Parent Notification and Program Option Rights

ANNUAL PARENT NOTIFICATION OF SERVICES

Our school ensures that all communication to a parent or parents of a student identified for participation in a language instruction educational program for limited English proficient students is in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the parents can understand.

The school notifies parents, in a language they can understand, within 30 school days. Our school is required to provide all parent notifications in both English and Spanish. The ELD Department coordinates the emailing of all parent notification letters related to EL programs, services, and assessments. 

ANNUAL PARENT NOTIFICATION LETTER

The parent notification letter is sent yearly to all LEP students’ parents as a note through TVS, using the ELD Annual Parent Notification Template, save as a note. 

The letter must be provided to the parent no later than 30 days from the beginning of the school year, or within 2 weeks of enrollment in an EL program.  For any student that enrolls after the first 30 days of the school year, the school will have 10 days or 2 weeks to notify of EL program placement following the student’s date of enrollment.  [Enter State Specific Timeline Here]

The parental notification must include:

• The reason for identification of the child as an EL;

• The child’s level of English language proficiency, how the level was assessed, and the status of the child’s academic achievement;

• Methods of instruction used in the program in which the child is, or will be, participating, and the methods of instruction used in other available programs, including how the programs differ;

• How the program will meet the educational strengths and needs of the child and help the child achieve English language proficiency, and meet academic standards;

• Exit requirements for the program, expected rate of transition to a classroom not tailored for EL students, and expected rate of high school graduation;

• In the case of a child with a disability, how the program meets the annual goals in the child’s individualized education program (IEP); and

• Information regarding parents’ right to withdraw the child from a program upon their request, and to decline enrollment or choose another program or method of instruction, if available.

(ESEA 1112(e)(3)(A))

The school will ensure that all communication to a parent or parents of a child identified for participation in a language instruction educational program for limited English proficient children shall be in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the parents can understand.

PROGRAM OPTION RIGHTS

Our school also informs parents of the language acquisition program options available. From these options, parents may choose the one that best suits their child (California Education Code (EC) Section 310). Language acquisition programs are educational programs designed to ensure English acquisition occurs as rapidly and effectively as possible. They provide instruction to English learners based on the state-adopted academic content standards, including English language development (ELD) standards (20 U.S.C. Section 6312[e][3][A][iii],[v]); EC Section 306[c]).

Our school is required to offer, at a minimum, a Structured English Immersion (SEI) program option (EC Section 305[a][2]). We offer the following language acquisition program:

Structured English Immersion Program, a language acquisition program for English learners in which nearly all classroom instruction is provided in English, but with curriculum and a presentation designed for students who are learning English. At minimum, students are offered Designated ELD and provided access to grade level academic subject matter content with Integrated ELD.

Parents or guardians may choose a language acquisition program that best suits their child. Schools in which the parents or guardians of 30 students or more per school or the parents or guardians of 20 students or more in any grade request a language acquisition program that is designed to provide language instruction shall be required to offer such a program to the extent possible (20 U.S.C. Section 6312[e][3][A][viii][III]); EC Section 310[a]).

Parents or guardians may provide input regarding language acquisition programs during the development of the Local Control and Accountability Plan (EC Section 52062). If interested in a different program from those listed above, please contact the ELD Coordinator for our school.

Although schools have an obligation to serve all EL students, parents or guardians of English learners have a right to decline or opt their children out of a school’s EL program or out of particular EL services within an EL program. If parents or guardians opt their children out of a school’s EL program or specific EL services, the children retain their status as English learners and are still required to take the annual language proficiency assessment. The school remains obligated to take the affirmative steps required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the appropriate actions required by the Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1974 to provide EL students access to its educational programs (20 U.S.C. sections 1703[f], 6312[e][3][A][viii]).