Jefferson Joint School District #251 follows the State of Idaho EL Identification and Screening process as detailed in the Idaho SDE English Learner Manual, pages 25-45. See SDE Manual online at: 

https://www.sde.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/English-Learner-Manual.pdf

This section of the SDE English Learner Manual includes specific information as follows: 

• English Learner Defined
• Home Language Survey (Includes identification of Native American students and identification of Immigrant students’ information)
• Using ELMs to determine eligibility
• Screening for English Language Proficiency (Includes information about screening ELs with disabilities for English Language Proficiency, WIDA Screener for Kindergarten and WIDA Screener administration with Idaho’s Screen-Out criteria)   
• Entering Screener Scores for EL students in ELMs
• Program Placement
• Parental Notification (also Parental Waiver of EL Services information)
• Identification Post-Enrollment
• Erroneous EL Identification 
• FAQs regarding Identification and Screening
• EL Programming Flow Chart
• Decision to Assess Matrix
• Powerschool, Políticas, y Prodecimientos

Home Language Survey (HLS) 

The district is required to have registration documentation for every new student that includes, at least, the questions required by the Idaho State Department of Education (http://www.sde.idaho.gov/el-migrant/el/files/program/manual/2017-2018-Identification-and-Screening.pdf) to identify students who might be English Learners.  

Upon enrollment in a district school, parents must complete a Home Language Survey which asks the required questions through the online registration platform. Following submission, school secretaries will collect the HLS. The online registration platform will send a notification to the EL coach as well as the secretary or registrar when a new student enrolls.  

If the survey comes back indicating that a language other than English is spoken at home, the student must be tested with the Access Screener within 30 school days of registration or within 2 weeks (14 days) of entry into the school (if during the year). This is an Office for Civil Rights (OCR) regulation and is not negotiable. 

If the student scores less than proficient on the Access Screener, then an ELD Parent Notification letter must go home to the parents—in a language understandable to the parents (to the extent practicable)-indicating that their child was identified as needing specific English language development services.  

The student is then placed in a regular classroom and provided supports of “high quality language instruction, based on scientifically based research” (Section 3115(c)(1)), as determined by the district. 

The EL Instructional Coach will upload EL documents for the student, which will contain Home Language Survey, qualifying EL Notification sent to parents, continuing services letter, Annual ACCESS 2.0 scores, Access Screener results, Educational Learning Plan (ELP), parent waiver of services, monitor forms, and Exit forms which will be kept the students file in PowerSchool.