FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is counted/identified as LEP?
Any student whose native or home language is a language other than English who scores below Superior in at least one domain of the IPT. Most LEP students are served in ESL or other language programs, but there are some who waive services or are placed on consultative status and therefore do not receive direct services. *All LEP students must be IPT-tested each spring until they "top out," or "exit" by scoring Superior in all domains, including those who are not served.
Is there an exemption from statewide testing for LEP kids?
Yes. LEP students who score below Intermediate High on the IPT Reading test and are in their very first year in a United States school are exempt from taking the following tests: grade 3 reading pretest, reading EOGs, reading high school comprehensive test, the writing assessment at grades 4, 7, and 10, the reading NCCLAS, or the writing NCCLAS.
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What do our current Promotion Standards say about waiving the promotion standard for our LEP students?
Our current (June 2004) promotion standards policy states: "If a student scores below Advanced in reading or writing on the state English language proficiency assessment, the student may be eligible for a waiver from the test standard of promotion through no more than two consecutive gateways."
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Is there a 2-year or 3-year rule for completing an EC referral for a LEP student? In other words, must a LEP student be enrolled for a certain amount of time before an EC referral can be started?
No. Schools should use all possible resources, including native language testing and non-verbal testing, when making such decisions. ESL and EC personnel should consult with each other and be involved throughout the entire referral process. It is important to consider many factors, such as: length of time in a US school, prior academic experiences, parents’ levels of education, home life and responsibilities, years without formal schooling, previous traumas experienced, use of appropriate modifications and instructional techniques in the classroom – have they been practiced for that child?, etc. etc.
If a LEP student scores Superior on the IPT Reading test, but has scored below Superior in /Speaking and/or Listening, is he or she allowed LEP testing accommodations on the EOGs and EOCs?
No. A Superior score on the IPT Reading test means that the LEP student is no longer LEP in the area of Reading, and that he or she is working on the same level as his or her peers when it comes to reading the questions and possible answers on an EOG or EOC. No accommodations are needed or allowed for a student at that level. (Remember that a below Superior score on the IPT Writing test allows for appropriate accommodations on the state Writing Test.)
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It is the Language Acquisition Grant, which is the largest piece of funding from Title III of NCLB. Eligible districts or charters submit an application to the NC DPI ESL Consultants each spring, and that allotment arrives soon after in the summer; each grant lasts for 27 months with no limit on carryover.
It is the Significant Increase in Immigrants Grant, which is the other piece of funding from Title III of NCLB. LEAs/charter schools are eligible by having a significant increase in the percentage of immigrant students enrolled as compared to the average of the two preceding fiscal years. Districts/charter schools report the number of immigrants in their schools to DPI each spring. The State determines the percentage of increase that is considered to be "significant" from year to year.
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What is the difference between LEP and ESL?
"LEP" describes a student whose skills in English are limited, and "ESL" describes a language instruction program for students learning English. LEP identification is determined solely by the IPT score, but ESL services are determined by many other factors. Because of that, some LEP students may not receive ESL services, but they must still be IPT tested each spring until scoring Superior in all subtests.