Multilingual Learners

In Minnesota, an English learnining student (EL) is a student in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 who meets certain requirements:

• A parent or guardian declares that the student uses a language other than English.
• A valid assessment that measures the student’s English language proficiency. This assessment score indicates that the student lacks the English skills to participate in academic classes fully. 
• Other measures, such as observations, teacher judgment, or parent recommendations, are considered.

In Minnesota, an English learner (EL) is a student in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 who meets certain requirements:

• A parent or guardian declares that the student uses a language other than English.
• A valid assessment that measures the student’s English language proficiency. This assessment score indicates that the student lacks the English skills to participate in academic classes fully. 
• Other measures, such as observations, teacher judgment, or parent recommendations, are considere

The English Language Development (ELD) program at Red Wing School District is an education program teaching speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English.

EL students are taught these skills through math, science, social studies, and language arts. All teachers converse with EL teachers and paraprofessionals to provide appropriate English language instruction, helping students succeed in academic subjects and learn to speak and use English.

EL programming aligns with the vision, mission, and shared identity of Red Wing Public Schools, the Minnesota Department of Education, and the Guiding Principles of Language Development of WIDA (World-class Instruction Design and Assessment).

Students whose Minnesota Language Survey (MNLS) indicates a language other than English are tested using the WIDA Online Screener. This screener assesses English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  Students meeting any one of the following four criteria are eligible for EL Services:

Students who take the WIDA Online Screener are identified as English Learners if either of the statements below are true:

• Overall composite is below 4.5.
• Any domain score is below 3.5.

Students who take the WIDA Kindergarten Screener are identified as English Learners if either of the statements below are true:

• During the first semester of kindergarten the listening & speaking score is 27 or less.
• During the second semester of kindergarten the listening & speaking score is 27 or less, the reading score is 10 or lower, OR the writing score is 11 or lower.

Students whose prior school records indicate they qualified for EL services in that prior district are identified as English Learners in Red Wing Schools.

Students for whom previous ACCESS  scores (not more than one year old) indicate they have not reached proficiency (Composite score below 4.5 OR two domain scores below 3.5) are identified as English Learners.

Red Wing School District serves students in the English Language Development Program according to their grade levels, with consideration of:

• English proficiency levels in listening, speaking, reading, and writing (as determined by the WIDA Screener or ACCESS  tests)
• Prior school records
• Assessment history 
• Special education identification
• Gifted/talented identification
• Feedback from previous teachers
• Best practice research
• Amount of previous formal schooling
• Amount of time in U.S. schools
• Identification as a migratory child and
• The program model.

Parents and guardians are notified within 10 calendar days of enrollment of their student in EL Services. The parent notification letter is sent via U.S. mail in the parent/guardian’s preferred school-to-home language and English. This parent notification informs the parent/guardian of  the following:

1. Their student is eligible for EL services and will be enrolled in the Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP).
2. As parents/guardians, they have the right to visit the program, request a conference to understand the program, and withdraw the child.
3. A description of the purpose, method, and type of support in the student’s academic program.

A parent or guardian has the right at any time to withdraw the student from the LIEP by providing written notice of this intent to the school principal or to the district superintendent. The parent or guardian may re-enroll the child in the LIEP upon request

Under both federal and state law, all students enrolled in K-12 grades and identified as English Learners must participate in the annual English language proficiency assessment, ACCESS  for ELLs.

• All students who have been identified as English Learners, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in an LIEP, must participate in the ACCESS  assessment.
• This assessment usually takes place in February and March. For additional information on this assessment, please see the statewide testing page on the Minnesota Department of Education’s website.
• A student continues to be identified as an English learner until the student has met the exit requirements.
• The results of the ACCESS  assessments guide teachers in determining if a student continues to be EL eligible, as well as meaningful academic programming and support types.
• Eligibility for continued English Language Development support is decided each academic year.

As with any state-wide testing, parents/guardians of English Learners may choose for their students to opt-out of ACCESS for ELLs testing.

• If parents/guardians choose for their students to opt-out of ACCESS for ELLs testing, they must complete an opt out form every year.

Important: If a student does not participate in the ACCESS for ELLs, the student cannot be considered to have met the proficiency requirement for exiting the EL identification.

Once all ACCESS scores are available, the district begins to evaluate every EL’s ACCESS  score to determine program eligibility.

• EL teachers and district staff first examine students’ composite scores on ACCESS.
• If a student’s overall composite score is below 4.5 on ACCESS, the student does not meet the definition of English language proficiency and is, therefore, automatically eligible for continuing ELD instruction.  This student must be enrolled in the LIEP during the following school year.
• If a student’s overall composite score is 4.5 or above on the ACCESS, the student may or may not be eligible for continuing ELD instruction. 

The district looks at the individual domain scores of ACCESS to make one of the three following determinations:

1. If a student has at least two individual domain scores (listening, speaking, reading, or writing)  below 3.5, the student is automatically eligible for ELD instruction and must be enrolled in ELD programming in the following school year.
2. If a student has all of the domains equal to or greater than 3.5 and has a composite score of 4.5 or higher, the student is considered to be proficient, is no longer eligible for enrollment in the LIEP, and must not be enrolled in ELD instruction in the following school year.
3. If a student has at least three out of four domain scores equal to or greater than 3.5 and a composite score of 4.5 or higher, EL teachers or other staff use additional measures to determine continuing eligibility for EL services. If it is determined that this student continues to be eligible for participation in the LIEP, in the following year the student must be enrolled in the ELD program and continue to receive ELD instruction.

Every year, ISD 256 notifies parents/guardians of students continuing with EL services within 30 calendar days of enrollment in the LIEP. This parent notification letter, written in a language that is accessible to the parent/guardian and English, is sent via U.S. mail during September, accompanied by the student’s ACCESS  report, and a description of Red Wing Public School’s English Language Development program. The letter informs parents/guardians that they have the right to visit the program, request a conference to understand the program, and withdraw the child from EL Services at any time.

Like all school districts in Minnesota, ISD 256 must wait until ACCESS test scores are available before beginning the exit process.

Criteria for exit include:

• If a student’s ACCESS composite score is at least 4.5 and ALL domain scores are at least 3.5, the student must be exited from EL Services.
• If a student has an overall composite score of at least 4.5 and three out of four domain scores (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) of at least 3.5, that student has met the ACCESS  proficiency score. That student will exit EL Services, except in cases where the student’s EL Teacher has determined with additional criteria that the student should continue to receive EL Services.
• If a student does not have a proficient ACCESS score (the composite score is less than 4.5 or 2+ domain scores are less than 3.5, the student may not exit EL Services).

Red Wing Public Schools notifies parents/guardians that their student has exited EL Services in a parent notification letter sent out during September. This letter is sent via U.S. mail in a language that is accessible to the parents/guardians, along with the student’s individual ACCESS report.