Acronyms & Terms

Designated ELD:  This refers to classes in which all students are homogeneously grouped as English Learners and are taught with curriculum intended for their ELD level specifically.

EL:  English Learner—A student whose initial score on the ELPAC determines English proficiency and places the student on the District's official list of students learning English.

EL ALD:  English Learner Academic Language Development--This is the title for English Language Development classes intended for Long Term English Learners who have not yet met the requirements for reclassification and who continue to struggle academically. 

ELD:  English Language Development—This is the title for classes leveled 1-4 for students who have been in the United States for approximately 5 years or less.

ELPAC:  English Language Proficiency Assessments for California—This is the in-coming English language proficiency assessment to be used by the state of California.  The first administration of this test will be in 2016.  There are two different forms of this test—an initial assessment to be used for placement which is the shorter of the two and will take place in the fall, and an annual administration of the test to measure progress which will take place in the spring.

ELRT: English Learner Review Teams are established at each school and include all EL students' stakeholders.  Meetings focus on reviewing data, completing compliance paperwork including Catch-Up plans, providing student support and monitoring student progress toward ELD benchmarks and grade level standards.

EO: English Only—A student whose primary language is English.  This student does not take the ELPAC or any other language proficiency assessment.

IFEP:  Initially Fluent English Proficient—A student whose initial score on the ELPAC determines fluent English proficiency and places the student in mainstream classes.  This student does not require English Learner services.

Integrated ELD:  This refers to most mainstream classes in which ELD students are mixed with EOs and teachers address the needs of English Learners within this setting.

LTEL:  Long Term English Learner—This student has been in U.S. schools for approximately 6 years or more and is still classified as an English Learner.

Primary Language Support:  This refers to support the student receives from a teacher or from a paraprofessional who utilizes the first language of the student to facilitate learning in English.  This support may include bilingual dictionaries, glossaries, texts, and other relevant materials written in the student's first language.

Reclassification/Redesignation:  This refers to the process by which an English Learner meets a number of criteria required to be considered proficient in English and no longer in need of additional support classes.

RFEP: Reclassified Fluent English Proficient—This student was initially an English Learner, but has met the criteria for reclassification and is no longer in need of an additional support class. The student’s progress is monitored for four years after reclassification in order to ensure academic success.  Interventions may be in order for those students who are not performing well academically.

SDAIE:  Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English—This is the name of a common set of strategies teachers utilize when working with English Learners in content area classes.  When used in a course title, it indicates that the subject matter of the class is taught at grade level using these strategies.  Students in SDAIE classes are mixed heterogeneously with English Only students.  However, if there are a number of EL students who need the course, they should be grouped together.  This facilitates ease of instruction for both the teacher and the student.  

Sheltered: This term is used to refer to content area classes which are solely made up of EL students usually in ELD Levels 1- low 3.