ELD Program Overview
What is ELD?
English Language Development (ELD) refers to an instructional program for students who are developing proficiency in English. English Language Learners (ELLs) refer to the students who are enrolled in ELD classes. Click Here to watch ELD FAQs Video
Who is eligible for ELD?
Students whose heritage language is other than English and who are not yet proficient in English are eligible for ELD. Students who were born in the United States and speak a heritage language other than English are enrolled in ELD programs if they need to develop proficiency in English. Americans often speak another first language and many do not learn English until they are in school. The key indicator is the student's home language and English proficiency in all domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing on grade level.
What are the criteria for inclusion to be in ELD?
The Home Language Survey is completed by every student at registration. If the survey indicates a home language influence other than English, the EL Coordinator reviews the student's records for evidence of academic achievement and proficiency in English. If the interview indicates that the student may need ELD support, the school will administer the ELPAC to determine the student's level of language proficiency and appropriate placement.
Click here to watch an ELPAC Overview Video.
When can a student exit ELD?
Students must meet the exit criteria of the California’s Department of Education (CDE) and the Wonderful College Prep Academy District to be exited from ELD program in our district. Reclassification is the process whereby a student is reclassified from English learner status to fluent English proficient (RFEP) status. Local education agencies determine when the student has met the four criteria listed in Education Code (EC) Section 313 (f), in accordance with the California Department of Education (CDE).
Reclassification procedures shall utilize multiple criteria in determining whether to reclassify a pupil as proficient in English, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
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Assessment of language proficiency using an objective assessment instrument, including, but not limited to, the English language development test that is developed or acquired pursuant to Section 60810.
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Teacher evaluation, including, but not limited to, a review of the pupil's curriculum mastery.
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Parental opinion and consultation.
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Comparison of the performance of the pupil in basic skills against an empirically established range of performance in basic skills based upon the performance of English proficient pupils of the same age, that demonstrates whether the pupil is sufficiently proficient in English to participate effectively in a curriculum designed for pupils of the same age whose native language is English.
EC Section 313(f)
English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessment requirements are specified in California Education Code sections 313, 60810, and 60812.
EC Section 60810
California law requires that the assessment for initial identification of an English learner and the summative assessment shall include, but not be limited to, an assessment of achievement of these pupils in English reading, speaking, and written skills.
COMMON ACRONYMS RELATED TO ESL PROGRAMS & STUDENTS:
EL = English Learner
ELL = English Language Learner RFEP= Former EL student who has met the criteria to be “reclassified” as fluent English Proficient IFEP= A student who, upon enrollment in U.S. schools, is proficient in English along with another language identified in their Home Language Survey. EO= English Only
ELD = English Language Development
ESL = English as a Second Language
HLS = Home Language Survey
NES = Non-English Speaker
FES = Fluent English Speaker
LES = Limited English Speaker
