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NC DPI »   Districts & Schools »   Classroom Resources »   Academic Standards »   Standard Course of Study »   English Language Development »   EL Program Quality

Program Quality

*Please note: The terms on this page may alternate between "English Learner" (EL) and "Multilingual Learner" (ML). As of March 21, 2022, NCDPI shifted to using "English Learner" for policy and legislation purposes and "Multilingual Learner" for all other purposes. See this letter for more details.

Program Quality includes all aspects of Multilingual Learner (ML) education that should be considered in order to develop the school district's Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP). The ML/Title III Team provides leadership for the development, enhancement, assessment, and maintenance of standards implementation at the K-12 level with special emphasis on English language development (ELD), and coordinates professional learning opportunities for all teachers and school administrators to raise performance outcomes in all content areas for students identified as MLs. 

Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) 

According to the State Board of Education Policy 16 NCAC 06D .0106 (d) all PSUs are required to adopt a program or programs for multilingual learner students who need assistance that have a reasonable chance of allowing students to progress in school. The program may be one of the following unless some other method or process can be effectively substituted: (1) English as a second language (ESL); (2) bilingual education; (3) programs that provide neither instruction in the native language nor direct instruction in ESL but which adapt instruction to meet the needs of these students.

The most commonly reported LIEP types in the NC public schools include programs that utilize two languages for instruction and programs that utilize English for instruction. Read the description of the LIEP types in NC to learn more about these programs.

More information about some of the programs implemented in the state may be found at Dual Language/Immersion in NC and Global Education in NC.

NC ELD Standard Course of Study

On March 4, 2021, the State Board of Education unanimously approved the 2020 Edition of the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards as the NC ELD Standard Course of Study (SCOS). Implementation of the ELD standards will begin with the 2022-2023 school year.

The NC ELD SCOS serves as the framework that guides each PSU in the development of the curriculum and instruction of their MLs. These standards are not intended to be curriculum, nor do they indicate the whole of the curriculum to be written by a PSU. The ELD standards, together with cross-disciplinary academic content standards and disciplinary practices, define the language MLs need as they move toward college, career, and civic readiness. The use of the NC ELD SCOS should be complemented by a well-developed, content-rich curriculum, and practical pedagogical approaches within an equitable educational program for MLs (WIDA 2020). 

Explore the ELD Standards Resource Hub to access a variety of resources that support school leaders, administrators, educators, and parents/caregivers during the implementation of the 2020 NC ELD SCOS in the 22-23 SY.

Program Quality Highlights 

The Program Quality Highlights is a periodic publication featuring professional learning and instructional resources for teachers of MLs, educator spotlights, Title III reminders, and opportunities to build capacity for MLs. Please use the links below to access the current and past editions.

  • 2021-2022: 

    • First edition: bit.ly/ELPQHighlights1221
    • Second edition: bit.ly/PQHighlights522 
  • Archives: 2019-2020; 2020-2021

Program Quality Review (PQR)

The Program Quality Review (PQR) is for Public School Units (PSUs) that are charged with ensuring the program quality of a school and its implementation of practices that support multilingual learners (MLs). Stakeholders may use the PQR tool to reflect upon, develop, and/or improve their LIEP. Sections 2 Parent and Community Engagement, 3 Instructional Programs and Assessment, 4 Teacher Qualifications and Professional Development, 5 Program Evaluation and Continuous Improvement can assist PSUs with identifying areas of success and areas that may need to be addressed.  

MLs in Charter Schools

All school districts should have one designee to develop and establish district-wide protocols and procedures for the implementation of the Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) based on federal and state guidance, coordinate district-wide activities for professional development and family engagement, and collect and report information related to English Learners and Immigrant Children and Youth. 

All charter schools are required to follow the guidance provided to LEAs and work on their LIEP Service Chart to support students identified as multilingual learners.

All charter schools should:

  1. designate a person to work with data via PowerSchool, the authoritative source for EL data, even if there are currently no multilingual students enrolled. 
  2. update the program coordinator field in EDDIE.
  3. be aware of the NC process for identifying MLs.
  4. be aware of the annual ACCESS test of English language proficiency in case students arrive during the year; the ACCESS administration is usually late January through mid-March.
  5. complete the EL and Immigrant Headcounts.
  6. be aware of EL support documentation such as the EL Data, Collection, Reporting, and PowerSchool, Program Quality, and Program Compliance pages.

Charter schools with ML students should:

  1. utilize the NC ELD SCOS to guide instruction
  2. complete an LIEP Service Chart and submit it to ML/Title III at NCDPI via Epicenter
  3. complete an ELD Plan for each identified ML student. 
  4. follow proper W-APT/WIDA Screener and ACCESS test training procedures
  5. attend the Program Coordinator’s meeting hosted by NCDPI or review documents if unable to attend
MLs in DL/I

Multilingual Leaners (MLs) in Dual Language/Immersion (DL/I) 

Two-way Dual Language/Immersion (DL/I) programs began in North Carolina in 1995 to meet the needs of MLs. MLs in DL/I have been highlighted in several recent presentations at the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC), La Cosecha, and the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic-Latino Affairs (GACHLA). 

  • What are two-way programs? Programs teaching in two languages where the students enrolled in the DL/I program are a combination of native speakers of English and native speakers of the DL/I program language.
  • How many two-way programs in NC? There are 83 Two-Way Programs!
  • What percent of NC DL/I programs are two-way? 35% of DL/I programs in NC are two-way programs.
  • What program languages are they using? The current three program languages are: Spanish (80), Chinese (2), and Urdu (1)

If you want to learn more about the DL/I Programs in NC, please visit the DL/I webpage and explore the DL/I Webinar Series Canvas Hub.

MLs in MTSS

English Learner Considerations (ELC)

With the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), accountability for the progress and proficiency of multilingual learners (MLs) moved from Title III to Title I. This shift moved accountability for MLs from the district to the school level. The English Learners Considerations (ELC) document was designed to offer assistance to both LEAs and charter schools as they explore additional strategies and resources for meeting the needs of MLs and successfully navigating the ESSA accountability requirements.

The English Learner Considerations (ELC) are designed to help school-level and district-level personnel identify and prioritize implementation steps via ML-related questions in conjunction with the Facilitated Assessment of MTSS - School Level.

Explore the ELC document and recommended uses.

Information and Resources

For more information, visit our subpages below or on the side-rail:

Program Quality, Program Compliance, Legislation & Policy, Professional Learning, and Resources.

To receive announcements, periodic newsletters, and other updates, sign up at NCDPI Email Updates. Add your email address and select these listservs: Dual Language/Immersion (DL/I) Educators, NC LinguaFolio, and Teachers of Multilingual Learners.

English Language Development

  • EL Program Compliance
  • EL Program Quality
  • English Learner (EL) Data
  • Legislation & Policy
  • Professional Learning
  • Standard Course of Study & Supporting Resources

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