Timeline:     Within five (5) school days after a student is designated ELL

English oral language reassessments will be administered in the spring of the current school year. These scores will be used to determine placement and eligibility for Type 1 waivers of ELL students for the following year.

Placement Guidelines:

• A Language Review Team (Principal, ELL teacher, Special Education teacher) at each school site will monitor the assessment, placement, reassessment and follow-up activities related to PHLOTE and ELL students.

• Initial assessment, the request for a parental exception waiver for bilingual education, satisfaction of the requirements for the parental waiver for bilingual education, and the approval of the parental waiver for bilingual education will determine the appropriate placement and instructional activities for identified ELLs.

• All students identified as English Language Learners (ELL) will be placed in a Structured English Immersion (SEI) program, except for those students whose parents have requested a waiver for their child to receive instruction through a bilingual education program and have received approval for a Type 1 or Type 2 waiver.

• Every reasonable attempt will be made to help ELL students become proficient in one year.  In order to ensure full access to the curriculum, however, ELL students who have not been reclassified will be permitted to continue in the SEI program if they score below Proficient on the composite Performance Level on the AZELLA. 

• Every school site will have a Structured English Immersion (SEI) program if there are ELL students at any grade level who do not have waivers permitting placement in a bilingual education program.

• Principals and SEI teachers will monitor the progress of all students in SEI classes. If a student is not making adequate progress, and it is the informed belief of the principal and staff that the student has such special and individual physical or psychological needs above and beyond the lack of English proficiency, that an alternate course of educational study would be better suited to the student’s overall educational development and rapid acquisition of English, then the  parent and SEI teacher will meet to discuss and modifications to the instructional program or possible alternate placement into bilingual education.  If the parent requests a waiver, a Special Needs Documentation Form containing 250 words or more will be completed.  The student, after having been enrolled for at least 30 days in the SEI class, will then qualify for a Type 3 waiver.

• Students with an approved parental waiver for bilingual education will be placed in a bilingual education program.  If no placement option is available at the home school, placement with an endorsed teacher in a bilingual education program at another school will be offered to the parent/guardian.  Transportation will be provided for the student at no cost to the parent/guardian.  Once a principal has approved a waiver request, one copy of the waiver will be sent to the English Language Learner Department, one mailed to the parent, and one placed in the student’s cumulative folder.

• Students in Special Education with the IEP specifying a language acquisition program other than SEI do not require waivers.

• Students not classified as ELL do not require waivers.  Parents may request student placement in a bilingual program, or a program using any other generally recognized educational methodology permitted by law.  Placement will be allowed on a space-available basis.

• Once a student has been reclassified, he/she will be placed in a mainstream classroom.