CALPADS Update Flash #192

To:           Local Educational Agency (LEA) Representatives

From:      California Department of Education (CDE) –
                California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Team

Date:       October 26, 2020

Subject:  CALPADS Update FLASH #192

2020–21 Changes to English Learner Count

Background

Local educational agencies (LEAs) must assess all new students to a California public school, who have indicated a language other than English on the first three questions of the Home Language Survey, with the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). In light of the challenges of assessing students due to the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the requirement that LEAs conduct this assessment within 30 calendar days of a student’s first enrollment was extended by an additional 45 days, by Senate Bill 820 (Chapter 110, Statutes of 2020), providing LEAs a total of 75 calendar days from a student’s first enrollment to assess the student. If LEAs are not able to meet the 75-day requirement, LEAs should still endeavor to assess the student as soon as possible.

To initiate the assessment process, LEAs must update CALPADS with an English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS) of “To-be-Determined” (TBD), and a Primary Language Code other than English or American Sign Language. During this time, as students wait to be assessed with the Initial ELPAC, LEAs should provide these students English language development (ELD) services and notify parents of the temporary designation and services being provided until the Initial ELPAC can be administered and students’ official ELAS determined.

Change to English Learner Count for Local Control Funding Formula – Date Extended to December 31, 2020

At the October 13, 2020 CALPADS Information Meeting (CIM), and in Flashes 189 and 191, it was announced that any student enrolled on Census Day who has for the first time, an English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS) of English Learner (EL) on Census Day through November 13, 2020, would count as an EL in the Unduplicated Pupil Count (UPC) used to determine supplemental and concentration grant funding under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The revised date by which students must first be identified as EL is December 31, 2020. (ELAS of EL with a Start Date on or before 12/31/2020.) This revised date provides LEAs the time to assess students with the Initial ELPAC during this time of COVID-19, particularly those students who first enrolled on Census Day.

Moving the date from November 13, 2020 to December 31, 2020 will become effective in CALPADS on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. No specific updates to CALPADS are required of LEAs. This is because students’ ELAS of EL are determined upon completion of the Initial ELPAC, and are uploaded directly to CALPADS from the assessment contractor. Students completing all four domains of the Initial ELPAC on or before December 31, 2020 will generate an ELAS record with a status of either EL or Initial Fluent English Proficient (IFEP) and an ELAS Start Date representing the date testing was completed. CALPADS will automatically include, on Certification Report 1.17 – FRPM/English Learner/Foster Youth – Count, students who are enrolled on Census Day and who are identified for the first time as EL through December 31, 2020. LEAs are reminded that students’ ELAS of Adult English Learner (ADEL) are not determined by the Initial ELPAC. If these students do not already have an ELAS in CALPADS, LEAs should submit these records by December 31, 2020 in order to be included in Report 1.17.

LEAs should still approve their Fall 1 submission by the December 18, 2020 certification deadline in order for those data to be used for the First Principal Apportionment (P-1) calculations. During the amendment window (December 19, 2020 – January 29, 2021), if an LEA’s UPC on Report 1.17 increases due to additional students being identified as EL or Free or Reduced-Price Meal Eligible (through an Alternative Household Income Form or Direct Certification), LEAs should de-certify and re-certify the updated data by the close of the amendment window, January 29, 2021. The CDE will use these certified data for Second Principal Apportionment (P-2) calculations.

(Note: No changes have been made to the rules regarding how students who are reclassified to Re-designated Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) are included in the UPC. Students will be included if their ELAS was EL on or before Census Day. Students with an ELAS of RFEP after Census Day will not be included in the UPC.)

Change to English Learner Count for Federal Reporting

For the 2020–21 school year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is allowing states to report students with an ELAS of either EL or TBD as English Learners. Accordingly, for federal reporting purposes only, the CDE will report as an English Learner, all students who were enrolled on Census Day and who have an ELAS of EL or TBD on Census Day. LEAs certify these counts on Certification Report 2.8 – English Language Acquisition Status – Count by Primary Language. This report is not being adjusted; rather, the CDE will simply include both the EL and TBD students in the English Learner count that is reported to ED. LEAs are reminded that the EL count on Report 2.8 and on Report 1.1 Enrollment – Primary Status by Subgroup will not match the EL count on Report 1.17 – FRPM/English Learner/Foster Youth – Count because Report 1.17 includes students who were first identified as EL through December 31, 2020.

New Education Program Code added for English Learners who Opt Out of a Language Instruction Program

All EL students are required to be in a Language Instruction Program (LIP) that provides English language development instruction. In Fall 1, EL students who do not have a LIP program record will trigger fatal Certification Validation Rule (CVR) CERT146 – Language Instruction Program record missing for English Learner. Subsequent to implementing this CVR as a fatal error, the CDE learned that some students have been opted out of participating in a LIP by their parents. Accordingly, beginning November 17, 2020, the following Education Program code will be available in CALPADS, for EL students who are not in a LIP because their parents have opted them out of a program:

• Education Program Code 307 – LIP – Parent Opted Out of EL Program. This code is defined as “The local educational agency (LEA) is not providing any instructional services designed for English learners because the parent of this English learner has opted this student out of EL services. The LEA maintains a record of the action to demonstrate the parents have chosen to opt out of such services.”

LEAs are reminded that they are still obligated to provide the students reported under this code, instruction to overcome language barriers and meet academic achievement goals to comply with state and federal requirements.

2020–21 National School Lunch Program Application Requirements

Due to COVID-19, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued nationwide waivers to allow for the operation of the summer meal programs through December 31, 2020.This waiver has now been extended to June 30, 2021. Since National School Lunch Program (NSLP) applications are not required for the summer meal program, LEAs should not collect NSLP applications in 2020–21.

On October 14, 2020, the USDA released Policy Memorandum SP 01-2021 which stated that carryover eligibility is paused during summer meal program operations. While carryover eligibility has been paused for the purposes of the School Nutrition Programs, students may not be coded as FRPM eligible based upon the carryover window for LCFF purposes.

LEAs are reminded, however, that in order to be included in the Unduplicated Pupil Count (UPC) that determines supplemental and concentration grant funding under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), a student must be enrolled on Census Day, and have one of the following:

• An education program record of 181 – Free Meal Program, or 182 – Reduced-Price Meal Program with an Education Program Membership Start Date any time between July 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020.
• An English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS) of English Learner (EL) or Adult English Learner (ADEL) with an ELAS Start Date on or before December 31, 2020.
• A 2020–21 CALPADS direct certification match in the July, August, September, October, November, December 2020, or January 2021 direct certification match.
• Identified as a Foster Youth on Census Day, through the statewide match conducted with the California Department of Social Services, on Census Day.
• One of the following Education Program records that is open on Census Day:
  • 135 – Migrant
  • 191 – Homeless
  • 193 – Tribal Foster Youth

Generally, LEAs submit a program record of 181 – Free Meal Program, or 182 – Reduced-Price Meal Program based on an approved NSLP application or Alternative Household Income Form. However, since LEAs cannot collect NSLP applications in 2020–21, they must collect Alternative Household Income Forms. LEAs are reminded that such forms are only needed for students who would not otherwise be identified as a student that qualifies to be counted in the UPC.

Note: The impact that the waiver extension through June 30, 2021 has on schools establishing a base year under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 has not yet been determined by the USDA.