English Learner (EL) Identification

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI, Language Minority Compliance Procedures, requires school districts to identify EL students. There is a responsibility under federal law to serve ELs who need English Language Development (ELD) Instruction as well as academic supports in order to be successful in school. The Southern Lehigh School District follows the standardized identification procedures required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

All parents/guardians enrolling a student in the District must fill out a Home Language Survey (HLS) when registering. The HLS is included as part of the registration packet for all new students. For more information regarding registration, please visit the Student Registration section of the District website.

If a parent/guardian responds YES to any of the questions on the HLS, an ESL Teacher will then follow the PDE English Learner Identification Procedure K-12. This process must be completed within 30 calendar days for students enrolling at the start of the school year or within 14 calendar days for students enrolling after the start of the school year.

The process will include a family interview conducted by an ESL Teacher and a review of prior academic records. Dependent upon evidence of English language proficiency, the student may then be screened using the KW-APT, WIDA SCREENER, or WIDA MODEL.

Placement into the Language Instruction Educational Plan (LIEP) will not be made without notifying parent(s)/guardian(s). Parent(s)/guardian(s) have the right to refuse placement in the District's LIEP.