Davis Joint Unified School District

Reclassification is the process used to determine if a student has acquired sufficient English language fluency to perform successfully in academic subjects without ELD support.

State and federal law require that local educational agencies administer a state test of English language proficiency (ELP) to eligible students in kindergarten through grade twelve. As of February 1, 2018 the California Department of Education (CDE) has transitioned from the CELDT to the ELPAC as the state ELP assessment. The ELPAC is aligned with the 2012 California English Language Development Standards. It is comprised of two separate ELP assessments: one for the initial identification of students as English learners (ELs), and a second for the annual summative assessment to measure a student’s progress in learning English and to identify the student's level of ELP. Visit the California Department of Education ELPAC page for more information.

The California English Learner Roadmap was passed by the State Board of Education on July 12, 2017. This Roadmap is intended to assist the California Department of Education in guiding school districts in order to welcome, understand, and educate the diverse population of English Learner students who attend California public schools.

This Roadmap allows students to participate in a twenty-first century education from early childhood through twelfth grade. This allows English learners to attain high levels of English proficiency, master grade level standards, and create opportunities in developing proficiency in multiple languages.

California English Learner Roadmap 

Key Terms:

• Interpretation: The transmission of a message from one language into another using spoken or sign language without adding, deleting, or changing the content of the message.
  
  • Consecutive Interpretation: Interpretation in which one person speaks and then pauses while an interpreter repeats what has been said in the other language. Requires advanced linguistic proficiency, strong short term memory, and note-taking skills. No equipment is required. It may take longer than simultaneous.
    
  • Simultaneous Interpretation: An interpreter repeats what is said in another language a few seconds after the speaker. Requires advanced linguistic proficiency and specialized listening-speaking simultaneity skills. Usually, interpreting equipment is used. It takes less time than consecutive interpretation.
    
  • Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI): Interpretation over the phone in which one person speaks and then pauses while an interpreter repeats what has been said in the other language. Requires advanced linguistic proficiency, strong short term memory, and note-taking skills. The interpreter or teacher/counselor/admin needs to have a phone capable of handling 3 way calls. A speakerphone, if used, must be in the individual’s immediate proximity.
    
  • Virtual Remote Interpretation (VRI) - Zoom or equivalent platform: Remote interpretation where a virtual platform is used for the meeting. Interpretation may be simultaneous, using the Zoom interpreter feature or a second device to communicate with the parent; or consecutive.
    
• Sight Translation: Reading a written document aloud in a different language.
  
• Translation: The conversion of written text from one language into another.

Guidelines for Scheduling Interpreters:

• Submit Interpreter Request Form - Please submit your request at least 5 business days before needed. Requests submitted after 4:00 p.m. will be reviewed the following business day.
  
• Provide pertinent information and documents (e.g. IEP old and new goals, speech therapist evaluations, psychologist’s evaluation) to interpreters 3 days in advance, especially any documents that will need to be sight translated.
  
• Any assignment longer than one hour requires two interpreters.
  
• Avoid dual roles for interpreters. Interpreters should not be asked to facilitate, or take notes during a meeting.
  

Overview of the Interpreting Process:

• Pre-Session: Interpreters should always provide a brief overview of the interpreting process in both languages to all parties before the meeting begins.
  
• Interpreters relay messages between languages using the 1st person. When interpreters speak for themselves, they use the 3rd person to avoid confusion, e.g. “May the interpreter inquire?”
  
• The interpreter’s code of ethics include competency, confidentiality, accuracy, and impartiality. Interpreters must report any conflict of interest or other barriers to impartiality.
  
• The interpreter’s code of ethics requires them to interpret all communication thoroughly and accurately to the best of their ability, including offensive comments, obscenities, and side conversations that are audible to the interpreter.
  

Guidelines for Participants in Interpreted Meetings:

• Speak loudly and clearly at a moderate pace.
  
• One person speaks at a time. Overlapping speech leads to missed information.
  
• During consecutive interpretation, take pauses after every few sentences to allow the interpreter to thoroughly relay your message into the other language. Your patience is appreciated.
  
• Look toward and speak directly to the other party, not to the interpreter.
  
• Observe interpreter signals and requests to pause, slow down, repeat, etc.
  
• Avoid side conversations. They are distracting, and may lead to missed information. *Adapted by the DJUSD Interpreter Network from material by the Just Communities’ Language Justice Network. Rev. 6/2019

Key Terms:

• Translation: The conversion of written text from one language into another.
  
• Sight Translation: Reading a written document aloud in a different language.
  
• Interpretation: The transmission of a message from one language into another using spoken or sign language.
  

Guidelines for Requesting Translation of Documents:

• Submit Translation Request Form at least 5 business days before you need the document(s).
  
• Requests submitted after hours will be reviewed the following business day.
  
• Send a Word or Google doc (not a PDF) to [email protected] and [email protected].
  
• If you must send an email or document translated using Google Translate or similar software, please make sure that a translator proofreads it before sending it to the recipient.
  

Overview of the Translation Process:

• Staff translators receive the request and document from the Translator Coordinator.
  
• Urgent emails and documents less than ½ page may be translated the day requested.
  
• Translations in general require more space than English. Consider this when designing a format for the documents.
  
• Please consider that complex formatted documents or flyers generally take more time to translate than plain text.
  
• All translated documents will be proofread by one of the Translator Coordinators after the initial translation.