As part of initial school enrollment, all parents enrolling a child in a California public K-12 school for the first time are required by state and federal law to complete a Home Language Survey If information provided by parents on the Home Language Survey indicates a language other than English in the home or in the child’s background, the school is required by state and federal law to test the student for English language proficiency. Parents cannot waive the English language assessment, as it is both a federal and state requirement.

If a student is transferring to LUESD from another California public school, CELDT results from the previous district are valid and may eliminate the need for initial English proficiency screening a second time. Parents may provide a copy of the most recent official CELDT results at the time of enrollment to LUESD.

California English Language Development Test

As of May 2001, all California school districts are required to use the CELDT (California English Language Development Test) to determine initial English language proficiency and to monitor annual progress in acquiring the English language for returning English learners. No other test results can be substituted for the CELDT and there is no provision in the law allowing students to waive this assessment.

New students are tested within 30 days of enrolling in a California public school and returning English learners are tested annually during the fall CELDT testing window (July 1 – October 31). School districts mail completed CELDT tests to the state for official scoring by the end October. Typically, the state requires 6-8 weeks after the administration of the test to return official scores to the district. Parents receive notification of official CELDT results within 30 days of when the district receives the official scores from the state.