Reclassification and Four-Year Monitoring

  • The Ontario-º¬Ðß²Ýapp School District adopted reclassification criteria to enable students identified as an English learner to exit the EL program and participate without English Language Development Instruction. When an English learner meets each of the four criteria, the District is assuring that the student can achieve academically at a level equivalent to students of the same age or grade level whose primary language is English.

    OMSD’s Reclassification Criteria:

    Each student must meet all of the following in order to reclassify:

         1. Most recent ELPAC score of Overall Level 4 (per state requirement).

         2. Teacher Evaluation: º¬Ðß²Ýapp Achievement Report card C grade in reading for English Language Arts (issues of modification shall not preclude a student from reclassifying). Teacher is defined as a    certificated staff member with instructional or placement decisions for that child.

         3. Parent Consultation.

         4. Basic Skills in Grades K-8:

    • Grade K basic foundation literacy skills assessment or ESGI at grade K reading fluency or above, knowing all letters and sounds
    • Grades 1 through 8 iReady Lexile score Basic or aboce for the student’s current grade level 
      • Grade 1: 185 Lexile or above
      • Grade 2: 220 Lexile or above
      • Grade 3: 330 Lexile or above
      • Grade 4: 540 Lexile or above
      • Grade 5: 620 Lexile or above
      • Grade 6: 730 Lexile or above
      • Grade 7: 770 Lexile or above
      • Grade 8: 790 Lexile or above

    If the EL student is also identified as a º¬Ðß²Ýapp with Disabilities, then the reclassification process is completed through an IEP. The District has a consistent protocol in place to help the IEP team determine if the student has achieved English proficiency through an overall score of 4 on the English Learner Proficiency Assessment for º¬Ðß²Ýapp (ELPAC) or alternative assessments per the IEP, attainment of Basic Skills, consultation with parents has been completed, and obtained teacher recommendation. This protocol is designed to carry the IEP team through the reclassification decision-making process to determine if any academic deficits are due to a language acquisition issue or are consistent with the identified disability. If the team determines the academic deficits are not based on a language acquisition issue, the team may consider reclassification as long as all four criteria for reclassification are met and it is documented in the IEP notes.

    Once a student is reclassified as fluent English proficient, or RFEP, then the District is required to monitor the student for four years. During this time, if the student appears to be struggling, then appropriate interventions are identified and provided to help them experience success.4