Timeline:    Annually

Reassessment Guidelines:

• A continuing English Language Learner (ELL) may be reassessed for the purpose of determining English language proficiency at any time, but shall be reassessed at least annually at the end of the school year.

• Students who score at or above the test publisher’s designated score for English proficiency on the composite Performance Level of the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) will be reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (FEP).  The student shall no longer be classified as an ELL and shall be reclassified as English proficient.

• A student who has scored English proficiency on the AZELLA shall be transferred to an English language mainstream classroom.

• Teachers will be notified that a student has been reclassified as FEP when the student meets the requirements for reclassification.

• Parents/Guardians will be notified that their child has been reclassified as FEP when the student meets requirements for reclassification and a dated copy of the notification will be placed in the student’s cumulative file.

• ELLs of special education will be reassessed for English language reclassification with alternate procedures if the reassessment procedures above are determined to be inappropriate by a multidisciplinary evaluation or IEP team for a particular special education student.  ELL staff conducting the English language reassessment will participate with the special education multidisciplinary evaluation or IEP team in the determination of the student’ English language proficiency designation.

Required Assessments

• New English Language Learner
  • ELL students in the first year of education in an Arizona school shall be assessed upon initial entry and at the end of the school year with the AZELLA

•  If the initial entry is after February 1, the second assessment is not required.

• Continuing English Language Learners
  • Students shall be assessed with the AZELLA at the end of  each school year (after March 1)

• New and Continuing English Language Learners
  • Students may be assessed with the AZELLA at mid-point of the academic year (October, November, December); however, no student shall be assessed with the AZELLA more than three (3) times in a school year.

• The student must have an overall composite score of Intermediate.

• The mid-term assessment of the AZELLA provides that a student, whose individual data indicates sufficient progress to warrant a reassessment, the opportunity to enter a mainstream classroom as soon as possible.

• The student receiving an AZELLA overall composite score of Proficient must be transferred to a mainstream classroom for second semester.

• The mid-term assessment may allow middle school students in their second or subsequent years, to be excused from the required hour of ELD Writing. This will be determined by a Proficient score on the AZELLA Reading and/or Writing subtest.