English Language Learners & Migrant Education
English Language Learners
English Learner and Immigrant Students
English learners (ELs) are those students whose primary language is a language other than English. ELs enter Kentucky schools with a variety of language backgrounds, educational experiences, and levels of English proficiency.
Immigrant students are those students who were not born in any U.S. state and have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more U.S. states for more than 3 full academic years. An immigrant student may or may not be an EL student. Whether or not an immigrant student is an EL, activities should be provided to enhance instructional opportunities for them to be successful in classrooms in the United States, as required by ESSA. See the Immigrant ESSA Regulations document for more information.
English Language Proficiency Standards
ESSA 1111(b)(1)(F) requires each state adopt English language proficiency (ELP) standards. Kentucky uses the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards to meet this requirement. These standards, updated in 2012, represent the social, instructional, and academic language students use in school. The WIDA ELD Standards will act as a companion document to the Kentucky Academic Standards in guiding instruction for Kentucky's EL students.
Kentucky Title III Program
The Kentucky Title III Program provides support to districts as they work with their ELs and immigrant students to:
- Choose an educational approach;
- Identify and assess the students;
- Provide an evidence-based program of services;
- Provide staffing and resources;
- Implement state criteria for transitioning students from services; and
- Maintain accurate data and reporting in order to:
- Monitor transitioned students
- Periodically evaluate and revise their program
- Receive funding allocations.
Migrant Education
Migrant Education is a federal entitlement program designed to provide supplementary education and human resources services to highly mobile children up to and through age 21.
Eligibility for the program is determined by the lifestyle of the parents/guardian (i.e. moving across school district, county, or state boundaries for the purpose of seeking or obtaining temporary or seasonal work in agriculture or commercial fishing activities). Children must move with the parent/guardian or join the parent/guardian within 12 months of a qualifying move. Children who are determined to be eligible may remain eligible for up to 36 months without another qualifying move.
The mission of the migrant program is to provide educational and human resource service opportunities that strengthen and enhance the development of the migrant child and the migrant family. The migrant program focuses primarily on the educational needs of the migrant child and attempts to alleviate barriers to successful educational achievement.