English Learner Exit Criteria

OELPA

English learners who participate in the OELPA will receive results indicating one of three overall proficiency levels: 1–Emerging, 2–Progressing, or 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-OELPA

English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities who participate in the Alt-OELPA will receive results indicating one of three overall proficiency levels: 1–Emerging, 2–Progressing, or 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 performance is representative of the student’s performance on the listening and reading domain tests. The productive modality performance 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.

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

For students who achieve an overall proficiency status of Progressing or Emerging, schools will 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.

For information on domain exemptions for students participating in the OELPA, please see Section V of the Accessibility Manual for OELPS and OELPA. 

For information on domain exemptions for students participating in the Alt-OELPA, please see Appendix F of the Alt-OELPA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual.

After exiting, schools monitor 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 never-English learner peers.

Monitoring Resources

• English Learner Tool Kit. Chapter eight of the U.S. Department of Education's English Learner Tool Kit provides practical information and example tools to assist districts and schools in meeting their monitoring obligation.
• Dear Colleague Letter on English Learners. Chapter eight of the Tool Kit (above) should be read in conjunction with Section H of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights’ and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Dear Colleague Letter on “English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents,” which outlines the legal obligations to English learners under civil rights laws and other federal requirements.

More Information

OELPA and Alt-OELPA. Please refer to the Department’s OELPA and Alt-OELPA webpages, or contact the Office of Assessment by phone at (614) 466-1317 or email at statetests@education.ohio.gov.
 
Monitoring Current and Former English Learners. Please refer to the Department’s Identification, Reclassification & Monitoring of English Learners webpage, or contact the Office of Whole Child Supports by phone at (614) 466-4109 or email at lau@education.ohio.gov.
 

Last Modified: 2/27/2024 8:51:11 AM

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