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Task force examines how other states define 'newcomer' students for bilingual services
Summary
KLRD reviewed state definitions for ‘‘newcomer’’ or ‘‘recently arrived’’ English learners. Timeframes vary widely — from about 180 school days in some states to three years in others — a difference that matters for classification, program eligibility and potential funding weightings.
The Special Education and Related Services Funding Task Force heard a focused briefing on how other states define ‘‘newcomer’’ students for English‑learner and bilingual programming and whether Kansas should adopt a definition tied to funding or program eligibility.
Elena (KLRD) introduced a memo summarizing definitions and cautioned that the list was not exhaustive. “I would like to preface this and say that not all 50 states have been looked at yet for if they have a definition of newcomer student or a related definition. These are just the ones that we have found so far,” Elena said.
Key points from the KLRD memo
- Definitions and timeframes vary. Several states use the term ‘‘newcomer’’ or…
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