evaluate the effectiveness of the District’s educational program for English learners, the Superintendent or designee shall report to the Board, at least annually, regarding:

Progress of English learners towards proficiency in English.
The number and percentage of English learners reclassified as fluent English proficient.
The number and percentage of English learners who are or are at risk of being classified as long-term English learners in accordance with Education Code 313.1.
The achievement of English learners on standards-based tests in core curricular areas.
Progress toward any other goals for English learners identified in the District’s LCAP.
A comparison of current data with data from at least the previous year in regards to items #1-3 above.

The Superintendent or designee also shall provide the Board with regular reports from any District or school wide English learner advisory committees.