Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Transfer Multilingual Learners
Some multilingual learners enter a NJ school from another LEA in the State of New Jersey. Others, may enter a NJ school district from another State or another country. Some multilingual learners may enter and exit an NJ LEA multiple times during a single year or over a number of years.
Every LEA must follow NJ’s multi-step identification process and document each step as part of the student’s record.
For a student who transfers from another LEA and is a current multilingual learner:
Step 1: Complete the home language survey.
Step 2: Complete the Records Review. The Records Review denotes current ACCESS or ELP assessment scores for identification within one school year and transfer records identify the student as a multilingual learner.
Step 3: The current ACCESS or ELP assessment for identification score is documented for this step; no additional testing is required. The student continues services.
An LEA must have a clear procedure or policy as to whether all new entrants, regardless of transfer scenario, will be administered an ELP assessment for identification or previous WIDA scores within the one school year timeframe will be accepted. This policy shall be consistently implemented.
Click the link, WIDA Consortium, to determine which states are WIDA.
Follow the procedures above for transfer students from another NJ LEA.
Students who transfer from a non-WIDA state must be administered an approved ELP assessment for identification for all students Kindergarten to 12th grade who are found eligible through Step 1 and Step 2 (See Identification of Multilingual Learners).
The parent notification requirement of 30 and 14 calendar day timelines are still in effect for all transfer students.
LEAs can facilitate the student transfer process both to assist the family and the receiving school. LEAs shall transmit within 10 business days any official records, including transcripts, of students who transfer to other school districts (N.J.A.C. 6A:8-4.2(b)).
- Train front office staff on ACCESS, Alternate ACCESS and other terms related to the education of multilingual learners. At times front office staff may receive a call from another district asking for ACCESS scores for a transfer student so it would be helpful for all staff to be familiar with the terminology.
- Create a checklist of key documents that should be a part of a multilingual learner’s transfer file. This file may include, but is not limited to: contact information for the sending school, including the child study team and bilingual/ESL office, as applicable; attendance and absenteeism records; promotion and retention record, DRA scores (and other formative performance and assessment measures); ACCESS scores (Individual student report, composite and domain specific scores, for all school years administered); transcripts or academic records (courses taken, course descriptions, credits earned – be certain to indicate if an ESL course is counting toward ELA graduation credits); teacher comments and observations, if available.
- Include the IEP/504 plan504 Plan/IEP as part of the transfer file (NJ.A.C. 6A:14-4.1(g)), if applicable.
- Facilitate a successful transition for students by working with parents to obtain LEA permission for release of records to the new LEA.
- Be available to speak with a staff member from the receiving LEA. Know what information to share with the receiving LEA about the student’s academic and English language proficiency abilities.
Q. It is March 25. I received a transfer student from New York. We are in the middle of ACCESS testing. His records indicate the student is a multilingual learner. Do I still have to administer an ELP assessment for identification?
A. Yes. New York is a non-WIDA state. While the Records Review clearly identifies this student as a multilingual learner, the LEA must administer a NJ Department-approved ELP assessment. If the student scores below a 4.5, then the student is identified for placement in a LIEP. The student will also have to take the ACCESS if they entered the school two weeks or more prior to the test window closing. If the student scores a 4.5 or higher, the student is not identified in NJ as a multilingual learner. This student may still need language supports and instructional adaptations such as sheltered instruction and differentiation.
Q. A student is enrolling in a NJ LEA from Florida in October. The parent shared the student was a multilingual learner in their previous school in Florida. The LEA has received the transfer file records and the student’s previous school year ACCESS scores. Do I have to administer an ELP assessment for identification?
A. The LEA may accept the WIDA scores from Florida because Florida is a WIDA state, and the scores are within one school year. However, the LEA must have a clear policy as to whether all new entrants, regardless of transfer scenario, will be administered an ELP assessment for identification or whether it will accept previous WIDA scores within the one school year timeframe.