Section 52164.1 Of Article 3. Bilingual-bicultural Education Act Of 1976 From California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 28. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 3.
52164.1
. The superintendent, with the approval of the State Board
of Education, shall prescribe census-taking methods, applicable to
all school districts in the state, which shall include, but need not
be limited to, the following:
(a) A determination of the primary language of each pupil enrolled
in the school district. The primary language of new pupils shall be
determined as they enroll. Once determined, the primary language need
not be redetermined unless the parent or guardian claims there is an
error. Home language determinations are required only once, unless
the results are disputed by a parent or guardian.
(b) An assessment of the language skills of all pupils whose
primary language is other than English. All the skills listed in
subdivision (m) of Section 52163 shall be assessed, except that
reading and writing skills need not be assessed for pupils in
kindergarten and grades 1 and 2. For those pupils who, on the basis
of oral language proficiency alone, are clearly limited English
proficient, assessment of reading and writing skills shall be
necessary only to the extent required by subdivision (c). This
assessment, which shall be made as pupils enroll in the district,
shall determine whether such pupils are fluent in English or are of
limited English proficiency.
(c) For those pupils identified as being of limited English
proficiency, a further assessment shall be made to determine the
pupil's primary language proficiency, including speaking,
comprehension, reading, and writing, to the extent assessment
instruments are available. Parallel forms of the instruments used to
determine English proficiency shall be used, if available. The
results of the parallel assessment shall determine the extent and
sequence in which English and the primary language will be used in
the instruction of basic skills.
A diagnostic assessment in the language designated for basic
skills instruction measuring speaking, comprehension, reading, and
writing, shall be administered for instructional use at the district
level. Such diagnostic assessment shall be updated as necessary to
provide a curriculum meeting the individual needs of each pupil of
limited English proficiency.
If the assessment conducted pursuant to this subdivision indicates
that the pupil has no proficiency in the primary language, further
assessment of the pupil's primary language skills including
consultation with the pupil's parents or guardians, the classroom
teacher, the pupil, or others who are familiar with the pupil's
language ability in various environments shall be conducted. If this
detailed assessment indicates that the pupil has no proficiency in
his or her primary language, then the pupil is not entitled to the
protection of this article.
The diagnostic assessment process shall be completed within 90
days after the date of the pupil's initial enrollment and shall be
performed in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the
board.
The parent or guardian of the pupil shall be notified of the
results of the assessment. The Department of Education shall conduct
an equivalency study of all language proficiency tests designated for
the identification of pupils of limited English proficiency to
insure uniformity of language classifications and to insure the
reliability and validity of such tests. Tests, materials, and
procedures to determine proficiency shall be selected to meet
psychometric standards and administered so as not to be racially,
culturally, or sexually discriminatory.
The Department of Education shall annually evaluate the adequacy
of and designate the instruments to be used by school districts, and
such instruments shall be available by March 15 of each year.
The assessments shall be conducted by persons who speak and
understand English and the primary language of the pupils assessed,
who are adequately trained and prepared to evaluate cultural and
ethnic factors, and who shall follow procedures formulated by the
superintendent to determine which pupils are pupils of limited
English proficiency, as defined in subdivision (m) of Section 52163.
A school district may require that the assessment be conducted by
persons who hold a valid, regular California teaching credential and
who meet the other qualifications specified in this paragraph. The
superintendent may waive the requirement that the assessment be
conducted by persons who can speak and understand the pupil's primary
language where the primary language is spoken by a small number of
pupils and the district certifies that it is unable to comply. This
certification shall be accompanied by a statement from the district
superintendent that the chairperson of the district advisory
committee on bilingual education has been consulted and was unable to
assist in the effort to locate appropriate individuals to administer
the assessment.
Any district may elect to follow federal census requirements
provided that the language skills described in subdivision (m) of
Section 52163 are assessed, and provided that such procedures are
consistent with Section 52164, the district shall be exempt from the
state census procedures described in subdivisions (a) and (b).