Eligibility Procedures
In order to be eligible for English Learner (EL) services, the State of Minnesota requires that a student (1) has a home language other than English and (2) be determined by developmentally appropriate measures to lack the necessary English skills to participate fully in classes taught in English.

The following procedures are used by Mounds View Public Schools follows Minnesota Department of Education’s guidelines to determine student eligibility for the English Learner program:

1. A student is identified as a potential EL by the MN Language Survey, when a home language other than English is indicated.
2. The EL teacher will determine EL service eligibility based on:
1. WIDA screener indicates eligible English language proficiency level
2. Prior records that indicate student was in EL service in a previous district
3. The student’s parents are notified of the results and eligibility for EL services.
4. After parents are notified, EL student is placed into service and schedule by EL staff.
5. English proficiency of students receiving EL service will be assessed annually with the WIDA (World Class Instructional Design and Assessment) ACCESS 2.0 for ELs in February.  If they are found to be proficient based on MDE exit criteria, they will be considered for exit from EL service. See more assessment information below.

Language Performance Descriptors
District 621 recognizes the language performance definitions provided by the WIDA Consortium as adopted by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Assessment and Testing
Mounds View EL teachers carefully track the academic performance and language proficiency of our EL students. The main indicators used are the yearly ACCESS 2.0 for ELs, and ongoing assessment and progress monitoring by the EL teacher and classroom/content area teachers.

• ACCESS 2.0 for ELs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English): The annual state assessment for ELs is WIDA’s ACCESS 2.0 for ELs. The ACCESS provides a detailed picture of a student’s English language development in reading, writing, speaking and listening. The test results help teachers to prepare appropriate instruction for the ELs.
• Ongoing Assessments: EL teachers continually monitor the progress of their students through daily interaction and class time. EL teachers regularly consult with EL students’ other teachers to target any specific areas of need for which a student may need additional instruction or support. EL teachers also track student performance on other standardized district and state assessments.