Arkansas English Learner Entrance and Exit Procedures
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Identifying which students in Arkansas are English Learners (ELs) is critical to the success of these students. To facilitate consistent identification of ELs, reclassification to Former English Learners (FELs), and monitoring of FELs, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) standardized statewide entrance and exit procedures effective as of the 2018-19 school year. These standardized entrance and exit procedures were developed after consulting with 51 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Coordinators throughout Arkansas and gathering feedback from ESOL Coordinator groups at several education service cooperatives, as well as in collaboration with the Arkansas English Learner/Title III Advocacy Group representing districts of various sizes throughout the state. | ||||||||||||
2. Home Language Usage Survey | ||||||||||||
A common Home Language Usage Survey will be administered to all Arkansas students initially enrolling in each Local Education Agency (LEA). LEAs will include the HLUS in the student’s cumulative folder/ permanent file. (Cumulative folders may be maintained as hard copies or electronic copies. An electronic copy must be able to be printed or emailed to other districts in Arkansas if/when the student transfers.)
| Occasionally, responses on a student’s HLUS may not correctly reflect the student’s Language Minority Student (LMS) status. The Home Language Usage Survey Verification Form (HLUS-VF) was created for Arkansas schools to document when this occurs. There are only two reasons to complete the HLUS-VF:
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3. Screening and Data | ||||||||||||
4. Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) | ||||||||||||
Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC)Placement decisions are made by a site-based Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) consisting of at least three educators, one from each category:
The LPAC must meet for the following reasons to review assessment results and other available data to determine placement, services, and recommended classroom and assessment accommodations:
Specific EL services offered remain a local decision. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are expected to offer appropriate English Language Development (ELD) services and meaningful access to content area instruction to ELs. The LPAC must also determine the appropriate classroom and assessment accommodations to be provided to the student due to their EL needs, if any. | ||||||||||||
Videos: | PDF Files: | |||||||||||
5. Annual Parent & Guardian Notification | ||||||||||||
The Parent/Guardian Notification:
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The District Annual Parent Notification letter includes:
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6. Language Minority Student Data Entry (eSchool) | ||||||||||||
Video: Data Entry of a Language Minority Student (6:47 minutes) PDF | ||||||||||||
7. Programming | ||||||||||||
State ESOL Guide | ||||||||||||
8. ESOL Program Funding | ||||||||||||
For personalized support or additional information, please contact:Maria Touchstone, ESOL Program Director/Title III Co-Coordinator maria.touchstone@ade.arkansas.gov english.learners@ade.arkansas.gov or contact an ESOL Specialist Arkansas Department of Education |