LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE GUIDE

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1 TITLE: NUMBER: ISSUER: Placement of Matriculating English Learners in Middle School and High School ELD (ESL/SH English) Curriculum REF-55 DATE: June 3, 200 Mary Campbell, Administrator Language Acquisition Branch ROUTING Local District Superintendents Local District Directors Local District Administrators of Instruction Local District EL Staff Local District Secondary Literacy Coordinators Pre-K-2 Counseling Coordinators High School Principals Middle School Principals Assistant Principals, SCS School Site Counselors School Site EL Coordinators School Site Literacy Coaches PURPOSE: MAJOR CHANGES The purpose of this reference guide is to outline the placement of matriculating elementary English learners (ELs) into middle school English language development (ELD) courses and the placement of matriculating middle school ELs into high school ELD courses. This reference guide replaces REF of the same title, dated January 30, Clarification is included regarding the placement of ELs who are performing on grade level in English Language Arts (ELA). Dates and resources are updated. Changes reflect (a) the placement chart to extend ELS eligibility to 6 th grade EL students and (b) the elimination of the waiting period of one year of PRP status for ELS eligibility. INSTRUCTIONS: I. BACKGROUND The LAUSD Secondary Literacy Plan focuses on English language development (ELD) as a major component through the textbook adoption of High Point. This series is the curriculum for all secondary (6-2) English-as-a-second-language (ESL) courses with a specific textbook and periodic assessments designated for each course level. In order to place matriculating students in the appropriate middle school curriculum for the academic year, ELs are assessed with the Diagnosis and Placement Inventory (DPI) in the spring at their elementary schools before matriculating to the middle school. ELs matriculating from the middle school are placed into the appropriate high school ESL or mainstream ELA curriculum based on the courses they have passed. II. DATA FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL PLACEMENT All ELs are to be provided ELD appropriate to their proficiency level. ELD in secondary schools is provided as either an ESL course or a grade- Language Acquisition Branch Page of 5 June 3, 200

2 LESS THAN level sheltered (SH) English course using strategies and instructional practices designed to scaffold student understanding and access to gradelevel ELA standards. A student s ELD proficiency level is determined by various data sources including: California English Language Development Test (CELDT) results, California Standards Test ELA (CST-ELA) proficiency level, and DPI level or code. The DPI code is the primary basis for initial ELD placement in secondary schools due to its direct alignment to the curriculum and the recency of its administration. CST-ELA results and CELDT s are used to corroborate the DPI results or to modify placement when those s indicate stronger proficiency levels. When CST-ELA results from spring 200 testing are available, adjustments may have to be considered. A summary of the criteria that determine placement is detailed in the following chart. Be aware that students who demonstrate grade-level achievement in ELA by meeting the CST-ELA and CELDT criteria for reclassification are not required to take the DPI and should not be placed in ESL classes. REASONABLE FLUENCY REASONABLE FLUENCY Matriculating English Learner Placement Chart OVERALL CELDT LEVEL CST-ELA DPI CODE COURSE PLACEMENT Beginning ESL A or Introduction to ESL A/B* 2 Beginning ESL B 3 Beginning ESL B 2 A Intermediate ESL 2A 3 or 4 A Intermediate ESL 2B 2 B Intermediate ESL 2B 3 or 4 B Advanced ESL 3 5 or below C Advanced ESL 3 3 Basic A-E or no Grade level SH code English with ELS Not Grade level SH 4 or 5 Basic Applicable English 3-5 Prof or Adv Not Grade level SH Applicable English *Introduction to ESL A/B are courses intended for recent newcomers with little or no previous schooling. Although all possibilities cannot be covered in a single chart, the prescriptions for placement stated on the chart must be followed when Language Acquisition Branch Page 2 of 5 June 3, 200

3 data matches the chart. When conflicting test data occurs, individual cases must be investigated. For example, a student with a DPI Code of, but an Overall CELDT level of 3 and a CST-ELA at the Basic level should be reevaluated with further data such as the elementary ELD level and CELDT skill area s. The Language Appraisal Team should assist in determining the most appropriate placement in these cases. In all cases, however, it must be noted that length of time in an EL program is not a determinant for an EL s ELD placement. III. USE OF SIS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL PLACEMENT The data needed for making placement decisions is accessible through the secondary Student Information System (SIS). The DPI Code (Level) and DPI Date appear as fields 37 and 372, respectively. They can be used with ID99 and an extract to select, sort, and/or print data. Fields 943 (DPI Date) and 944 (DPI Code) also house the same information. Field 944 cannot be changed at the receiver school; it will always contain the information downloaded from the feeder schools. An example of a useful extract is created by following these general ID99,3 steps using the FEEDERS data base: (Details of ISIS extracts for this purpose will be forthcoming, pending ISIS implementation). Press <Enter> to bypass enrollment status. 2. Press <Enter> to accept the effective date as today s date. 3. For STUDENT SELECTION, choose: 34=L and 4=(enter matriculating grade) 4. Press <Enter> to proceed to Sort Selection. 5. For SORT SELECTION, choose: 4 (grade level) and 37 (DPI Code) 6. Press <Enter> to proceed. 7. Press <F4> to create the new report. 8. Type report title: DATA FOR PLACING MATRICULATING ELEMENTARY ENGLISH LEARNERS. Then press <Enter> to proceed. 9. For ITEM SELECTION, choose the following fields: 02 (student record number); 0 (student name); 4 (grade level); 32 (initial English proficiency test date); 336 (CELDT test date); 340 (overall CELDT level); 338 (CELDT Reading level); 339 (CELDT Writing level); 37 (DPI code); 99 (CST ELA proficiency level); 70 (special ed disability); 702 (SDP placement); and 703 (RSP participation) 0. Press <F2> to proceed, then <F> to print the report. Language Acquisition Branch Page 3 of 5 June 3, 200

4 This extract will print a report, in the DPI code order, to facilitate the application of the Matriculating English Learner Placement Chart. For assistance in organizing classes for the academic year and guidance for staffing classes, middle schools need to refer to REF-552, Scheduling Secondary English Learners and Staffing, dated June 3, 200. IV. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL S ROLE MEM-5029 Assessment of 5/6 th Grade Elementary English Learners for Placement in Middle School ELD/ESL Curriculum, dated February 8, 200, which was also routed to middle schools, establishes the elementary school s responsibilities regarding DPI administration. This reference guide refers to the Diagnosis and Placement Inventory Record for recording the data prior to entering it into elementary SIS. MEM-5029 requires that elementary schools provide copies of the Diagnosis and Placement Inventory Record to receiving middle schools and to the Local District EL staff as part of the articulation process. Although SIS data is transferred to the middle schools electronically on a weekly basis in the final months of the school year, paper copies from feeder elementary schools may be used for placement. V. ENGLISH LEARNER PLACEMENT IN INTERVENTION COURSES Literacy for Success (Developing Readers and Writers Course- DRWC) is not an appropriate placement for matriculating ELs entering middle school. The DPI is the only assessment given to ELs for placement purposes; it determines (in conjunction with the CST-ELA and CELDT) whether ESL placement is needed for matriculating ELs. Middle and high school ELs assigned to PRP status, including those completing ESL 4, should be considered for English Language Skills (ELS) Tier 2 intervention courses, based on their eligibility criteria. This assures that students who pass Advanced ESL 4 will receive appropriate intervention immediately, when they meet the ELS eligibility criteria. For details regarding appropriate Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention courses for ELs, see REF-5092, Placement Guidelines for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Literacy Intervention Programs in Grades 6-0, May, 200. VI. USE OF THE DPI IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL Mass DPI testing of students currently enrolled in the ESL sequence of courses must not occur in either middle school or high school for the purpose of determining promotion to the next level of ESL. Students advance from one ESL level to another based solely on the required assessments for each course. These assessments in listening, speaking, Language Acquisition Branch Page 4 of 5 June 3, 200

5 reading and writing are outlined in the document, High Point Assessments and ELD Assessment Portfolio Alignment, corresponding to each ESL level. The DPI should be administered to newly-enrolled English learners entering from out-of-district schools in order to program them in the appropriate classes. This applies specifically to new enrollees whose initial overall CELDT levels are greater than or when an out-of-district student exhibits some fluency. VII. HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT OF MATRICULATING 8 TH GRADE STUDENTS Matriculating eighth grade students who have passed an ESL course in the middle school must be programmed into the next ESL level course in high school. For example, an eighth grade student who receives a grade of A, B, C, or D in ESL 2B in the spring semester would be programmed into ESL 3 in the fall semester in high school. Likewise, if a student receives a passing mark in ESL 3 in the spring, that student would be programmed in ESL 4 in the fall semester. It must be noted that English 9A and English 9B credit for ESL 3 and ESL 4 is automatically assigned to the student by the TR programs in SIS based on the semester in which the advanced ESL course is passed. Therefore, the issue of English credit should not preclude the high school from programming a student correctly into the next ESL level course. For example, a student passing ESL 4 in the fall semester would receive English 9A credit, but a student passing ESL 4 in the spring semester would receive English 9B credit. RELATED RESOURCES: ASSISTANCE: REF-5092, Placement Guidelines for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Literacy Intervention Programs in Grades 6-0, May, 200. MEM-5029, Assessment of 5/6 th Grade Elementary English Learners for Placement in Middle School ELD/ESL Curriculum, dated February 8, 200. REF-552 Scheduling Secondary English Learners and Staffing, dated June 3, 200 High Point Assessments and ELD Assessment Portfolio Alignment document, High Point Student Assessment Booklet or Teacher Edition to High Point Student Assessment Booklet, July 2006 For assistance or information regarding the assessment and placement of 5 th /6 th grade elementary ELs, or other placement issues, please call your local district EL staff. For assistance with SIS, please call Secondary SIS Support at (23) Language Acquisition Branch Page 5 of 5 June 3, 200