English Language Learner (ELL) Tracking

Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, Genesis will change the way we track ELL students. 

Benefits/Changes if the new ELLTracking table include:

•   Ability to mark students as referred for Language assistance program determination
•   Ability to track students whose Parents Refused services
•   Ability to record a student’s ELL Program
•   Create records for students that will not begin program until a future date.
•   Mark records as found "Not Eligible" for Ell Services.
•   Records no longer school year based.
•   LEP Code has been replaced with ELL Progression Code. This is now a non-editable field that is populated based on students status and progression.
  Progression is determined based on start and exit dates of record.
•  Adheres to new LEP reporting changes for 8/7 SID Management collection.

ELL Tracking Table

Referral Date: Date student referred for Language assistance program determination.

ELL Start Date:  Date student began participating in ANY language assistance program since last enrolling in district*. (This may be a date in the future e.g. start of next school year)  - OR – Date of parent refusal. 

_{*Students who left then re-enrolled in district should have a NEW start date if they begin participating in a language assistance program once again.}

Initial Eligibility Status: Found Eligible; Found Not Eligible (no start date record is completed); In Progress (Determination not yet made).  Codes found in Setup>Codes>ELL_ELIGIBILITY

Program Type:  English Language Services (ELS); English as a Second Language (ESL); Sheltered Instruction; High-Intensity English as a Second Language; Bilingual Tutorial; Bilingual Resource; Bilingual Part-Time Program; Full-Time Bilingual; Dual Language (Two Way Immersion); Parent Refused (No Program). Codes found in Setup>Codes>ELL_PROGRAM_TYPE

see http://www.state.nj.us/education/bilingual/policy/programs/guide.pdf for explanation of programs.

Program Type Start Date: Will always be equal to Start Date unless program is changed.

Exit Date: Date student who was ELL is no longer ELL student. This is regardless if program was ever started. Based on proficiency.

Exit Reason: No longer enrolled in district; Proficient; Graduated. Not to be used for exiting students who are still deemed ELL as we need to track regardless of program (or refusal of program). Codes found in Setup>Codes>ELL_EXIT_CODES

Current Progression Code: Indication of time in program. This will be the same as our previous codes (PRE,<,1,2,3,F1,F2, etc.) but this field will be non-editable.

Notes:  used for free hand comments about record.

Language Of Instruction: The language of instruction for the Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) course in which an English language learner (ELL) is placed in order to develop and attain English proficiency while meeting challenging State academic standards. Required for NJSmart. This field can be found on the Student Data>Modify Student>Tracking>ELL tab. It can also be mass set from the Student Data > Mass Change tab.

Field/Screen requirements and behavior.

ELL Start Date - If record contains any Program Type (even Parent Refused), this field will be required. Can only be filled in if Initial Eligibility Status is set to FOUND ELIGIBLE.

Program Type - Can only be filled in if Initial Eligibility Status is set to FOUND ELIGIBLE and ELL Start Date is filled in.

Exit Date - Requires  Program Type of ELIGIBLE and an  ELL Start Date.

Exit Reason - Requires Exit Date.

You may only ADD a new record if the student either has no record, or has an ELL Record with an Exit Date filled in.

In order to transfer a student from one ELL Program Type to another, simply choose a new Program Type on the existing record.  Choosing a new Program Type will immediately pop up a transfer dialog box.

If the student is transferring from one Program Type to another, fill in the "Transfer to new Program on" date field with the expected start date of the new program.

If you are simply editing the Program Type, hit the CANCEL and proceed with your edit making sure to hit the SAVE icon when finished with your changes.

Users must have rights to the following securable locations to view/edit ELL records:  studentdata.modifystudent.tracking and studentdata.modifystudent.tracking.esllep

Some of examples of how to use new the new tracking tables.

Scenario 1:  Student is identified as possible future ELL student at beginning of school year.

While a tracking record exists for student, student is not considered part of an ELL program.

Scenario 2:  Same student is tested and found not eligible for services

Exit Date/Reason should not be filled in.  Exit date/reason if for students who were found eligible for services.

Scenario 3:  Student is found eligible BUT parents refuse services

Start Date and Program are filled in.  Parent refused is considered an ELL program as this student has been determined eligible for ELL services.  Exit date and reason should be left blank until a time that this student is no longer deemed proficient and not in need of ELL services.

Scenario 4:  Eligible student changes ELL program from from Full-Time Bilingual to English Language Services on 01/01/2016. 

New tracking record created on date student moves program.  Start Date remains same and Exit Date and Reason remain blank as student is still receiving services.  Only Program Type and Program Start Date are altered. ELL Start date remains the same.

Scenario 5:  Eligible student receiving services withdraws from district.  Student then Re-enters the following school year and resumes services.

Original record is exited on day of withdrawal.  New tracking record created on date student re-enters the district and program. 

Home Language Survey

To read more about Home Language Surveys please visit this link... Home Language Survey

FAQ: 

"Why should my district be tracking students whose parents have refused ESL Services?"

State reporting has begun asking for students who where found eligible for services even if parents refuse those services.  An example would be the NJSmart SID collection. 

The ELL Start Date field needs to be populated when a student is determined ELIGIBLE for ESL.  This includes all students who the district has determined should be in a program regardless of if the parents refusal or acceptance of services.

ELL Exit Date is used when a student is determined proficient and no longer deemed limited English proficient.  This includes students who never started a program due to parent refusal.

"If I exit a student from ELL for reasons other than Proficient, how will this affect NJSmart?"

Students who exit an ELL program for reasons other than being Proficient WILL NOT be reported to NJSmart with an ELL Exit Date.  

"How is the progression determined?"

We determine the progression code based on the definition of the NJELLStatus field in NJSmart Assessment Registration Handbook.

The rule is: if a student exited out of ELL, they start as an F1. If they exited out prior to 07/01 of the previous school year, then they are F2. This continues repeating using the 7/1 date, until the student reaches F4.

For example, if currently in the 2020-21 school year, they are not an F2 unless they exited out prior to 7/1/2019. After the rollover, in the next school year, a student won't be an F2 unless they exited out prior to 7/1/2020.