Decision Tree for the Identification and Placement of English Language Learners (Adult Education)

For Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools Full-Time Programs Step 1: Upon enrollment, students of 18 years of age (21 years of age or older for the Basic Police Officer Training (BPOT) program), complete the TABE and/or WorkKeys assessments.

Sample TABE related to Reading/Language

Step 2: AWD offers FREE ABE/ABLE, GED and ESOL classes. Adult learners seeking assistance in English literacy to support their post-secondary education, training and employment are referred to the Adult Basic Education (ABE), GED and ESOL orientations to assist them through the enrollment process for the appropriate classes. There is no formal exiting process for adult education at this time; adult learners passing the GED receive this diploma/certificate directly.

Decision Tree for the Identification and Placement of English Language Learners (K-12)
For School Districts in the State of Ohio Step 1: Upon enrollment in an Ohio school district, students, who speak a language other than English, are required to complete the Home Language Survey. Step 2: Once the Home Language Survey is completed, the Ohio school districts must identify students whose Primary or Home Language is Other Than English (PHLOTE). Then, each district determines if students are Limited English Proficient (LEP) using an English Language Assessment tool. The Ohio Department of Education does not endorse any particular test, but here are several options: Basic Inventory of Natural Language (BINL) Grade Levels: K-12 Bilingual Verbal Ability Tests (BVAT) Grade levels: Ages 5-adult Language Assessment Scales (LAS) Grade levels: PreK-12, LAS Links Secondary Level English Proficiency Test (SLEP) Grade levels: 9-12

Home Language Survey

Step 3: The purpose of the English Language Assessment is to further categorize the ELL student s current proficiency in the English Language. In Ohio, there are five proficiency levels to categorize LEP students at different stages of their English language development which include:
Pre-functional-Students at this level may understand some isolated words (particularly school and social environment vocabulary), some high-frequency social conventions, and simple (single-word or short-phrase) directions, commands and questions.

Beginning-As LEP students oral comprehension increases, they begin to imitate the verbalizations of others by using single words or simple phrases and begin to use English spontaneously. They gradually construct more meaning from the words themselves, but the construction is often incomplete.

Intermediate- At this level, students understand more complex speech, but still may require some repetition. They acquire a vocabulary of stock words and phrases covering many daily situations. Advanced- At this level, students language skills are adequate for most dayto-day communication needs. Occasional structural and lexical errors occur. Proficient/Trial-Mainstream- At this final stage, students usually can participate in academic topical conversations without difficulty. In most cases, they can follow complex and multi-level directions without assistance and they can understand oral information provided via electronic audio and video media. Students at this level usually speak English fluently in social and grade-level academic settings and they control age-appropriate syntax and vocabulary in their speech. (Guidelines for the Identification and Assessment of Limited English Proficient Students/English Language Learners, 2013, pp. 5-6)

In Ohio, the Department of Education does not prescribe a specific type of intervention program; this gives school districts the flexibility to determine which educational approach best meets the needs of their LEP/ELL students. However, the Ohio Department of Education does provide this decision flow chart in the Ohio Statewide Assessment Program Rules Book on the following page.