Eligibility for EL (English Learner) Services
View a copy of the full Essex Westford School District Lau Plan.
Emergent Multilingual Learners are determined to be eligible for EL Services through a screening and identification process and outlined by specific exit and entry requirements established by the Vermont Agency of Education.
At the time of registration, parents/guardians of each new student will complete the Primary Home Language Survey. If any other language is indicated on the Survey, the EL teacher assigned to that school is notified and provided with a copy of the Survey.
The EL teacher assigned to the student’s school will review the survey, conduct any necessary interview and/or testing, and complete the EWSD Screening Form which can be found in the full EWSD Lau Plan (below).
If it is determined that this student should receive EL services, the EL teacher will develop an EL Service Plan which outlines the nature and frequency of EL services provided to the student that year.
The Service Plan will be revisited throughout the year and may be revised to meet the changing needs of the student. Parents/guardians will receive notification of assessment results and EL status determination, as well as a copy of the EL Service Plan (if applicable). Parents will be given an opportunity to ask questions or share their concerns.
Based on the screening and identification process, students receiving EL services fall into one of three categories:
Student Receiving EL Services – A multilingual student who qualified and is receiving services.
Monitoring – A multilingual student who has passed the ACCESS test must be, per VT regulations, monitored by a qualified EL teacher for two years prior to fully exiting the program. Students are listed as Monitoring Year 1 (MY1) or Monitoring Year 2 (MY2). During this time, EL teachers will review student academic records, assessment results, and consult with teachers to ensure that the student’s academic progress is not being hindered by language proficiency.
Exited – Following two years of monitoring students will exit the EL program.
WIDA Standards
Vermont is a member of the WIDA Consortium. EL instruction and Assessment Programs in Vermont are aligned with the WIDA Standards. To learn more about the Standards and the WIDA Consortium visit the WIDA site. The WIDA standards include “Can Do” Indicators for each grade level which outline what a student at each language proficiency level should know and be able to do.
Participation in State Assessments
Vermont regulations require that students receiving EL services continue with EL programming until he or she passes the state ACCESS for ELLs assessment or the school determines that the student is eligible to exit services based on other compelling local assessment data.
Students receiving EL services are required to take all other state assessments unless he or she qualifies for an exemption as outlined by state or federal regulations. For example, currently, newcomer students receiving EL services are exempt from participation in the state assessment SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) for English Language Arts if they have moved into the U.S. within one calendar year of the assessment window. The student is, however, required to take the state math and science assessment.