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English Learner Programs and Placement Process. Romoland School District Parent Information Meeting. Goal of the Parent Meeting:. The goal of this meeting is to explain: Proposition 227 and its requirement that all English Learners be placed in an English classroom
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English Learner Programs and Placement Process Romoland School District Parent Information Meeting
Goal of the Parent Meeting: • The goal of this meeting is to explain: • Proposition 227 and its requirement that all English Learners be placed in an English classroom • The programs offered by the District • The process to request a parental exception waiver for an alternative bilingual program • The District criteria to approve or deny a waiver request • Future years
Initial Identification • By law, all students must be placed in an English Language classroom at the beginning of each school year • The students whose language is other than English take the CELDT to determine their level of English
CELDT Results The CELDT results will tell us whether the students are either: • Fluent English Proficient (FEP) or • Limited English Proficient If the student is limited in English, he/she is identified as an English learner (EL)
English Learners • English learners are identified with: • reasonable fluency in English: a student with a working knowledge of English or • less than reasonable fluency in English: a student who has not acquired a working knowledge of English
English Language Programs • All students identified as English learners will be placed in an English language classroom from the first day of school • Structured English Immersion (SEI)- for students with less than reasonable fluency in English • English Language Mainstream Classroom (ELM)- for students with reasonable fluency in English
Structured English Immersion (SEI) • Components: • English Language Arts/Houghten Mifflin Reading • All subjects in English • English Language Development (ELD) • All materials and homework in English • Explanations in Spanish, if needed
English Language Mainstream Classroom (ELM) • Components: • English Language Arts/Houghten Mifflin Reading • All subjects are in English • English Language Development (as needed) • No Spanish language support • Parents of English learners have the right to request an English Mainstream Classroom at any time
Parental Exception Waiver Request Process • All students are placed in an English language program at the beginning of each school year • Parents of English learners may request a waiver for an alternative bilingual program if they believe that their child has special needs that negatively affect his/her ability to succeed in an SEI program • They may submit it after the student has begun school
Parental Exception Waivers There are three types of Parental Exception Waviers: • Education Code 311(a): Children who know English (students with reasonable fluency in English) • Education Code 311(b): Children age 10 or older (students with less than reasonable fluency in English) • Education Code 311(c): Children with special needs (students under 10 with less than reasonable fluency in English)
Education Code 311(c) This parental exception waiver is for students who are under 10 years old with less than reasonable fluency in English and with special needs. These special needs include: • Educational • Physical • Emotional/psychological
Requesting a Waiver Parents may submit a Parental Exception Waiver request to the principal any time after the first day of instruction
Timeline to Approve or Deny • After the student has completed 30 calendar days in an English language classroom, the District begins the process to approve or deny the submitted parental exception waiver
District Criteria • The criteria used to approve or deny parental exception waivers include the following factors: • Whether the special needs listed in the waiver request exist • The special needs interfere with the learning of English • A placement in an alternative program is better suited, based on the student’s progress in learning English
Role of the School The principal: • Reviews each waiver request using the District criteria • Gives a report to the Superintendent with a recommendation to approve or deny
Role of the District The Superintendent: • Uses the District criteria to review the principal’s recommendation • Gives a final approval or denial
Approved/Denied Waivers • If the waiver request is approved, the student is placed in the requested alternative bilingual program. • If the waiver request is denied, the student remains in SEI. The principal will conference with the parent to explain the reasons for the denial and the parent’s right to appeal the decision.
Approved/Denied Waivers • If a parent does not request a Parental Exception Waiver for an alternative bilingual program, the child will remain in SEI.
Future Years • Each year all English learners will be placed in an English language program • Parents can request a waiver during the first 30 days of school, or at any time during the school year • The District will use the same established criteria to approve or deny the waiver request