Title III & English Learner Program
Purpose of English Learner Programs
Georgia Cyber Academy will increase the English proficiency of English Learners (ELs) in the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program and meet academic achievement standards for grade promotion by providing high-quality language development programs based on scientific research and demonstrating the effectiveness of English proficiency and achievement in academic content areas.
- Federal Definition
- Common Acronyms
- Exit Procedures
- Exit Criteria
- Services and Programs of Instruction
Federal Definition
Means an individual—
- who is age 3 through 21;
- who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or secondary school;
- who
- was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English;
- is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native resident of the outlying areas; and
- comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on the individual's level of English language proficiency; or
- is migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and
- whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individual—
- the ability to meet the State's proficient level of achievement on State assessments described in section 1111(b)(3);
- the ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or the opportunity to participate fully in society.
Common Acronyms
English Learner (EL)
English Language Learner (ELL)
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Limited English Proficient (LEP)
English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Emergent Bilingual (EB)
English Language Development (ELD)
Multilingual Learner (MLL)
All of these acronyms are used to describe a student who speaks a language(s) other than English and has been identified as needing additional language support .
Exit Procedures
Georgia Cyber Academy’s Standardized EL Entrance and Exit Procedures per ESEA/ESSA Title III, Part A
Responsible for Monitoring: The ESOL Program Supervisor is responsible for implementing the Entrance and Exit processes. The Federal Programs Director monitors the implementation of the Entrance and Exit processes.
Samples of the following are reviewed for internal monitoring:
- Evidence of timely screeners
- Home language surveys
- Coding in Infinite Campus
- Required Documentation in Infinite Campus
Registration/Enrollment Process
Students will be identified through the enrollment process using the federally required Home Language Survey. This survey is provided in the language the guardians can understand, as indicated on enrollment paperwork. Home Language Surveys are kept in the students' records in Infinite Campus as part of their enrollment packet. The parent chooses the language of the online enrollment packet. The language in which the Home Language Survey is provided is determined by the family’s answer to the preferred language question on enrollment forms.
The ESOL Program Supervisor reviews the enrollment data weekly with the Home Language Survey results. Any student whose answers are anything other than English will need to be investigated by phone calls to the family, SLDS data, and records requested from the previous school for more information.
Teachers will continuously review their student rosters in SLDS to verify any additional active, monitored, or former ELs.
The Compliance & State Reporting administrator routinely captures new students in GUIDE, providing the ESOL Program Supervisor with students coded as EL-Y, EL-1, EL-2, EL-3, EL-4, EL-Former, or EL-Waived. The ESOL Program Supervisor verifies previous years' ACCESS scores using the ACCESS for ELs Assessment History in SLDS. The ESOL Program Supervisor also contacts the students' previous schools to determine if they were reclassified from ESOL based on the sending district’s exit score criteria.
When students enroll who have been determined to be EL - Served or EL- Monitored Year 1 and 2, the ESOL Programs Supervisor works with the enrollment team to request previous school ESOL records. These records are uploaded into Infinite Campus when they are received.
If a child transfers from a local school district or a sister WIDA state, contact will be made with that school to determine if the child was served, screened, or monitored in their EL program. This will help us determine if a child needs to take the WIDA Screener for placement.
For students new to U.S. schools, including Kindergarten students and recently arrived immigrants, the answer to any of the three state-required HLS questions indicates a language other than English, the student has a Primary Home Language Other Than English (PHLOTE) and is considered a potential English Learner must be administered the WIDA ELP screener. The online WIDA Screener placement test for second-semester 1st Grade through 12th Grade will be given in person by a certified teacher at the Georgia Cyber Academy office or a location local to the student. The WIDA Screener for Kindergarten placement test for Pre-K entering Kindergarten through first semester first graders will be given in person by a certified teacher at a location local to the student.
If the answer to all three questions is English, the student is not a potential English Learner and is not administered the WIDA screener. Transfer students’ original HLS and prior EL documents take precedence in this process.
Parent Communication Language Codes
The Home Language Survey includes a question for Communication Preference. This question provides the district with the preferred language in which the parent prefers to be communicated to the extent practicable. The language preference is coded in Infinite Campus under the Parent’s census information tab using Data Collection Language Codes provided by GaDOE. At GCA, parents who request a language other than English are called Limited English Proficient (LEP). The students of the LEP parent receive a flag in Infinite Campus that designates their parent or guardian as LEP. When hovering over the flag, staff members will see which language they are to communicate.
When Parents Report a Multilingual-Multiliterate Home Language Environment
GCA utilizes the updated HLS that includes “Additional Information from Multilingual Families.” Parents who indicate their child and other adults in the home understand and use English and another language will complete the “Additional Information from Multilingual Families” questions. If a parent responds that their child understands and uses English more than the other home language or that the child understands and uses both English and the other home language equally, GCA will not screen the child for English language proficiency. If the parent later requests that the student should be screened, an HLS amendment must be completed and uploaded to the student records in Infinite Campus.
If the student qualifies for EL status, GCA identifies the primary home language as the non-English language since both primary home languages cannot be simultaneously recorded in Infinite Campus.
If a parent of a developing multilingual child feels that the ELP screening process is discriminatory against multilingual-multiliterate families, the parent may request a Multilingual Home Language Survey (MLL HLS) Amendment. This amendment provides guidance and describes the process to change the student’s primary home language code to English. With English as the primary home language, the student would not be considered a potential English learner, nor would they be screened for ELP.
If a new family requests an MLL HLS Amendment form, the following process will occur:
- The ELD teacher will email the form provided by GADOE and offer a follow-up phone call to answer any questions at the guardian’s request
- Once the completed form is received, the ELD teacher will send it to the ESOL Program Supervisor.
- The ESOL Program Supervisor will review the form and follow up with the guardian if needed.
- Upon verification and approval by the ESOL Program Supervisor, this Multilingual HLS Amendment will be added to the student’s file in Infinite Campus and Ellevation and will constitute the official Home Language Survey of record.
- The ESOL Program Supervisor will also change the STUDENT HOME LANGUAGE in Infinite Campus to English.
Students Transferring From Out-of-State
If a student was screened by a WIDA state and not found eligible, GCA may NOT screen the student again. If the student was screened in a non-WIDA state and was not found eligible, GCA may consider rescreening the student using the WIDA eligibility assessment. However, GCA will NOT consider re-screening if the student was screened within the last 24 months from enrollment, was successful in the general education program at the previous school, or performed at the met or exceeded level of the state’s content assessments.
J-1 Visa, Foreign Exchange Students
It is expected that all J-1 exchange visitors are proficient enough in English to participate successfully in their exchange program and to function on a day-to-day basis in U.S. schools. GCA will not screen these students for language services if sponsors provide GCA with evidence of English proficiency in one of the following ways:
- Results of a recognized English language test
- Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school
- A documented interview conducted by the sponsor
The ESOL Program Supervisor will review the evidence submitted on behalf of the student.
Out-of-Country Enrollment Gaps
When GCA runs a report of foreign-born students entering U.S. schools by date, a student with a break in enrollment of several months or a year of non-enrollment in U.S. schools would not be captured in this report. However, knowledge of a student’s enrollment gaps will flag the student as an immigrant using the immigrant flag in their Infinite Campus, thus allowing the state to identify these students who still qualify as immigrants. Placement counselors will follow the grade level SOP for placement when there are enrollment gaps.
When an EL-Y student is Incorrectly Identified
On the rarest of occasions, a student is identified through the Home Language Survey (HLS) screened and found eligible for ESOL services, EL-Y, and following the parent notifies GCA that they incorrectly completed the Home Language Survey questions.
The ESOL Program Supervisor will provide the parent the opportunity to complete a Home Language Survey Addendum. The original HLS and the HLS addendum must be printed in a language the parents have indicated they understand.
Home Language Survey Addendum Procedures
- When parents report an error in the completion of the Home Language Survey
- A parent may request to change their answers to the Home Language Survey if they did not understand the questions on the original Home Language Survey.
- The Home Language Survey Addendum will be provided to the parents in a language that they understand. The addendum must be completed and signed by the parent in the presence of a notary.
- The notarized form must be added to the student's Person Documents folder in Infinite Campus.
- The ESOL Program Supervisor will update the student’s Primary Language code in Infinite Campus.
- Depending on the change, a student may or may not be screened for ESOL eligibility.
The ESOL Program Supervisor approves the new HLS and will take the next steps based on the latest information.
If the next step requires a status change, GCA’s State Reporting Manager will use the code EL-I to show the student was Incorrectly Identified for the remainder of the school year. For all subsequent years following July 1st, the student will be coded as EL-N. The ESOL Program Supervisor will place all documentation of the status change in the Person Documents file in Infinite Campus as well as report the following information to the GaDOE through the secure Portal messaging system by June 30th:
- Student’s First and Last Name
- Grade Level
- Parent’s reason for change
- Name of ESOL Program Supervisor that approved status change
- Former status code
- New Status code
- Date status change effective
Save the report as DISTRICT.YEAR.TitleIII.EL-ICodeReport. Insert the link to the form.
EL Entrance Procedures
Screening for Eligibility
WIDA Screener Placement Tests are the state-required screening tests for potential EL students. The WIDA Screener for Kindergarten will be used for Pre-K entering Kindergarten, first/second-semester Kindergarten, and 1st semester first graders. Students in the second semester of 1st grade through 12th grade will take the WIDA Screener for their appropriate grade level. Students from another county or from WIDA sister states who have already been screened will not have to take this. Retired screeners (K-WAPT, remote, etc.) are no longer used to determine initial eligibility. GCA general funds pay for costs associated with administering the screeners, including the price of the screeners, facility fees, mileage, and lodging costs.
The following protocols are followed to determine which grade-level screeners and/or domains are given based on grade level, semester, and grade-level cluster.
Domains (Kindergarten and First Grade)
ESOL-certified teachers will be trained through the WIDA platform to give this placement assessment and will assist in screening. All administrators/examiners will renew their WIDA test certification annually after September 1st for the current school year. WIDA’s Test Certification Year runs September 1st - August 30th. The ESOL Supervisor will maintain the annual training certificates for each examiner.
The WIDA Screeners, including the Kindergarten Assessment, are secure assessments and must comply with all requirements for test security. The Kindergarten WIDA Screener and other printed WIDA Screener materials remain locked in the testing closet at the GCA office, along with other secured testing materials. When a screener is needed, the ESOL Services Supervisor will assign a certified examiner the materials and place them in a locked banker’s box. The materials must remain under the supervision of the certified staff member at all times until returned to the Testing Closet. The costs of ELP screeners will be funded using our general funds budget.
The WIDA Screeners will be administered to all students enrolled at the beginning of the school year within 30 days. After those first 30 days, the ESOL team will screen students within ten days of enrollment.
Early Screening is not offered at Georgia Cyber Academy, as the school does not have a pre-kindergarten program. Screening begins once students have started kindergarten.
EL Eligibility Criteria
A Pre-K student entering Kindergarten through first-semester Kindergarten with a Composite Oral Proficiency Level (Listening & Speaking) < 5.0 on the Kindergarten WIDA Screener qualifies and is identified as an English Learner. If the student’s Composite Oral Proficiency Level (Listening & Speaking) is ≥ 5.0, the student Does Not Qualify (DNQ) as an English Learner and is not coded as an English Learner. The screener score is uploaded to the student’s Person Documents folder within Infinite Campus.
A 2nd Semester Kindergarten student and first Semester First grader whose Overall Composite Proficiency Level (Listening, Speaking, Reading, & Writing) is < 5.0 on the Kindergarten WIDA Screener qualifies and is identified as an English Learner. If the student’s Overall Composite Proficiency Level (Listening, Speaking, Reading, & Writing)) is ≥ 5.0, the student Does Not Qualify (DNQ) as an English Learner and is not coded as an English Learner. The screener score is uploaded to the student’s Person Documents folder within Infinite Campus.
A second-semester First Grader to 12th Grader taking the WIDA screener whose grade-level-adjusted Overall Composite Proficiency Level (Listening, Speaking, Reading, & Writing) is < 5.0 is eligible for ESOL services. If the student’s grade-level-adjusted Overall Composite Proficiency Level (Listening, Speaking, Reading, & Writing)) is ≥ 5.0, the student Does Not Qualify (DNQ) as an English Learner and is not coded as an English Learner. The screener score is uploaded to the student’s Person Documents folder within Infinite Campus.
EL Entrance Flowcharts
Kindergarten WIDA Screener for Kindergarten
Documenting ELP Screening Irregularities
An ELP Screening irregularity may happen when one of the following takes place to a student:
- Administered the incorrect grade-level screener
- Administered the incorrect language domain subtests
- Administered the screener by a non-WIDA certified or untrained staff
- Administered the WIDA screener without appropriate accommodations to a student with or suspected disabilities
- Administered the WIDA screener even though they are English-only
- Administered the WIDA screener after transferring with an EL Exit status (El-1-F)
On the occasion of an ELP Screening irregularity, the ESOL Services Supervisor will complete the ELP Screener Irregularity Form and maintain it locally. The next steps for properly identifying the student’s EL status must be discussed between the ESOL Services Supervisor and the WIDA Screener examiner.
Students with Disabilities
Potential English Learners with Disabilities (or Suspected Disabilities) Students with disabilities established in an IEP or 504 Plan whose home or primary language is not English must be administered the appropriate WIDA ELP Screener with the appropriate accommodations established in the IEP. Please see the GaDOE 2024-2025 Student Assessment Handbook. These accommodations must be documented in the IEP within Infinite Campus. Collaboration will occur between ESOL and the Special Education department to ensure the accommodations on the ELP Screener are appropriate to the disability. See also the WIDA Table of Allowable Accommodations in the GaDOE 2023-2024 Accessibility and Accommodations Manual and in WIDA’s 2023-2024 WIDA Accessibility and Accommodations Supplement. A potential EL entering school with a suspected disability may require an evaluation for special education before administering the WIDA ELP Screener with accommodations, especially if the suspected disability would impact the screener's results. Making an eligibility determination for EL status when there is a suspected disability that has not been addressed could impact the eligibility determination. Collaboration between the ESOL and Special Education departments will take place before the administration of the WIDA ELP Screener.
Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
The WIDA Screener and the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten may not be valid screeners for Potential English Learners with Disabilities. A team meeting will determine if the language screener would adequately assess a student with a significant cognitive disability or non-verbal communication. The team will include the parent, an ELD teacher, the classroom teacher, a special educator, and a school administrator. The team will discuss the best educational options for the student.
If the IEP team determines that the administration of the WIDA ELP Screener with accommodations is not appropriate to identify this student as an EL, the IEP meeting minutes suffice as documentation of this decision. A flag could be placed with the Home Language Survey in the permanent record to alert any reviewer to see the IEP minutes dated XXXX for a screening decision.
If the IEP team determines that the student is not an English learner, then he/she would be coded EL=No.
The meeting minutes and the committee decision must be maintained in the student’s Person Documents (cumulative record) folder in Infinite Campus. Additionally, the IEP team's decision must be maintained in the student’s cumulative record, along with evidence that supports it. The decision may be revisited at any time in the student’s school career.
Students with Disabilities that Preclude Assessment of One or More Language Domains
WIDA ELP screeners may not be valid for making EL eligibility determinations for students whose IEP precludes the assessment of one or more language domains. To determine the student’s qualifications as an EL, the IEP team must meet to discuss how the student will be determined to be an EL when one or more language domains are missing.
Students who are deaf, blind, and non-verbal would be considered as having a disability that precludes one or more language domains. In this case, the Assessment Director must seek counsel from the GaDOE Assessment Division, who will then consult with the Special Education and EL Learner Programs.
The decisions made by the IEP team must be maintained in the student’s cumulative record in Infinite Campus.
Coding Screener Data & Results
To code student EL-Y on the EL Information Tab in Infinite Campus (IC), you must change the student’s Program Status to EL. The date of the ELP Screener is called the Identified Date in IC. In order to add the EL Program status, a home language other than English must be added to the student’s demographic information (Census-People).
Screener Results
The ESOL Program Supervisor will email the parents the ELP Screener score to the parent email on file in Infinite Campus. A follow-up phone call will also be offered to discuss the results. A copy of the score report will be placed in the records folder in Infinite Campus and ELLevation.
Georgia Cyber Academy utilizes the EL Screener Tab in SLDS to maintain the ELP Screener information for all districts in Georgia to access as needed.
Documenting ESOL Services
When a student begins service, the ESOL Program Supervisor will add an initial date for ESOL services in the student’s individual record in Infinite Campus. If the student begins receiving services but after parent notification (see below) is withdrawn from services, the start date should be indicated as parent withdrawn and the date the school received written parent notification. A start date for ELs receiving ESOL must be documented annually. Finally, a start date is entered, indicating when the student began to receive ESOL services. The start date should be the first day the student received instruction in an ESOL program. It is not allowable to simply enter the first day of school if the student did not receive ESOL services on the first day of school. This service will be documented in Infinite Campus (IC) under Program Participation, English Learners, and will be marked as service type ESOL: ESOL and ESOL1:1 ESOL Segment. ESOL Placement must occur within 30 days from the first day of school (10 days for students entering after the first day of school.)
Once identified as an EL student, the ESOL Program Supervisor will email the counselor assigned to student placement. The ELD teachers will be copied on the email. The counselor will place the EL student in the ESOL Course in Infinite Campus.
Active EL students will be assigned to a certified ELD teacher who will meet with them for 45- 50 minutes daily (depending on grade level) to monitor progress and provide academic support using various service models. The ELD teacher will focus on assisting the student in achieving proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English.
Grades K-3 = 45-minute daily segments or a minimum of 225 minutes weekly
Grades 4-8 = 50-minute daily segments or a minimum of 250 minutes weekly
Grades 9-12 = 90-minute daily segments or a minimum of 450 minutes weekly: The secondary grade band’s bell schedule at GCA allows for 90-minute segments five days per week
Parent Notification of ESOL Services
The Parent Notification Letter is used to notify parents of students who have been identified as EL and their student’s placement in a language instruction program. The parent notification letter is emailed annually to all EL Eligible students’ parents. The letter must be provided to the parent no later than 30 days from the beginning of the school year or within two weeks of enrollment in an ESOL program. For any student that enrolls after the first 30 days of the school year, the school will have ten days or two weeks to notify of ESOL program placement following the student’s enrollment date. Parents of newly identified students will receive the Initial Eligibility Parent Letter that notes the student’s WIDA screener score and program delivery model. The letters will come from Ellevation and be translated into the Native Language for those who request communication in their native language. After the letters are sent to the parents, they will be uploaded to Infinite Campus in the student's permanent record.
The school will ensure that all communication to a parent of a child identified for participation in a language instruction educational program for limited English proficient children shall be in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the parents can understand.
The school must notify parents in a language they can understand within ten school days. GCA will use ZAB Translation Solutions to translate documents. Additionally, GCA will refer to the Georgia DOE website or Ellevation for completed translations of required forms.
Parent Notification of Title I Supplemental Language Programs
The Parent Notification of Title I Supplemental Language Programs form is sent within 30 days from the beginning of the school year or within ten days of placement in the ESOL program. Parent Notification of Title I supplemental Language Programs is not for all ESOL Students. This notification is for students receiving additional language programs funded by Title I or III Federal Programs. When applicable, the ESOL Program Supervisor will use the template provided by the GADOE website. It is the duty of the ESOL Program Supervisor to update the notification with the supplemental program information. The English Language Development teachers will disperse the notifications via email in an understandable language and format. A copy of the notification will be added to the student’s permanent record. This form also provides an opportunity for the parent of the EL to waive the student’s participation in the program. The ESOL Program Supervisor may use the combined Parent Notification of Student Eligibility for EL and Federally Funded Language Programs form provided by the GaDOE website.
The ESOL Program Supervisor monitors to confirm that all students eligible for Title III or Title I funded language programs receive the notification. A spreadsheet is maintained, and the teachers check when the notification has been sent and uploaded to Infinite Campus. Additionally, the Federal Programs Director spot-checks during ongoing internal monitoring.
Staff Notifications of EL Status Placement
After the ESOL Program Supervisor codes a student in IC for ESOL services, she notifies the ISS Operations Administrator that a student needs placement in an ESOL segment. The ISS Operations Administrator is responsible for assigning the student to their ESOL segment in Infinite Campus. The ESOL teacher is copied on entrance and exit communications to the parents and tracks student rosters. The EL flag in Infinite Campus notifies all staff that a student is eligible for ESOL services. Weekly K-12 data reports are available to all teachers and staff who participate in special programs, including ESOL, for each student on their roster.
Parent Notification of Student Eligibility for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Language Program and Supplemental Language Instruction Services
If GCA is not Consolidating Funds: The ESOL Program Supervisor may choose to use the combined Parent Notification of Student Eligibility for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Language Program and Supplemental Language Instruction Services instead of sending the letters separately if the school is no longer consolidating Title I funds.
Notification of Language Assistance Services
Schools must notify Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents and all school staff of the availability of free (to them) language assistance services for information about school programs and activities (e.g., online/digital and “in person” or telephone-based orientation sessions, parent-teacher conferences, meetings with school staff, special education or other meetings about disability, learning coach activities, etc. ). The notification(s) should include information about how to access the services. It will identify a school contact person (e.g., Family Partnership School Coordinator of Special Programs) who can assist LEP parents in accessing interpreter services or translated documents.
GCA has a Family Partnership School Coordinator of Special Programs dedicated to working with district and school-level staff to ensure communications are being sent in a language that can be understood. GCA will routinely use S’mores newsletters to allow for on-demand translations. The GCA website is translatable through a translation management tool, Weglot. The availability of Language Assistance Services will be published in/on:
- the Georgia Cyber Academy’s website;
- the student and parent handbooks;
- all District-wide or school-based newsletters or other general communications;
- general contact information in advertisements or other contacts relating to enrollment/admissions through taglines
- GCA’s letterhead that includes taglines
Annually, school staff are trained on the following items:
- Notice of Language Assistance Services for Parents
- Accessing an interpreter
- Requesting document translation
- Utilizing free online translation
In general, the use of family members and friends for the provision of language assistance is not acceptable. Using such individuals may raise issues of confidentiality, privacy, or conflict of interest, and, in many circumstances, such persons are not competent to provide quality, accurate interpretations.
In addition, staff are strongly cautioned not to rely on family members and friends to provide LEP parents meaningful access to important programs and activities. That, even when LEP parents have voluntarily chosen to provide their own interpreter or translator, the school may still need, depending upon the circumstances of the encounter, to provide its own interpreter or translator to ensure accurate interpretation or translation of critical information. This is especially true for, but not limited to, situations where the competency of the LEP parents’ chosen interpreter is not established and/or when identified, LEP parents do not request a translation, but a translator is deemed necessary to convey information.
Additionally, the use of minor children raises concerns about competency, quality, and accuracy of interpretations, and it is never advisable to use such children to convey information about their own education and/or complex information.
Data Collections
The ESOL Services Supervisor will collaborate with the SIS Assistant Director to monitor correct coding for data collection purposes. The SIS Assistant Director, along with other GCA Operations department staff members, will annually attend the GaDOE’s Data Collections Conference for up-to-date information on coding English Learners. The ESOL Program Supervisor collaborates with the SIS Assistant Director to relieve data collection errors.
Exit Criteria
English Learner Exit Criteria
WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 English Language Proficiency Assessment
Under ESSA, all students identified as EL, including waived, will be administered the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment annually; the ACCESS test will be given annually in February.
The Federal Programs Director monitors the ELL ACCESS Participation Rates annually. Georgia Cyber Academy will comply with the 95% testing participation requirement but will aim for 100%. If the participation rate falls below 95%, the Federal Programs Director will create a Corrective Action Plan through collaboration with the ESOL Services Supervisor, Assessment Manager, and the Accountability Director.
Attending the ACCESS test is the student’s attendance for that school day. Not showing up for the ACCESS is an unexcused absence. Students who do not attend their assigned ACCESS date will be rescheduled within the ACCESS testing window at least two additional times. Each day missed will count as an unexcused absence.
Exit Criteria
Georgia Cyber Academy will provide services to EL students until they are proficient enough in English to participate meaningfully in the regular education program. The school will determine whether a student requires ESOL service based on various measures. If the combined evidence suggests that an EL no longer needs direct service and has achieved on the Annual Assessment, the student may be exited from direct ESOL service. Exit and Reclassification is based on the following criteria:
- ACCESS Score Requirement for a Kindergartener to exit ESOL: The Overall Composite Proficiency Level (CPL) is >5.0. GCA will use the EL Exit Flowchart for Kindergarten to make exit decisions.
- If a student in grades 1-12 achieves an Overall score of greater than or equal to 5.0, the student must be exited from the ESOL program. GCA will use the Grades 1-12 EL Exit Flowchart.
Alternate ACCESS Threshold for considering EL Exit: Alternate ACCESS Overall CPT P2 (Emerging) for two consecutive years with IEP Team recommendation OR any other Alternate ACCESS Overall CPL of the SAME score for Three consecutive years with IEP recommendation.
The student no longer needs English language development services or a TPC, including but not limited to specific interventions based on the four domains (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) based on multiple indicators, including:
WIDA Screener for Kindergarten or WIDA Screener Placement Tests, grades K and 1-12
- ACCESS test
- Work Sampling
- Grades
- Homework and teacher/parent input
El-1 and EL-2 students need to be closely monitored to ensure that they progress in all classes, show growth, and meet benchmark assessment standards. ELD teachers will be required to send a Monitoring Form through ELLevation to be completed by content teachers and the ELD teacher for these students at the end of each grading period (quarterly.) These forms will be generated and housed within Ellevation.
The student now has full access to the mainstream curriculum with or without using universal tools (Assistive technology) available to all students.
Once the two-year monitoring period has ended, the student’s coding for Data Collections Student Record purposes will change from EL-2 to EL-3 (3rd Year Post-Exit) and then EL-4 (4th Year Post-Exit). Following the EL-4 designation, the student will be coded EL-F (Former EL) and remain as such as long as they are enrolled in public schools.
Annually, parents will be notified of the exit and reclassification criteria for EL students.
EL Reclassification
Reclassification is a term that is used when an EL student’s English language proficiency level reaches the state and LEA’s definition of English proficiency. Georgia Cyber Academy has chosen the score of 4.6-4.9 on the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 to be considered for EL Reclassification for 1st to 5th grade students. Georgia Cyber Academy has chosen the score of 4.5-4.9 on the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 to be considered for EL Reclassification for 6th to 12th grade students. These scores will be reevaluated annually in compliance with the state form.
Any student who achieves a 4.6-4.9 (1st-2nd), 4.5-4.9 (3rd-8th), and 4.4-4.9 (9th-12th) on the annual English Language proficiency assessment will be reviewed for reclassification based on the flexibility of the state of Georgia. A reclassification meeting will be held, and the state’s reclassification form must be filled out. The team will include the ELD teacher, the ESOL Program Supervisor, a content teacher, and the parent/guardian. If the team decides the student will successfully access the curriculum at grade level without ESOL direct support based on the academic and perception data collected, the student may exit.
After completing the Reclassification Meeting, students exit from EL status, and the student’s status is reclassified from English Learner=Yes (EL-Y) to English Learner Monitor Year 1 (EL-1). The Reclassification Meeting document is required to be added to the student’s Person Documents folder within Infinite Campus.
Post-Exit Reversal-Reclassification Decisions
During the Post-Exit years 1 & 2, the EL-1 & EL-2 students are monitored quarterly by the content teachers of these students. The ELD teachers for the assigned grade band will send the monitoring form to the teachers and document and track student progress. Through monitoring, if an EL-1 or EL-2 student is not progressing as expected and monitoring suggests a persistent language need, GCA will re-test the student’s English language proficiency with a valid, reliable, and grade-appropriate ELP test to see if the student must be offered additional language assistance services.
The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), ELD teacher, and ESOL Program Supervisor will collaborate to decide if the EL-exited student is struggling due to a lack of English Proficiency. The team will decide if the EL-exited student should be administered a valid English Language Proficiency (ELP) test to determine if additional language support services must be offered. The WIDA ELP assessment is not an option for exited ELs at GCA.
Through monitoring, if an EL-1 or EL-2 student is not progressing academically, monitoring suggests a persistent language need, and was exited below 5.0, may be placed back into the ESOL Program without a Reclassification meeting. GCA will maintain best practices by meeting with the parent/guardian, ELD teacher, ESOL Program Supervisor, and the content teacher to determine if the student is struggling due to a language barrier. Notes and decisions from the meeting will be maintained in the student’s record in Infinite Campus and ELLevation.
The ESOL Program Supervisor needs to reflect on why the EL-exited student did not succeed without ESOL services.
- Is the GCA exit score flexibility too low for students to be successful in their grade-level content classes?
- Are the instructional staff at GCA providing instructional support to the student?
- Are the instructional staff mindful of the Testing Participation Committee document and following through with the accommodations that have been made?
In Georgia, it is the responsibility of the MTSS team to determine whether the EL-exited student is struggling because of a lack of content knowledge or whether the EL-exited student is struggling because of a lack of English language proficiency. ELD teachers are essential to the MTSS review process as they understand the process and timeframe of second language acquisition, especially those ELD teachers who have taught the exited EL in recent years. The team may administer a valid ELP assessment from among vendor choices. However, the WIDA ELP assessment is not an option for an exited EL student.
First, the team should examine whether its locally chosen exit criteria ensure that EL students are proficient enough in English to be successful in the classroom. If GCA finds that changes to locally designed exit criteria are necessary, appropriate training will be provided to teachers and staff.
Secondly, the team should ensure that the struggling student receives all instructional support available to all students within the school.
The third step is to ensure that the team is aware of the student’s lack of academic progress and success. The MTSS team should examine student data and determine appropriate interventions or increases in the intensity and duration of such interventions, following MTSS protocols. Tier 2 or 3 progress monitoring processes should be implemented as for any other student.
Questions for the MTSS Team to Consider
- Was the exited student educated formally in his/her home country? Was schooling consistent, or did the student’s education have prolonged periods of interrupted or no schooling?
- What were the exited student ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 scores and subscores in each domain?
- Based on the English Learner Reclassification Review Committee decision, was the student exited from English language assistance services?
- What were the student’s EOG/EOC scores?
- In the courses in which the student is struggling, what is the main area of struggle?
The team reviewing all the evidence and data will determine whether the problem is truly a lack of English language proficiency or a lack of content knowledge, cognitive issues, or stability.
Receiving Exited EL Students from Transfer LEAs
GCA honors the decision of Reclassification for a student who transfers from another LEA when the transfer occurs after the October FTE count.
If the transferring LEA uses a lower EL Exit Criterion than GCA, and if the transfer occurs within the first two weeks of school, GCA will observe the student's performance for two weeks and convene another EL Reclassification Team to review the documentation and evidence when applicable.
Post-Exit Re-Screening Decision-Making Process for EL-3 and EL-4 Students Returning to US Schools after Multiple Years in Non-English School
Students who leave the country and are in non-English school environments have their EL status frozen where they last left in a US Public School. When returning to US schools, the student continues with the EL status they last had. If the Exited EL-3 or EL-4 student is not progressing academically and monitoring suggests a persistent language need, the ESOL Supervisor, a grade band ESOL teacher, an MTSS team member, and one of the student’s content teachers will meet to determine if the student should be considered for re-screening.
The following must be considered before moving forward with a screening:
- Did the student demonstrate full English proficiency at an early elementary grade level?
- Following EL Exit, was the student successful in U. S. school during the first two monitoring years (EL-1 & EL-2) and then left the country to be schooled in a non-English environment for three or more years?
- Is the student currently enrolled in a grade level with high academic English expectations? Is there a sense of urgency that suggests re-screening and possibly being served in the ESOL Program?
Based on the findings from the above questions, the student may be administered the ELP Screener again. The screener's results will determine the next steps.
Post Re-Screening Steps:
- Documentation of the decision-making process and the ELP screener results will be maintained in the student’s Person Documents folder in Infinite Campus. A cover letter will be saved as the first page of the screener document describing the purpose of the re-screening.
- If the screening results show that the student is eligible for ESOL services, the student will be coded as EL-Yes in IC. The ESOL Supervisor will need to work with the GaDOE ESOL office and GCA’s Data Collections Assistant Director to correct data collection errors.
- The parent/guardian must receive notification of ESOL services within ten days of placement.
- The ESOL teacher will collaborate to create a TPC and EL Plan for the student within ten days of entering ESOL services.
- If the reclassification occurs before or during the ACCESS window, the student must also take the ACCESS test.
Exiting Procedures for English Learner Students with Disabilities
The Alternate ACCESS for ELLs assessment for English Language Proficiency is used for Georgia Students in grades 1-12 who are classified as English learners and have significant cognitive disabilities that prevent meaningful participation in the regular ACCESS for ELLs assessment. These students must be eligible to participate in GAA 2.0.
Students taking the Alternate ACCESS who score CPL P2 (Emerging) for two consecutive years with the IEP recommendation OR any other Alternate ACCESS Overall CPL—The same score—for three consecutive years with the recommendation of the IEP team may be considered for EL Reclassification. The EL Reclassification/IEP Team Rubric will be used to decide. A copy of the rubric will be placed in the student’s permanent record in Infinite Campus.
Post-Exit Procedures for Students with Disabilities
For two consecutive school years, the exited student’s progress toward IEP goals must be monitored by designated ESOL and Special Education staff to ensure the exited student’s English Proficiency is not a barrier to full access and participation in classroom instruction and assessments in English. Quarterly monitoring documents will be placed in the student’s permanent record in Infinite Campus and housed in Ellevation.
Exiting Procedures for English Learner Students with Less than Four Domains
As determined by the student’s IEP team or 504 plan, if a student’s disability is directly related to a domain for which there are no accommodations, the student may be exempt from taking that language domain assessment.
Students who are deaf, blind, and nonverbal would be considered to have a disability that precludes the assessment in one or more language domains. For these unique situations, the Assessment Director needs to seek counsel from the GaDOE Assessment Division, which would consult the Special Education and EL Learner Programs.
Students whose disabilities preclude assessment of one or more language domains should be considered for exit from English Learner Status when the student has met the following state-established criteria using a GaDOE-provided Designate Composite Proficiency Level (D-CPL)
- D-CPL Process:
- Administer the appropriate WIDA ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 or Alternate ACCESS language domain tests to the EL student as established by the IEP team.
- For each language domain test not administered, the testing coordinator must mark DO NOT SCORE with a reason code of SPD in the students’ test booklet or WIDA AMS.
- Using WIDA-provided language domain scale score tables, the GaDOE Assessment & Accountability Division assigns the lowest exit score for the missing language domain(s) to allow an overall composite proficiency level calculation.
- The GaDOE Assessment & Accountability Division will calculate a designated composite Proficiency Level (D-CPL) for each one of these EL students whose WIDA ACCESS score results are missing one or more language domains.
- Typically, in August, the GaDOE Assessment & Accountability Division provides GCA with an ACCESS D-CPL for each one of these EL students.
Based on the D-CPL and the statewide EL exit criteria for ACCESS for ELs 2.0 or Alternate ACCESS for considering EL Exit would then be applied to decide to Exit the EL student from ESOL services.
EL Exit Reason
The reason for the EL exit must be coded in Infinite Campus. This describes the method used to determine the student’s placement in the monitoring phase. The EL Exit is required when EL status is ‘1’ or ‘2.’
The ESOL Services Supervisor will choose the appropriate reason code:
1: ACCESS or EL proficiency
3: Exited out of State or from a non-public school
4. EL Reclassification Team Decision
Reporting Date of EL Exit
ELs who have either met the standardized statewide Exit criteria or have been reclassified must have an EL Exit date coded in Infinite Campus. The EL Exit data must be on an end-of-year date, June 30th. GCA typically uses June 30th as an exit date. However, this date cannot be added to IC until AFTER July 1st.
- The first-year post-exit starts July 1st after the student has met a qualifying exit score and/or Reclassification decision at the end of a school year or June 30.
- During the two-year monitoring period, exited ELs are coded as EL-1 and EL-2 for Year 1 and Year 2.
- Once the two-year monitoring period has ended, the student’s coding for Data Collections Student Record purposes will change from EL-2 to EL-3 (3rd Year Post-Exit) and EL4 (4th year Post-Exit).
- Following the EL-4 designation, the student will be coded EL-F (Former EL).
Timeline for EL Exit Procedures
- May
- GCA’s ESOL Program Supervisor pulls ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS scores from DRC.
- The ESOL Program Supervisor and ELD teachers review scores for students that would meet the state’s ACCESS exit criteria.
- The ESOL Program Supervisor and ELD teachers review scores for students who may be “considered for exit” if they score between CPL 4.6-4.9 (1st-5th) and CPL 4.5-4.9 (6th-12th).
- ELD Teachers will schedule and hold Reclassification meetings, including students’ content teachers, the ESOL Program Supervisor, a Parent or guardian, and additional staff related to the student’s qualifications (504, IEP, Gifted, etc.). Final decisions may be made before the end of the school year or within the first 30 days of the following school year.
- The ELD teacher will notify parents if their student has exited in the parent’s preferred language.
- July/August
- The exited EL students' code has been changed in Infinite Campus.
Services and Programs of Instruction
Services and Programs of Instruction for ELs
Instructional programs for ELs shall include formal instruction in English language development and instruction in academic subjects, which is designed to provide ELs with access to the regular curriculum. In selecting a program(s), the school shall choose research-based programs that have been demonstrated to be effective in the education of ELs. ESOL delivery models will also be determined based on student’s proficiency levels and research-based guidance. During the 2024-2025 Academic Year, the following delivery models are utilized:
- Grades K - 8: Scheduled ESOL Class
- Grades 9-12: ELA Push In (American Literature and World Literature), Sheltered Ninth Grade Literature Course, and/or the ESOL Elective (Communication Skills I)
Programs shall be implemented consistently to prompt the acquisition of full English proficiency. Programs shall include instruction in academic subjects that is equivalent in scope to the instruction that is provided to students who are not limited in English proficiency. ESOL Class sizes and daily segments are consistent with the state requirement, except for weekly minutes for grades 6 - 12. The SCSC grants the maximum flexibility allowed by law to the Charter School (Georgia Cyber Academy). LEAs waiving this rule or O.C.G.A. § 20-2-156 may have been granted flexibility regarding classroom instructional time.
Grade Levels | Daily Minutes Per Segments | Daily ESOL Segments Maximum | Weekly Minutes Minimum |
---|---|---|---|
K-3 | 45 Minutes | 1 | 225 |
4-8 | 50 Minutes | 2 | 250 |
9-12 | 55 Minutes | 5 | 275 |
Block Schedule | 90 Minutes | 2 | 225 |
Hybrid Block Schedules | If Less than 90 minutes | 1 | Determined by LEAs |
Maximum Avg Class Size | Maximum Avg Class Size | ||
---|---|---|---|
Grade Levels | Funding Class Size | No Paraprofessional | with Paraprofessional |
K-3 | 7 | 11 | 13 |
4-8 | 7 | 14 | 15 |
9-12 | 7 | 18 | 20 |
Instruction shall be delivered by individuals who meet Department of Education licensure and certification requirements and who are trained in teaching ELs. According to the ESOL State Board Rule 160-4-5-.02, ESOL teachers must hold a clear teaching certificate and “shall hold necessary and appropriate ESOL endorsement or ESOL certification issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.” The OCR Obligations for Professionally Qualified Staff are followed when hiring ESOL Teachers. The PSC provisional certificate guidelines are followed when a provisional ESOL endorsement is needed.
ESOL classes will be scheduled so that ESOL supports and classes do not interfere with a student’s content classes. ESOL classes will be offered during class periods when students do not already have a content class. Students in these classes are grouped based on their English Language Proficiency. ESOL classes follow a pass/fail grading policy. Content classes follow the student-to-teacher ratios shown below.
Grade Level | Board Policy | Class Max Students | Co-Taught Max Students |
Kindergarten | 50 | 25 | |
---|---|---|---|
1st Grade | 50 | 25 | |
2nd Grade | 60 | 25 | |
3rd Grade | 75 | 37 | |
4th Grade | 100 | 50 | 25 |
5th Grade | 100 | 50 | 25 |
6th Grade | 150 | 50 | 37 |
7th Grade | 150 | 50 | 37 |
8th Grade | 150 | 50 | 37 |
Course | Caseload Max Students |
---|---|
9th Grade | 150 |
American Lit | 150 |
Other ELA | 200 |
Algebra I | 150 |
Geometry | 150 |
Other Math | 200 |
Physical Science | 150 |
Biology | 150 |
Other Science | 200 |
Foreign Languages | 200 |
Electives | 250 |
The student’s parent, guardian, or Relative Caregiver has a right to refuse placement of their child(ren) in the ESOL program and has the right to withdraw an identified student from the program. Parents, guardians, or Relative Caregivers of eligible students who refuse placement of their student in either program or withdraw students from it shall do so in writing. Parents, guardians, or Relative Caregivers cannot refuse annual ACCESS testing.
ACCESS & Accommodations Conference
According to state and federal guidelines, each EL student will participate in ACCESS testing. The purpose of this test is to assess growth in English acquisition and determine eligibility for the upcoming year.
ACCESS test results will be sent to families through a password-protected email. A copy of the scores will be available to the ELD teacher and the student’s teachers via the EL Plan in Ellevation. ACCESS test score reports will be placed in the student’s Person Documents folder in Infinite Campus.
At the beginning of each school year or the initial placement of an EL, the ELD teacher, the student's ELA teacher, and the ESOL district supervisor will discuss accommodations and classroom modifications for ESOL students. The EL plan/TPC document will be provided to all teachers who will sign that they have received ACCESS scores and required accommodations for each student in their class.
The ELD teachers will:
- After enrollment closes, parents will be sent their student's EL plan/TPC. The EL Plan/TPC will be explained to families during the October English Learner Family Night. The following are explained during English Learner Family Night and in the ESOL Family Newsletter (ESOL Explorer).
- Defines what it means to be an English Learner.
- Explains the goals of the ESOL program and the support provided.
- Shows parents where to find the accommodations and classroom modifications on the EL Plan/TPC.
- Explains what different accommodations can look like and what their purpose is
- Reviews the notification of ESOL services that outlines the instructional models GCA uses
State Assessment Accommodations
For state assessment purposes, ESOL services, EL-1, & EL-2 students needing accommodations to access their education at the same level as their age and grade-level peers will be noted on the TPC (Testing Participation Committee)/ form and the EL Plan. Accommodations needed for state assessments must follow these guidelines:
- All accommodations on the TPC/EL-Plan must be implemented throughout the school year.
- Only state-approved accommodations can be used with EL students on state assessments.
- Refer to GADOE’s Assessment page for an updated list of approved accommodations.
Following the completion of state assessments, score reports will be communicated to families in their preferred language.
Data and Information Required by the Department of Education
Georgia Cyber Academy shall enter such data and information concerning ELs as instructed by the Department of Education and as otherwise required annually.
For Student Record reporting, the coding status for ELs who have met the criteria for exiting language assistance services and will begin the two-year monitoring period changes from EL-Y to EL-1 or EL-1 to EL-2. To document their first—or second-year monitoring status, ELs are coded in the Student Record as EL-1 for the first year and EL-2 for the second year. For state testing purposes, students will be marked EL-3 three years after exiting and EL-4 after four years of exiting.
EL-3 and EL-4 students will not be monitored as EL-Year 1 and 2 students are but will be identified to monitor scoring on state tests. At the end of the monitoring cycle, the student will be coded as a former EL (EL-F) five years after exiting. As ACCESS scores generally are received and evaluated before the end of the school year, GCA will determine that an EL has successfully met the criteria for exit from the ESOL program. Coding in Infinite Campus must not be changed for students before July 1. The student’s EL coding should remain until all state data collection has been completed and finalized.
Waived Students
Screening for ESOL is not an option. It is a requirement of Title III and the Office of Civil Rights. However, once a child is screened and if that child is found eligible, the parents may waive the child’s right to participate in the program. Parents may waive students from the EL program, but the child will still be required to take the ACCESS annually. If a family insists they do not want their child screened for ESOL and refuses to meet to take the screening test, we must refer them to GCA’s Accountability Department.
If a parent wishes to waive services, the ELD teacher will attempt to call the parent (with an interpreter if needed) to review the student's current English Proficiency scores and their standing in academic classes to ensure an informed decision is made. A follow-up email with the waiver attached will be sent to the parent. If the parent cannot be reached, the attempt will be documented in Infinite Campus, and a follow-up email will be sent requesting a meeting. The EL student will continue being provided with ESOL services until the meeting is held, and a final decision will be made on waiving. If needed, the meeting will be held with an interpreter based on the parent’s preferred language.
A plan will be put in place to address supporting the language proficiency needs of the student in class.
If the parents decide to waive ESOL services, a waiver form in their preferred language will be sent to them. Once this form is signed, the ELD teacher will add it to the Person Documents folder in IC and forward it to the ESOL Program Supervisor.
The ESOL Program Supervisor ends the EL-Services date in Infinite Campus. The Service type changes to Non-ESOL01-Parent refusal-indirect serv. A parent declined date needs to be added to the Active EL Record.
The ESOL Program Supervisor will then email a copy of the Explanation of Consequences for Refusing English Learner Services to the parents.
Waived students will be monitored quarterly and provided with a TPC for appropriate modifications and accommodations. Before the student can be waived from ESOL services, the waiver must be signed and initiated by the parent annually.
Communication with Parents
GCA will use translating options through the published school website and newsletters to communicate with families in their native language. Teachers and staff can request an interpreter for meetings and phone calls to the Limited English Proficient (LEP) Learning Coach/Parent. GaDOE documents translated to Native Languages will be utilized as necessary. The school handbook is written as text on the website and, therefore, is translatable using the embedded translation features.
The ESOL team may host events for EL and LEP families yearly. Teachers from foreign language departments/clubs are encouraged to attend to help with translations.
GCA Staff will make every effort to translate communication to families in their native language
- Documents containing sensitive or legal information (TPC, IEP, Report cards, etc.) will be formally translated using Zab Translation services.
- GCA Letterhead will include taglines for families to request language assistance services
- School newsletters will be sent using on-demand translation tools
- The GCA website uses a translation management tool, Weglot
- Certified Languages International is the interpreter service GCA uses for meetings and conversations with parents
- GCA continues to hire bilingual staff across departments to provide in-house translation services.
Student EL Files
Every student identified as EL must have a Person Documents file in Infinite Campus. The following items must be located within this file:
- Home language survey (retained for all students)
- Placement and Annual Assessment results
- Copy of the most recent TPC
- Copy of the Annual Notification of Continued Services
- Progress monitoring assessment or documentation (same interval as report cards)
- If the parent refuses services, a copy of the document indicating such
- Title I Supplemental Funds form
- Exit from ESOL or Reclassification documents
Retention of EL Students
Retention of an EL student should not be based solely upon their English language proficiency level. Prior to considering retention, the following points will be addressed in a meeting composed of the student’s teacher(s), ESOL staff member(s), and administrator(s). Documentation and results of the meeting must be kept in the student’s cumulative folder.
The committee should consider the length of time a student has been enrolled in the school to determine whether retention is an appropriate choice.
The student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) should be contacted when a student is not performing at grade level. All communication should be documented and in the parent(s)/guardian(s) native language. Documentation may include phone calls, progress reports, report cards, sample work, retention warning letters, etc.
Every EL student must have a TPC (Testing Participation Committee) or localized form for documenting modifications and scaffolds. Teachers are required to have copies of TPCs for any student who has one, and all modifications and scaffolds must be followed. It is important to ensure that the TPC has been fully implemented and documentation has been provided for any changes or updates made to the TPC. The TPC is a fluid document that should be revisited and updated as new data becomes available, but not less than once per school year.
An EL student should receive English language development instruction throughout the school day via pull-out, push-in, or an ESOL course to support their language development.
Multiple types of data points must be collected to show that an EL student consistently fails to meet grade-level expectations on screening and progress monitoring instruments. Retention decisions for EL students should not be based on one specific piece of data.
Parents/guardians may appeal the decision to retain, and a meeting will be held to discuss the appeal with the guardian, ESOL Program Supervisor, and school-level administration.
English Language Learners with Additional Services
The ESOL Program Supervisor and ESOL teachers collaborate with the MTSS and Gifted departments to determine student eligibility for these programs. Multiple data points are considered to determine whether students should be served in MTSS or Gifted programs.
English Language Learners with Disabilities
The IEP Team for a student identified as an EL with disabilities must include persons with expertise in second language acquisition and other professionals, such as speech-language pathologists, who understand how to differentiate between limited English proficiency and a disability. The participation of these individuals on the IEP Team is essential to developing appropriate academic and functional goals for the child and providing specially designed instruction and the necessary related services to meet these goals. The ELD teacher must be present at the annual IEP meetings, determination meetings, and amendments (when applicable) hosted by the special education case manager. GCA provides guidance for these meetings.
A student identified as EL with a disability will receive English Language support and special education services. Sometimes, a student’s special education needs are so great that they would be better provided with language development opportunities in a self-contained classroom. When this is determined by the IEP team, it will be included in the IEP, and the ELD teacher will work with the Special Education teacher to provide language learning opportunities. These students will be coded as NonESOL02: Lang Supp in SPED for ESOL services in Infinite Campus.
ELs with Disabilities taking ACCESS
IDEA requires each school to ensure that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is made available to all eligible children with disabilities residing in the State in mandatory age ranges, beginning at age three and possibly lasting to a child’s 22nd birthday, depending on State law or practice (34 CFR §§300.101-300.102). These entities also must ensure that the IDEA’s rights and protections are extended to eligible children and their parents (34 CFR §§300.100 and 300.201). IDEA requires that all students with disabilities be included in all general State assessment programs, including assessments described under section 1111 of the ESEA, with appropriate accommodations and alternate assessments, if necessary, as indicated in their respective IEPs (section 612(a)(16)(A) of the IDEA, 34 CFR §300.160(a), and section 1111(b) of the ESEA).
Both Titles I and III of the ESEA require schools to annually assess the English proficiency of all ELs in the State enrolled in public schools in grades kindergarten through twelve in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing (sections 1111(b)(7) and 1123(b)(3)(D) of the ESEA). Accordingly, as part of a general State assessment program, all ELs with disabilities must participate in the annual State ELP assessment with or without appropriate accommodations or by taking an alternate assessment, if necessary, consistent with their IEPs.
- ELs with disabilities can participate in the annual State EL assessment in the following ways, as determined by their respective IEP Teams:
- in the regular State ELP assessment without accommodations (in the same way as ELs without disabilities take the assessment);
- in the regular State ELP assessment through the use of one or more appropriate accommodations as indicated in the student’s IEP or
- in an alternate assessment aligned to state ELP standards if the IEP Team determines that the student cannot participate in the regular State ELP assessment, with or without appropriate accommodations. These students must also qualify to take GAA 2.0.
The Role of the Teacher and Teacher Training
Before administering the language screenings, the ELD teachers and ESOL Program Supervisor will complete the annual WIDA Screener training (Paper & Pencil, Online, & Kindergarten).
Georgia-certified staff, also certified in ESOL, will be asked to assist with administering paper and pencil for the ACCESS test.
Georgia Certified staff may be asked to assist with the online administration of the ACCESS test.
Teachers and staff assigned to administer the ACCESS test will complete the annual WIDA ACCESS training through the WIDA platform and sign the Non-Disclosure. The WIDA ACCESS training must be completed annually after September 1st for the current school year. The WIDA Screener Certification is valid for one calendar year from the completion of the training.
A monthly ESOL program meeting will be held to review program guidelines, plan for upcoming events, inform and update on current tasks, and discuss any concerns. This meeting is for ELD teachers and the ESOL Program Supervisor.
GCA will have five full-time certified ELD teachers serving the K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each year, the ELD teachers will support students through the push-in model, innovative model, or separate class determined by the Instructional Support Services (ISS) Team.
All ELD teachers will be able to assist staff with questions and/or concerns and stay in constant communication with the ESOL Program Supervisor.
All ELD teachers must administer the WIDA Screener for Kindergarten or WIDA Screener to potential EL students.
Active EL students will meet with a certified ELD teacher for the minimum weekly segments as required by the DOE to monitor progress and review academic topics. This will include activities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Classes are held in the CLASS synchronous platform, attendance is taken, and classes are recorded. Grades K-3 = 45-minute daily segments or a minimum of 225 minutes weekly, Grades 4-12 = 50-minute daily segments or 250 minutes weekly.
WIDA ELD Framework:
During the 2023-2024 Academic Year, all instructional staff were trained on utilizing the WIDA ELD Framework in their content area. This is a part of the WIDA ELD Framework rollout plan.
Title IIIA Budget Planning & Monitoring
The Comprehensive Needs Assessment drives the annual school improvement plan (CLIP) interventions. The Title IIIA Funded Language Instruction Education Program Activities are planned, budgeted, implemented, and monitored by the Federal Programs Director and the ESOL Program Supervisor. The Federal Programs Director and ESOL Program Supervisor will review the implementation and effectiveness of Title IIIA-funded initiatives monthly. ELD teachers will report their implementation through monthly conferences with the ESOL team.
The effectiveness of programs will be determined based on the goals in place for district and school improvement, as well as other goals in place for specific program implementation, as outlined in the Consolidated LEA Improvement Plan. Data to be considered will be ACCESS scores & student growth percentiles, exit rates, EL student academic achievement through GMAS, NWEA MAP, Interim Assessments, class pass rates, attendance, withdrawal rates, and perception surveys. Additionally, data on special populations, including SLIFE, LTEL, & EL/SWD, will be analyzed to determine the additional strengths and challenges of the initiatives.
Title IIIA Funded Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) Activities
The current Title IIIA supplemental programs and available instructional resources are listed below:
- Lexia English
- Continental Newcomers
- Lexia Core5
- Little Sponges
- Physical copies of Books (Novel Studies & Bilingual Dictionaries)
- Explicit Vocabulary Cartoons
- Imagine Learning Edgenuity
Title IIIA Funded EL-Focused Professional Development (PD) Activities
Title IIIA Funded EL-Focused Professional Development activities at GCA are ongoing and presented in many models. GCA staff (including non-ESOL teachers, principals, and other school leaders, administrators, and other school or community-based organizational personnel) participate in professional development opportunities that are designed to improve the instruction and assessment of English learners, enhance the ability of teachers, principals, and other school leaders to understand and implement curricula, assessment practices and measures and instructional strategies for English learners, increase ELs’ English language proficiency or substantially increasing the subject matter knowledge, teaching knowledge and teaching skills of their teachers; and is of sufficient intensity and duration which does not include one-day workshops and conferences to have a positive and lasting impact on the teachers’ performance in the classroom.
- Title III Part EL-Focused Professional Development includes:
- Two all-staff virtual training sessions
- Grade band PLCs lead by the ESOL Program Supervisor
- An optional Professional Learning Track for staff and administration working with English Learners
- An optional Book Study for Science Teachers of ELs - Teaching Science to English Learners
- WIDA National and GaTESOL Conferences for ESOL Teachers
Title IIIA-funded Program Parent, Family, and Community Activities
GCA provides and implements activities and strategies that enhance or supplement language instruction educational programs for English learners. Parent, family, and community engagement activities serve to coordinate and align related programs, such as Title IA EL parent engagement and outreach programs.
Title IIIA-funded Parent, Family, and Community Outreach Activities include:
- Title III split-funded Parent School Partnership Coordinator that supports parent engagement activities through collaboration with the ESOL Program Supervisor
- Adult Literacy Classes for LEP Parents of English Learners
Annual ESOL Program Review
The effectiveness of the ESOL program will be reviewed annually through the Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA), a component of the Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP), in coordination with the school’s other federal programs. Data is pulled from the ACCESS tests, CCRPI’s progress toward English Proficiency, and Closing the Gaps to assess our program's effectiveness. The data shows our strengths and weaknesses as a program and allows us to make improvements for the following school year.
Family Resources
There will be information on the GCA website for EL families to utilize. In addition to this, here are some websites that you may share with your EL families: