English Language Acquisition

Principal's Information Center

Principal's ELA Designations

"Teacher Resources"

English language learners exit from ELA program services when they have sufficient English skills to be successful in a mainstream English program.  At each school, a team of teachers and a school administrator makes recommendations to exit students.  These recommendations are based on an evaluation of a variety of factors including test scores, such as the Colorado English Language Assessment (CELA) and Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP), as well as district assessments, standard based report cards, individual classroom assessments and the professional judgment of a student’s teachers. 

To be eligible for exit from ELA program services, a student must be overall proficient, as defined by CELA.  Along with overall CELA proficiency, in grades K-12, a student must achieve at proficient or above on CELA Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Along with CELA proficiency, a student must be partially proficient or above in reading and writing, in English, on tests administered as part of the CSAP.  Students who are eligible for exit, as defined by CELA, and do not meet the remainder of the above criteria, may only be exited after a thorough portfolio review by the ISA Team. The portfolio review includes such documentation as informal classroom assessments, assignments, grades, progress reports, formal assessments, and attendance.  All requests to exit students are reviewed by the ELA Department before a student is exited from program services.

After students are exited from ELA program services, their progress in regular English classes is monitored for two years to ensure that they have sufficient English skills to successfully participate in mainstream English classes.