Jerome Joint School District No. 261

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 2385

English Learners Program

In accordance with the Board’s philosophy to provide a quality educational program to all students, the District

shall provide an appropriate planned instructional program for identified students whose dominant language is not

English. The purposes of the program are:

1. To help ensure that English learners, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency and

develop high levels of academic achievement in English;

2. To assist all English learners, including immigrant children and youth, to achieve at high levels in academic

subjects so that all English learners can meet the same challenging state academic standards that all

children are expected to meet;

3. To assist teachers (including preschool teachers), principals, and other school leaders, state educational

agencies, local educational agencies, and schools in establishing, implementing, and sustaining effective

language instruction educational programs designed to assist in teaching English learners, including

immigrant children and youth;

4. To assist teachers (including preschool teachers), principals and other school leaders, state educational

agencies, and local educational agencies to develop and enhance their capacity to provide effective

instructional programs designed to prepare English learners, including immigrant children and youth, to

enter all-English instructional settings; and

5. To promote parental, family, and community participation in language instruction educational programs

for the parents, families, and communities of English learners.

Accordingly, the Board shall adopt a program of educational services for each student whose dominant language is

not English. The program shall include bilingual/bicultural or English as a Second Language instruction.

The Superintendent or designee shall implement and supervise an English Learners program which ensures

appropriate English Learners instruction and complies with applicable laws and regulations.

The Superintendent or designee, in conjunction with appropriate stakeholders, shall develop and disseminate

written procedures regarding the English Learners program, including:

1. Program goals;

2. Student enrollment procedures;

3. Assessment procedures for program entrance, measurement of progress, and program exit;

4. Classroom accommodations;

5. Grading policies; and

6. A list of resources, including support agencies and interpreters.

The District shall establish procedures for identifying students whose dominant language is not English. For

students whose dominant language is not English, assessment of the student’s English proficiency level must be

completed to determine the need for English as a Second Language instruction.

Students whose dominant language is not English should be enrolled in the District upon proof of residency and

other legal requirements. Students shall have access to, and be encouraged to participate in, all academic and

extracurricular activities of the District.

Students participating in English Learners programs shall be required, with accommodations, to meet established

academic standards and graduation requirements adopted by the Board.

The English Learners program shall be designed to provide instruction which meets each student’s individual needs based on the assessment of English proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Adequate content-area support shall be provided while the student is learning English to assure achievement of academic standards.

All English Learners shall be assessed annually using the state-approved assessment of English language proficiency.

The English Learners program shall be evaluated for effectiveness as required, based on the attainment of English

proficiency, and shall be revised when necessary.

Statewide Assessments

English Learners shall participate in the District’s statewide assessments, unless 20 USC 6311(b)(3) and the

regulations of the State Department of Education allow for their exclusion from an assessment.

To be eligible for exemption from the Idaho Reading Indicator, a student must have been enrolled in the District for

less than two full school years, and must score less than a two on the English Language proficiency assessment. If a student qualifies, the Superintendent or designee shall determine whether a student should be exempted before

the administration of the Fall assessment and for the remainder of that school year. The Superintendent or

designee may require a student who qualified for the exemption to take the Idaho Reading Indicator if they

determine that it is educationally appropriate or if it serves as a prerequisite for that student to qualify for

additional education services.

At the beginning of each school year the District shall notify parents of students qualifying for English Learners

programs about the instructional program and parental options, as required by law. Parents/guardians will be

regularly apprised of their student’s progress. Whenever possible, communications with parents or guardians shall

be in the language understood by the parents.

The District shall maintain an effective means of outreach to encourage parental involvement in the education of

their children.

Reporting

At the conclusion of every second fiscal year during which grant funds are received, the Superintendent or

designee shall provide the Idaho Department of Education with a report, in a form prescribed by the Department

describing the District’s English Learner program and activities and providing the District’s applicable demographic

data.

Cross Reference: 4160 Parents Right-to-Know Notices

Legal Reference:

20 U.S.C. §§ 1701-58 Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974

20 U.S.C. § 6311 State Plans

20 U.S.C. § 6811, et seq. English Language Acquisition, Language

Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act

42 U.S.C. § 2000(d), et seq. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

ESEA Section 1111(b)(2)

IC 33-1618 Assessment Exemption

Policy History:

Adopted on: 02/27/2007

Revised on: 07/25/2017

Revised on: 10/25/2022

Revised on: 08/27/2024