Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the English Learners topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts revised English-learner reclassification criteria to add local pathways
Summary
Trustees approved revisions to the district's English-learner reclassification criteria, adding the OPTEL observation instrument and alternate ELPAC pathway for students with severe cognitive disabilities and lowering an elementary assessment percentile cutoff from the 40th to 35th percentile.
The Arcadia Unified School District Board voted to adopt proposed changes to the English-learner reclassification criteria after a staff presentation and board Q&A. Dr. Mendoza outlined four criteria used for reclassification and described proposed updates intended to create additional pathways for students to be reclassified from English-learner status.
Dr. Mendoza said, "The very 1st step, to open that door to reclassification is criteria 1, which requires a student to get a level 4 on the ELPAC." She also described adding the OPTEL observation protocol to teacher evaluation (criteria 2) to create more consistent, districtwide teacher observations; adding an opt‑out indicator in parent consultation (criteria 3); and expanding locally determined, norm‑referenced assessment options and lowering an elementary cutoff from the 40th to the 35th percentile (criteria 4). Trustees pressed on implementation, teacher calibration, and monitoring plans; staff said reclassified students will be monitored for four years and the district will run study sessions in the fall to refine practice.
Trustees moved and voted to approve the criteria as presented.
