The La Cañada Unified School District (LCUSD) regularly receives high marks from the California Department of Education. The school district has continuously provided students with equal opportunity to develop academically, cognitively, and linguistically in an environment that promotes education, engagement, and development.
These qualities can be seen in the school district’s commitment to providing “the strongest English Language Development Program (ELDP)” for all of the school district’s English language learners.
Its Master Plan for English Language Learners focuses on helping students without full English fluency to not only master a new language, but a new culture as well. Aside from proficiency in English, learners are also taught to meet the grade level standards in other areas of education.
Identification of New Students
To qualify, the student’s English proficiency will be assessed. Evaluators will then determine if the student needs the additional support of an English Language Development Program.
After passing the evaluation, the student will be required to take the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) within 30 calendar days of initial enrolment. The state proficiency assessment consists of four components – listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Students who do not meet the necessary criteria for these four components will be enrolled in the development program. Once enrolled, students will have to take the proficiency assessment every year to monitor their progress. Students may stop taking the tests once they are Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP).
The School District’s Informal Survey of Primary Language Skills
Though the state no longer requires it, the La Cañada School District still conducts a primary language survey to identify areas for improvement. The survey can be conducted orally or in writing, either in the student’s home language or in English, whichever the student is most comfortable with. A copy of the survey will then be placed in the student’s file.
Parent Notifications
Parents are updated on their child’s proficiency assessment results and program placement at the beginning of each school year.
The notification includes key information such as:
- Reason for the student’s limited English proficient (LEP) or fluent English proficient (FEP) classification
- Student’s level of English proficiency according to assessment results
- Method of instruction
- Alternative program options
- Goals of the English Language Development Program
- Exit requirements of the English Language Development Program
- Parent’s rights
Availability of the English Language Development Program
The La Cañada Unified School District understands that it can take some time for learners to become fluent in English, giving them a timeframe of three to five years while partnering with parents and supporting them with an array of programs and resources. All California public schools – and, consequently, all schools under the La Cañada school district, are required by law to have an English Language Development Program available to all English language learners.
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