English Language Learner KnowledgeBase for Administrators & Teachers

Assessment Terminology: A Glossary of Useful Terms

This link is to a glossary of assessment terminology on the U.S Department of Education website. As noted at this website, "the following is a list of terms that are used to describe current educational assessment practices. This guide is intended not to promote the use of jargon, but to establish a clear and common understanding of what these terms mean."

Form for Reporting PHLOTE Students

This resource is a sample form used at the school level to report primary home language other than English (PHLOTE) students and the method used in determining PHLOTE status. This form is to be completed by the school principal or designee to ensure all PHLOTE students are identified. It should be maintained at the district or school offices.

Alternate format: PDF

Questions for District Enrollment Forms

This document provides four questions that can be included on a district enrollment form.

OCR PAR Issues Brochure - Program Evaluation

This document contains the program evaluation section from the OCR Region VII office's Profile, Assessment, and Resolution (PAR) Region pilot project. The brochure provides guidance on evaluation of the English language learner program.

OCR Self-Assessment Guide - Program Evaluation

This assessment guide is part of an OCR Region VII pilot program to encourage partnership approaches to civil rights compliance. It assists school districts to voluntarily comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 regarding equal educational opportunities for national origin minority students who are English language learners. This section covers developing an evaluation plan for an alternative language program.

Alternate format: PDF

Assessment Regulations for ELLs –Title 1

This U.S. Department of Education PowerPoint was presented at the Combined Federal Programs Meeting in Washington, D.C. in December 2016 in order to outline assessment regulations for ELLs as the law relates to Title I, Part A.  The objective of this presentation was to highlight major new provisions in the law and regulations; explain the relationship between the state plan and assessment requirements; and describe the required supports for students with disabilities and English learners.

Guiding Federal Court Cases on Equal Educational Opportunity

There are several federal court cases that establish the legal foundation for providing equal educational opportunity to students with limited English proficiency, Brown v. Board of Education, Lau v. Nichols, Castaneda v. Pickard, and Plyler v. Doe. A summary of each decision is offered.

Brown v. Board of Education

https://www.oyez.org/cases/ 1940-1955/347us483

Lau v. Nichols

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1973/72-6520

Castañeda v. Pickard

https://openjurist.org/781/f2d/456/castaneda-castaneda-v-am-pickard

Plyler v. Doe

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/plyler-v-doe-public-education-immigrant-students

Guiding Federal Laws on Equal Educational Opportunity

The legal foundation for providing equal educational opportunity to students with limited English proficiency is found in three federal laws: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A summary of each Act is provided.

Office for Civil Rights Memorandum

There are two key guiding memoranda issued by the Office for Civil Rights that address the issue of equal educational opportunity for children with limited English proficiency. Links to the May 25, 1970, and September 27, 1991, memoranda are provided.

September 27, 1991 OCR Memorandum

"The September 27, 1991 Memorandum is OCR's policy update on a school's obligations toward national origin minority students with limited English proficiency (LEP). This memo provides guidance on complying with the requirement to provide any alternative language programs necessary to ensure that national origin minority students with limited-English proficiency (LEP students) have meaningful access to the schools' programs."

Assessment Glossary

This link is to a glossary of assessment terms identifies and defines the commonly used terminology associated with educational assessment. It provides school district staff members with a common understanding of assessment terminology.

Programs for English Language Learners - Intro: Program Evaluation

This document from the OCR offers guidance on program evaluation as it relates to establishing programs for ELLs.

Programs for English Language Learners - Key Evaluation Elements

This document from the OCR offers guidance on program evaluation as it relates to key evaluation elements.

The Use of Tests When Making High Stakes Decisions for Students - Legal Principles

This document is abstracted from a OCR resource guide. It provides information pertaining to the legal principles involved with using high stake tests as they relate to ELL students.

Working with Translators and Interpreters

This resource provides a collection of documents about different aspects of working with translators and interpreters.