Identification and Home Language Survey

IDENTIFICATION AND HOME LANGUAGE SURVEY

Our schools must properly identify and assess all students who have a primary or native language other than English.  The English learner identification process starts with the Home Language Survey (HLS) at or before the time of a student’s initial enrollment in a California public school.

The Home Language Survey (HLS) is a document required by the state of California. California Education Code Section 52164 directs schools on whether to assess English language proficiency of incoming students. The process begins with determining the language(s) spoken in the home of each student.  It must be completed by a parent or guardian for ALL students enrolling in a California public school for the first time in grades TK-12 and is administered as part of the enrollment process. Printed copies must be signed, dated, and placed in the student’s cumulative folder. The HLS is only to be collected once during a student's K-12 CA public school career.

During the enrollment process all families will answer a series of online questions as a first effort of Child Find including the Home Language Survey (HLS) questions. This is the first and primary effort to collect required native/primary language information about the student and/or family. Parents either enrolling online or calling to enroll their child(ren) will be given the option to have to have the enrollment paper work translated or interpreted into their primary or preferred language. These same questions will be verbally asked again by a placement counselor of the parent/legal guardian.  Finally, these same questions will be asked after approved enrollment by the Stride EL Conference Call team. All parties asking these questions will be provided professional development on EL indicators and their obligation in routing positive responses to the appropriate EL point of contact.  Additionally, school records will be requested from any student who was previously enrolled in a school within the United States and will be reviewed for EL indicators. 

After the enrollment process is complete, all students are added to the Student Demographic Research spreadsheet. The English Language Development (ELD) Clerk looks each student up in California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) and records the SSID, primary language, EL acquisition status, and EL acquisition status date. If the student is not in CALPADS, the ELD Clerk will check the Home Language Survey (HLS) in Back to School Packet or Total View Schools.  

When performing research on the Student Demographic Research Google doc a student with no SSID (brand new to a CA school) is found to be missing a HLS, enrollment is contacted to escalate the process.  Every student with a new SSID who enrolls in our school is required to complete a HLS so that it can be determined if an Initial ELPAC is needed.

PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED ENGLISH LEARNERS

If CALPADS indicates the student is an EL, the student is required to take the Summative ELPAC in spring. The student will be provided with ELD services and assigned to an ELD Specialist. The ELD team will follow the steps listed in the table below for previously identified EL students. 

RECLASSIFIED TO FLUENT ENGLISH PROFICIENT (RFEP) STUDENTS

If CALPADS indicates the student is Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP), the student will be monitored for the four years following his/her reclassification date. The ELD team will follow the steps listed in the table below for reclassified English language learners.

MISTAKES ON THE HOME LANGUAGE SURVEY

A student may only be given a Home Language Survey (HLS) to fill out once during their schooling in a California school.  If a student has an existing SSID, a new HLS may not be completed.  If the parent informs the teacher that they mistakenly answered a language other than English to one of the questions and the Initial ELPAC has not be administered yet, the parent may submit a HLS correction by completing a paper copy of the HLS.

If you need the HLS in a language other than English, please request one from the ELD Specialist or ELD Coordinator. The  homeroom teacher completes the top left box and section (1) and (2) and then gives it to the parent.  The parent must answer all 4 questions, sign (can’t be a typed name), and date the document.  They should then scan and email a copy to the ELD Department and mail the original to the CSS office, attention ELD Department.

California Virtual Academies 

ELD Department

50 Moreland Road

Simi Valley, CA 93065

If the HLS is not received in the office in a timely manner, the student will need to take the Initial ELPAC so the 30-day deadline is not missed.  If the HLS is received, it is now documented that the student is not an ELL.

ENGLISH LANGAUGE ACQUISITION STATUS CORRECTIONS DUE TO EVIDENCE OF A NON-PRIMARY LANGUAGE (EO to EL or IFEP)

Students who were initially identified as having an English language acquisition status (ELAS) of English only (EO), and the local educational agency (LEA) has evidence that the student has a primary language of a non-English language, should be tested with the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) and have those scores entered into the Test Operations Management System (TOMS). In order for the student to be eligible for an Initial ELPAC, the LEA submits a Student English Language Acquisition (SELA) record to CALPADS with an ELAS of To Be Determined (TBD), an ELAS Start Date of 7/1/2023 or greater, and a non-English primary language; however, the modifications to CALPADS that would allow the submission of a TBD record subsequent to a status of EO will not be implemented in CALPADS until August 17, 2023. Therefore, for these cases, we recommend that LEAs do the following:

After notifying the parents or guardians of the intent to test within 10 days of administration, test the student with the Initial ELPAC, hand score the test, and provide the parents or guardians preliminary results within 14 days after test administration. Retain the scores for entry at a later date.

• On or after August 18th, ensure that the student has an enrollment record in CALPADS with a start date of the first day of school.

• On or after August 18th submit a SELA with a TBD record to CALPADS that reflects a date at least one day before the testing was completed.

• Once the student appears on the Initial ELPAC Student Eligibility Report, enter the scores into the DEI/THSS and download the Student Score Extract.

• TOMS will automatically update the ELAS in CALPADS for the student.  

• Update the new ELAS to your SIS that reflects the student's status of EL or IFEP with a ELAS Start Date of the date testing was completed.

DATA AND INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

California Schools shall enter such data and information concerning ELs as instructed by the Department of Education and as otherwise required annually.  All EL data is updated in the School Pathways Student Information System by the ELD Coordinator.  The California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) administrator uploads EL status in CALPADS during Fall 1 Certification and English Learner Education Services during Fall 2 Certification.