English Learner Exit Criteria

 

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce provides the Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA) and the Alternate Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (Alt-OELPA) as the state’s annual summative assessments of English language proficiency for English learners in kindergarten through high school. These assessments provide documentation of English learners’ progress toward English proficiency and determine whether the student remains classified as an English learner or is proficient and ready to exit the English language development program. For students who remain classified as English learners, the results of the OELPA or Alt-OELPA help educators establish appropriate English language proficiency expectations and inform decisions about programming, services, and instruction.

Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA)

English learners who participate in the Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment, commonly known as OELPA, will receive results indicating one of three overall proficiency levels:

  • 1–Emerging
  • 2–Progressing
  • 3–Proficient

A student’s overall proficiency level is determined by the student’s performance in each of the domain tests that comprise the OELPA (listening, reading, speaking, and writing). Each domain test is scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Performance levels of 4 and 5 correlate with proficiency in that domain. Schools exit (or reclassify) students with an overall proficiency level of Proficient out of English learner status.

OELPA Overall Performance Levels
1 - Emerging 2 - Progressing 3 - Proficient
Any performance level combination of 1s and/or 2s across all nonexempt domains.  Any combination of performance levels across the nonexempt domains that is not Proficient or Emerging.  Any performance level combination of 4s and/or 5s across all nonexempt domains. 
Student remains classified as an English learner.  Student remains classified as an English learner. Student exits from English learner status. 

Alt-Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (Alt-OELPA)

English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities who participate in the Alt-Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (Alt-OELPA) will receive results indicating one of three overall proficiency levels:

  • 1–Emerging
  • 2–Progressing
  • 3–Proficient

A student’s overall proficiency level is determined by the student’s performance in each of the modalities that comprise the Alt-OELPA (receptive and productive). The receptive modality is representative of the student’s performance on the listening and reading domain tests, while the productive modality is representative of the student’s performance on the speaking and writing domain tests. The modality and domain tests are scored on a scale of 1 to 4. Performance levels of 3 and 4 correlate with proficiency in that modality or domain. Schools exit (or reclassify) students with an overall proficiency level of Proficient out of English learner status.

ALT-OELPA Overall Performance Levels
1 - Emerging 2 - Progressing 3 - Proficient
Performance level 1 in nonexempt modalities.   Above performance level 1 and below performance level 3 in at least one modality. Performance level 3 or higher in nonexempt modalities.
Student remains classified as an English learner.  Student remains classified as an English learner. Student exits from English learner status. 

Exiting English Learner Status

Students, including those with documented domain exemptions, who achieve an overall proficiency level of Proficient on the OELPA or Alt-OELPA will exit from English learner status.

  • OELPA: For the OELPA, overall proficiency is defined as a domain performance level of 4 and 5 in any combination across all nonexempt domain tests (listening, reading, speaking, and writing).
  • Alt-OELPA: For the Alt-OELPA, overall proficiency is defined as a modality performance level of 3 and 4 in any combination across nonexempt modalities (receptive and productive).

For students who achieve an overall proficiency status of Progressing or Emerging, schools determine and provide the appropriate services to ensure students’ development of English language proficiency and access to the curriculum. Students who do not attempt one or more domain tests in the absence of a valid exemption or have one or more domain tests invalidated cannot achieve an overall proficiency level of Proficient. These students will be considered Progressing or Emerging depending on their performance in the scored domains.

Access Section V of the Accessibility Manual for OELPS and OELPA for more information on domain exemptions for students participating in the OELPA and Appendix F of the Alt-OELPA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual for more information on domain exemptions for students participating in the Alt-OELPA.

Monitoring Former English Learners

Once proficient, schools reclassify English learners and monitor the now former English learners for a minimum of two years. During this period, schools and districts monitor and regularly assess the progress of English learners who met the exit criteria to ensure that:

  1. They have not been prematurely exited;
  2. Any academic deficits incurred as a results of participating in the English language development program have been remedied; and
  3. They are meaningfully participating in the standard program of instruction comparable to their non-English learner peers.

Additional Resources

OELPA and Alt-OELPA. Refer to the Department’s web pages about the OELPA and the Alt-OELPA, or contact the Office of Assessment at 614-466-1317 or statetests@education.ohio.gov.

Monitoring Current and Former English Learners. Access the Department’s Identification, Reclassification, and Monitoring of English Learners webpage, or contact the Office of Whole Child Supports at 614-466-4109 or lau@education.ohio.gov.

Last Modified: 12/30/2025 10:07:57 AM