Serving English Learners

Each school district shall administer a home language survey to be completed by the student’s parent, guardian, or other person enrolling the student as part of the admission process for all kindergarten students and for all other students new to the district. A student who is emancipated or who has reached the age of majority and who is enrolling himself or herself may complete the survey instead. The survey shall ask the following questions:

  1. What language did the student first learn to speak?
  2. What language is spoken most often by the student?
  3. What language is primarily used in the student’s home regardless of the language spoken by the student?

If an answer to any of the home language survey questions is an answer other than “English,” the school district shall administer an English language proficiency screener assessment to the student in order to determine if the student may be an English Learner.

Home Language Surveys in multiple languages

NDE Rule 15 Canvas Course

A Parent’s Guide to English Learner Programs

TransACT ParentNotices: Communication and Translation Resources

Working with Interpreters/Translators

Exit Requirements

Exit criteria are established to determine that the English learner has attained English language proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and understanding at a level sufficient to participate successfully in the classroom. Each school district shall require the following in order for a student to exit the language instruction educational program:

  • Receives a score of proficient (ELPA scores 4 and/or 5) on the annual state English Language Proficiency Assessment; or
  • For English learners with verified disabilities, if a school district committee of assessment and educational personnel determine that the educational needs of a student with verified disabilities are not affected by his or her degree of proficiency in the English language; the committee may recommend that the student exit the language instruction educational program. The committee shall be knowledgeable about the language and educational needs of the student, shall include at least one member of the student’s IEP team, and must maintain documentation that the student’s educational needs are not affected by his or her degree of proficiency in the English language.

NDE Rule 15 Canvas Course

Breakdown of collaboration groups

NE EL Coalitionbit.ly/ELCoalition (Access is restricted to those members who are a part of this group. If you would like to join, please contact us.)

NE Teachers Collaborativebit.ly/NE_ELTeachers.

ESU Consortia Title III Directors bit.ly/ESUTitleIII(Access is restricted to those members who are a part of this group. If you would like to join, please contact us.)

NE Multilingual Higher Ed Collaborativebit.ly/High_Ed (Access is restricted to those members who are a part of this group. If you would like to join, please contact us.)

CAAELP CoPbit.ly/CAAELP (Access is restricted to those members who are a part of this group. If you would like to join, please contact us.)

Updated March 18, 2024 4:17pm