Identification & Placement

Civil Rights Obligations and Guidance

• Guidance for school districts to ensure equal access for all children to public schools, regardless of immigration status
• Guidance for schools' civil rights obligations to English learner students and parents
• A fact sheet for families and school staff on the limitations on DHS Immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations 

Procedures for the Identification and Assessment of ELs

Proper identification of English Learners (EL) helps ensure that the district’s English language acquisition program is best designed to meet the needs of its students. To develop comprehensive English language acquisition and academic programs for English Learners, schools and districts must first have accurate knowledge regarding the size and characteristics of the population to be served. As of July 1, 2018, the W-APT for grades 1-12 will no longer be available for Colorado schools and districts to use in the English Learner Identification process. Please note, kindergarten and first semester, first-grade students will still be assessed with the W-APT.

• Interim English Learner Identification Procedures: Remote Learning During COVID-19 
• Identification of English Learners: Requirement & Process 2019 (PDF)
• W-APT (kindergarten & first grade, first semester) and WIDA Screener (grades 1 -12) Cut Point Guidance (PDF)

ACCESS 2.0 cut points to guide districts in making NEP, LEP, and FEP determinations for state reporting have been established and can be found below.

Identification Resources

• Home Language Surveys Samples, OELA Toolkit, Chapter 1
• Parent Notification Letter Samples, OELA Toolkit, Chapter 7

Assessment of English Language Proficiency (confirmation of the HLS) through the use of the W-APT

• 2020 English Language Development Guidebook
• For more information, please vist the Assessment Unit website
• W-APT Non Disclosure Agreement
• WIDA Non Disclosure and User Agreement