The U.S. Department of Education recently released the first chapter of the soon-to-be-published English Learner Tool Kit, intended to help state and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) meet their obligations to English learners (ELs).

“Tools and Resources for Identifying All English Learners” is the focus of the toolkit’s first chapter. Some key points:

  • LEAs must identify in a timely manner EL students in need of language assistance services
  • The home language survey is the most common tool used to identify potential ELs
  • All potential ELs must be assessed with a valid and reliable assessment to determine if they are in fact ELs
  • LEAs are required to communicate information regarding a child’s ELP level and EL program options in a language the parent understands

The following two resources co-written by WestEd’s Robert Linquanti are cited in the toolkit’s first chapter: