The Board of Education is committed to identifying and assessing the educational needs of students whose native or home language is other than English. Once identified, the District will provide appropriate programs to address the needs of these students. Students entitled to considerations under this policy include:

1. Language Minority (LM) – Students who come from a background where English is not the student’s first language, or where the primary language of the home is not English, or both.
2. Limited English Proficient (LEP) – Students whose English language skills are insufficient to lead to success in an English-only classroom.

The District will also take steps to ensure to the maximum extent practicable that the interests of ELL students are included in the development and implementation of District programs and services that are offered by the District to and for its student body.

Assessment test scores for students for whom English is a second language shall not be counted until the student has been educated for three full school years in a school in Missouri, or in any other state in which English is the primary language.

To ensure that parents/guardians are properly notified of the ELL program, all new and enrolling students are to be given the Student Home Language Survey (Form 6180). The form shall be completed and returned to the school by the parents/guardians if they feel their child may be in need of such services.