Where to place English learners
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 18, 2005

Betty Reid

Arizona has roughly 175,000 students who are dubbed ELL children.

Many speak a language other than English and a large population attends Valley urban schools where education programs are designed to help them learn.

ELL students are identified when parents register them at schools. The first detection is usually derived from a question about the language the child speaks at home.

If parents identify a language other than English, then educators know which children should take a placement test.

Educators use the state-selected Harcourt's Stanford English Language Proficiency to test students and decide if a student qualifies and is eligible to be placed in a structured English-immersion program, mainstream classroom or bilingual education program, which requires a signed waiver from a parent. The SELP test measures writing, listening, speaking, writing convention and reading.

Parents also have a right to remove their children from ELL programs.