English Learner Programs

English learner programs help English learners develop language proficiency and meet academic learning standards. In Ohio, all schools and districts have the obligation to enroll and provide accessible instruction for their students who are English learners. Schools and districts adopt policies and processes for their English learner program. They then organize these into a handbook that describes the plan for implementation and program evaluation. 

EMIS Program Reporting 

Schools and districts report English Learner Program Codes for each student identified as an English learner in the Education Management Information System (EMIS, GQ Manual).  English Learner Program Codes indicate the type of program that the student receives to support their English language development. This information is also shared with families in the parent notification of English learner identification. Additional resources related to the standardized identification and parent notification of English learner services are available on the Department’s  Identifying English Learners webpage. 

Program Evaluation 

The English learner plan includes the development of an English learner handbook and biannual program evaluation. Program evaluations are used by school leaders to determine the extent to which the program is developing students’ English language proficiency and academic achievement, including monitoring of former English learners and students who have opted out of the English language-instruction educational program. 

English Learner Handbook 

All schools and districts develop an English learner handbook outlining basic procedures implemented to ensure proper student identification, provision of language-instruction services, and access to academic standards. The handbook includes information related to how current and former English learners are monitored for their English language proficiency development. The handbook is available to all teachers to address the specific needs of the districts’ English learners. District leadership is responsible for ensuring that the English learner program is understood by all English learner teachers.  

Administrators can find additional information about developing the English learner handbook on the Advancing Ohio’s English Learners webpage English Learner Basics.   

The English learner handbook operationalizes the way the school ensures the following:

• Effective Language Instruction for English Learners. It is best practice for districts to develop an English learner plan that aligns with their school vision and improvement initiatives. Within this framework, all teachers are empowered to support English learners through their lesson planning and instruction. Educators can use the Ohio English Language Proficiency Standards and Ohio Learning Standards-Extended to better understand the language levels and achievement of their English learners, including those with disabilities. The English learner plan takes into account the progress of English learners in achieving English language proficiency as measured by the initial Ohio English Language Proficiency Screener and the yearly  Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA).  
• Universal Design for Learning. While parents can opt their students out of the targeted English language program at any time, all English learners have the right to comprehensible school instruction and differentiated instruction according to their language proficiency levels.  
• Integrated English Learner Programs. English learners benefit from evidence-based instructional practices, including oral language development, literacy support, and a focus on vocabulary across content areas. All educators can implement these as best practices. The following resources can assist schools and districts in developing comprehensive English learner programs: 
  • The English Learner Instructional Roadmap includes information on the stages of language acquisition, explanations of types of language, and strategies to understand multilingual learners. 
  • ​Ohio's Evidence-Based Clearinghouse provides strategies for delivering high-quality and evidence-based instruction to English learners.   
  • National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition: English Learner Services and Programs  provides tools and resources for providing an English learner program. 
  •  Innovation Configuration's Evidence-Based Practices for English Learners  identifies effective practices that all educators can use for English learner instruction.  
  • U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences updates educators with research on evidence-based education programs, practices, and policies.    

Supporting English Learners with Disabilities and English Learners Identified as Gifted

Understanding English learners with exceptionalities requires collaboration between English learner teachers and intervention specialists in gifted and special education. Collaboration enables professionals to better identify students’ strengths and address any challenges. The Department provides resources, including the Ohio Learning Standards-Extended for English Language Proficiency, to support the language development of English learners with significant cognitive disabilities, as well as instructional resources for teaching gifted English learners. 

Appropriate Accommodations for Tests and Assessments 

State test accommodations may be appropriate for English learners. The resources below provide information about the standards for the Ohio English language proficiency assessment and accommodation guidance and resources:                     

• Revised Assessment Accommodations for English Learners include extended time and the use of a word-to-word translation dictionary. In addition, oral translation of Ohio’s state tests is allowable. 
• Ohio's Accessibility Manual describes the available accommodations in detail. These accommodations are not determined by the amount of time an individual is enrolled in U.S. schools or the number of years a student has been identified as an English learner. 
• Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA)                                                       

Last Modified: 2/14/2025 12:45:14 PM

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