FLDOE ELL Data Training Video
Focus ELL Data Training Video
Overview
English Language Learners (ELL) are students whose home language is not English and who is not currently able to perform ordinary classroom work in English. All of the data related to ELL services must be entered into Focus in the designated fields for local and state reporting. ELL student data is sent in Surveys 2, 3, and 5.
In this document, we will explain the English Language Learner data fields within Focus and state reporting tools that should be used to validate your data.
ELL Student Fields
THE FIELD SET UP IN YOUR DISTRICT MAY APPEAR DIFFERENT THAN THE FIELD DISPLAYED IN THIS DOCUMENT, FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR FIELD SET UP CONTACT YOUR MIS STAFF.
Each district has its data sorted into student categories. These categories make locating data elements easy. To locate the categories open a student record and make sure you are displaying their demographic menu. Then you will see a list of categories on the left.
You are required to report a DEUSS (Date Entered United States School) for ELL students. This field is located either on the Fed State screen or the ELL and Migrant screens. Schools should do their best to collect this information from the parents. Alternatively, if the student started in your district in PK or KG then it would be the date they first started in your district. If the student is KG-12 and their student enrollment record indicates they came from another county, any of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, excluding U.S. territories and possessions, then you can try and contact the school they came from or if you have already collected enrollment information from the prior school use that start date. If only the month and year is known, use the last day of the month in the ‘Day’ field.
Most districts have the languages listed on the General screen:
- Student Language - The code which identifies the native language spoken by the students. This is the language Focus will use if your district has set up multi-lingual report cards or transcripts.
- Primary Home Language - The primary home language of the parent or guardian of the student. Record the code representing the predominant language spoken in the home. Required for all students.
- Native Parent Language - The native language spoken by the parents. Required for all students.
Each district has its ELL data fields grouped under a category called ELL or English Language Learners. To access the student's ELL fields click on the ELL category. This screen can be arranged in any order to fit the needs of your district.
Many of the fields you see displayed on this page are required state reporting fields, see below for the field definitions on the state reported fields. Note your district may track additional ELL data locally that is not listed here, in the example provided the district has local fields labeled LEP Review Date and monitoring dates.
- Home Language Survey - The date that indicates completion of the Home Language Survey. This is usually included in the enrollment form. Required for all students.
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English Language Learner – Status code of the student who has been identified as an English Language Learner (ELL) student:
- LY—The student is an English Language Learner and is enrolled in classes specifically designed for English Language Learners.
- LF—The student is being followed up for a two-year period after having exited from the ESOL program.
- LA—The student has completed the two-year follow-up period after exiting the ESOL program (code LF) and is reported in this category for the next two years (years 3-4 after exiting) for the purpose of student subgroup reporting per the state ESSA plan.
- LP—The student is in grades 3-12, tested fully English proficient on an Aural/Oral Test and is an English Language Learner pending the Reading and Writing assessment, or the student is in grades K-12, answered “yes” on the Home Language Survey question “Is a language other than English spoken in the Home?” and is pending aural/oral assessment.
- LZ—The student is one who has been exited from the ESOL program for more than four years.
- ZZ—Not applicable (Students who responded in the negative to all three required Home Language Survey questions, that is, Non-ELLs, or who answered yes to one or more questions on the Home Language Survey but after assessment were not eligible for ESOL services).
- Tier Placement- The tier placement for a student classified as limited English proficient and enrolled in a program or receiving services for ELL students (LY) for purposes of the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 assessment. Required for ELL students.
- Basis of Entry- The basis of entry into the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- ELL Program Participant- The program in which the English Language Learner is enrolled and is receiving services. Required for ELL students.
- ELL Fund Source –Use this field to indicate when the supplemental services provided to the student are supported, at least in part, by Title III, Part A, and Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students, No Child Left Behind, funds.
- Extension of Instruction- Indicates that an English Language Learner student is receiving services beyond the base three years of eligible ESOL FTE funding.
Dates
- ELL Entry Date- The initial date a student entered an ESOL program. Required for ELL students.
- Classification Date- The initial date a student who responded “Yes” to the Home Language Survey is determined eligible or not eligible based on an assessment of an ESOL program.
- Plan Date- The most recent date the English Language Learner Student Plan was developed or reviewed. Required for ELL students.
- Reevaluation Date- The most recent date the English Language Learner student was reevaluated in order to determine whether the student should continue in or exit the program.
Assessments
- DOE Test Accommodations Field (ID 829) – this is used for Fed State format reporting and for ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 pre-id. Note: this field may have a different name such as Test Accommodations in your district and may appear on the ESE tab.
- Alt Assess Grad Pathway for ESOL If the field is NOT null and if the student's entry date into ESOL is less than two years from when process assessments are run, then when running process assessments, it will set the met flag for FSA ELA to Y and use the date process assessments is run.
Exit
- Exit Date- The initial date a student exits an ESOL program. Required for students who leave the program.
- Basis of Exit- The basis of exit out of the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. Report one or two English Language Learners: Basis of Exit codes. Codes B-G require two codes. Required for students who leave the program.
- Reclassification Date- The initial date a former English Language Learner student is reclassified as an English Language Learner. This is only required when a student is reclassified.
- Reclassification Exit Date-The date a reclassified English Language Learner student exits the ESOL program. Required for reclassified students who leave the program.
Scheduling ELL Students
Students who are receiving ESOL instruction by appropriately qualified staff who use ESOL and/or heritage language strategies should have their schedules marked as FEFP 130 code. Make sure the course is listed in Appendix DD on the FLDOE database handbook which lists the eligible courses for ESOL instruction.
ESOL instruction shall be provided through courses listed in the current Course Code Directory English through ESOL, and basic subject areas of math, science, social studies, and computer literacy. If the FEFP Program Number is 130, then the ELL, PK-12 code must be “LY” or “LP.” Note: “LY” or “LP” students in grade PK cannot receive FEFP Program Number 130 funding.
Generally, students reported for funding in Programs 111, 112, 113, 254, or 255 should have their entire schedule reported under these program numbers, even if they are participating in ESOL or Career Education courses. There may be exceptions, including some hospital/homebound and dual enrollment students. Refer to the appropriate sections of this FTE General Instructions for more information.
Students may be reported for ESOL weighted FTE funding for a base period of three years. Funding may be extended for a 4th, 5th or 6th year, based on annual evaluations from Entry Date. Lack of funding does not relieve the district of the obligation to provide services beyond the six years.
On the student’s schedule locate the FEFP number field. Use the pull-down menu to select FEFP code 130 for applicable classes.
Also, on the schedule, indicate the ELL Instructional Model used to provide English Language Learners comprehensible instruction. This code should only be entered on core classes such as English/ Lang Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Computer Instruction. In most cases, Lang Arts, Reading, and English classes should have an ELL Instructional Model of "I" and Science, Social Studies, Math, and Computers will have an ELL Instructional Model of "C".
Click Save after making changes.
On the course section setup, use the ESSA Title III checkbox to indicate if a teacher’s position or the program a teacher is teaching in is funded under Title III of the Every Student Succeed Act (ESSA).
ELL Test History
Overview
Students receiving ELL Services are tested and this test information must be reported to DOE in each of the survey periods.
The initial entry test information is required for LY students:
- Grades KG-02 – must report the aural/oral test scores that determined the student is eligible and in need of services. These are reported in Listening and Speaking. No Reading and Writing scores are applicable for entry.
- Grades 03-12 – must report aural/oral test scores for Listening and Speaking. Also, must report Reading and Writing test scores for students who tested proficient in aural/oral skills based on assessment.
For students who have a reclassification date and an English Language Learners: Basis of Entry code of “L”, test scores are optional.
For LF students, must report the appropriate exit test information.
ELL Tests
Refer to the appropriate year's DOE’s Database Handbook Appendix L, Test Subject Content Codes. You will see the test name (1) and test part (2) columns and then as highlighted to the right of these columns you will find what subject the test part covers, Listening, Speaking, Reading or Writing.
Entering a Test
In the student's test history screen, you will see where you can view and edit the test history for a student. Below is an example ELL test entry for a student:
To add a new row you would first enter the test information at the bottom of the page, the following fields are required for the test to be sent during survey reporting:
- Test: The test that was taken, see ELL Test section above.
- Administration Date: The date the test was taken
- School Year: The school year the test was administered.
- Grade level: The student's grade level at the time the test was taken.
- Form: This code indicates the specific form of the test which was administered.
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LEP Info: How was the test used?
- LY Students – Only tests flagged as 1-Entry are reported to DOE.
- LF Students – Only tests flagged as 2-Exit, 6-Annual Progress Exit, 7-Annual Progress Reclass Ex are reported to DOE.
- LP Students – Only Tests flagged as 1-Entry, 4-Reclassification Exit are reported to DOE.
- Test Level - indicating the difficulty level of the test, sometimes corresponding to the grade level of the student.
Once you click Save you will be able to use the Arrow button to expand the test and add test parts and scores to it. You will need to click Save between each part you add. The following is required for each part:
- Test Part - The test that was taken, see ELL Test section above for more information on how to determine which tests are pulled by Focus for reporting to DOE for Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
- Score Types – Focus will pull the following short names for reporting to DOE, these codes follow the name of the score type in parenthesis: RS, SS, PL, NP, ZZ, AL
- Score - The numeric score the student earned on the test.
ELL Plan Reviews
According to FAC 6A-6.09022 Extension of Services in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program:
Three (3) years after the date of an English Language Learner’s (ELL’s) initial enrollment in a school in the United States, an ELL Committee shall be convened annually to re-evaluate the student’s progress towards English language proficiency. The ELL Committee shall be convened no earlier than thirty (30) school days prior to the third anniversary of the student’s initial enrollment date in a school in the United States, and no later than the anniversary date, unless the student’s anniversary date falls within the first two (2) weeks of any school year. Then, the ELL committee may convene no later than October 1. This process shall be completed annually thereafter.
It isn't common for a transfer student to be in school for 7 years before being enrolled in the district's ELL program. The FAC looks at the Date Entered US School rather than the ELL Entry Date under the assumption that the student was likely receiving ESOL services from any US School they were enrolled in previously, and that is what should be used to determine if a re-eval is due.
Optional Portal Alerts
Data Validation
ELL data is reported in survey 2, 3, and 5. Focus includes data validation tools for ELL students to help you identify errors in your data.
Survey Accuracy Reports
The Survey Accuracy report is a built-in tool to allow users to verify the data entered into Focus for each program. Should any student be found missing or incorrect on the report, first attempt to verify all the data has been entered according to the instructions in the document, and if no errors are found contact your district MIS contact to help you troubleshoot the issue.
To access this report, navigate to Florida Reports Menu> Survey Accuracy Report.
Use the pull-down menu on the top left side of the screen to indicate the Survey you are working in. If you have access to multiple schools, you can view all records at all schools by checking the all schools box at the top of the screen.
ELL Students
Select ELL Students from options on the left. Focus will display all of the students in the currently selected school receiving ESOL services.
ELL Students Missing 130 FEFP
Select ELL Students Missing 130 FEFP from options on the left. Focus will display all of the students in the currently selected school who are marked as ELL but do not have a 130 FEFP on their schedule.
DOE Data Verification Reports
Focus provides DOE Data Verification reports that include all of the state edit, validation and exception reports that you can check against your data in real-time. To access these reports, navigate to Florida Reports > DOE Data Verification Reports. These reports must be checked and errors correct prior to each survey period as ELL data is updated frequently.
Clicking on the number of errors next to the error code will give you detailed information on the error and which students are in error so you can quickly open the student's record and make corrections. If you are not sure how to correct a particular error contact your district MIS contact to help you troubleshoot the issue.