Step 1. Determination of Student’s Primary Language

Identifying Eligibility for Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC

For all students in K–12, upon first enrollment in a California public school, local educational agency (LEA) uses a standardized procedure to determine if a language other than English is present in the home.

This procedure begins with a home language survey (HLS).

A sample HLS is available on the English Learner Forms web page.

Step 1: The HLS is completed by the parent/guardian at the time the student is initially enrolled in a California public school.

  • The HLS should not be readministered every year, even if a student enrolls in a new LEA in California.

Step 2: The LEA will populate the primary language field in their student information system, which feeds into the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) (See the Interpreting the HLS section.)

Step 3: The LEA determines whether the student has an individualized education program (IEP) which identifies an alternate assessment as the most appropriate for that student. In such instances, the LEA proceeds with administering the Initial Alternate ELPAC, otherwise they administer the Initial ELPAC.

Step 4: Parents must be notified, in writing, if their child will be administered the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC immediately upon determining the results of the HLS.

Interpreting the HLS

The CDE recommends the following best practices for interpreting the sample home language survey posted on the CDE website:

  • If a language other than English is indicated on any of the first three questions, the student is to be tested with the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC.

  • If a language other than English is indicated on the fourth question, the student may be tested at the LEA’s discretion upon receipt of more information.
    • Further information may be collected in the form of a follow-up conversation with the parent/guardian regarding the student's interaction with the language other than English.
    • The LEA should take steps to ensure that the student's right to be identified as an EL student is not compromised.

Correcting the HLS

A parent/guardian may make a request to change the HLS only prior to the administration of the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC if they completed the HLS incorrectly.

If the student has been administered the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC but has not been administered the Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC, parents/guardians and district staff may request a correction of classification based on evidence collected. For more information, refer to the Correction of Classification Errors section.

Sign Languages

Assessment considerations for students who use American Sign Language (ASL), or other sign languages vary depending on the presence of another primary language.

ASL With No Other Primary Language

For purposes of ELPAC testing and EL services, ASL, in and of itself, is not considered a “language other than English,” according to the US Department of Education (ED). Students who use ASL for communication and have not been exposed to any language other than English should not be considered for ELPAC testing. For a student who uses ASL for communication because of deafness or hearing impairment, and for whom there is another language other than English indicated on the student’s HLS, the IEP team should consider:

  • ELPAC testing with appropriate universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations; or
  • alternate assessment(s).

ASL With a Primary Language Other than English

Hearing students of deaf parents who use ASL as the primary means to communicate upon entering school and who have been exposed to a language other than English by another adult, such as a grandparent or a caregiver, may be considered for ELPAC testing.

The LEA may consider ELPAC testing in addition to other appropriate language assessments to determine whether the child may benefit educationally from English language development (ELD) instruction. The LEA should base its decision to administer the ELPAC on whether the student has been exposed to a language other than English, not on the basis of whether the hearing student of deaf parents uses ASL in their home.

Other Sign Languages

Students who use other sign languages (e.g., German sign language, Mexican sign language, or French sign language) as their primary means to communicate upon entering school should be considered for ELPAC testing.