K-12 Funding – English Language Learning (ELL)

Date came into force or revised

Issued September 1, 2002.  Revised and in effect July 1, 2011

Status

Current

Policy statement

School-age students requiring and receiving English Language Learning (ELL) services in a public school in B.C. are eligible for ELL funding for a maximum of five years.

Rationale or purpose of policy

ELL services enable students, whose primary language(s) of the home is not English, to develop their individual potential within British Columbia’s school system. Some students who speak variations of English that differ significantly from the English used in the broader Canadian society may need similar services to access the curriculum.

Authority

Sections 106.3 (5) and (6) of the School Act (PDF)  provide the legal framework for funding English language learners (ELL students).

Policy in full

Boards of Education that report students as English Language Learners (ELL) on the Form 1701, meeting  all of the requirements as specified on the Form 1701 Instructions, may qualify for ELL funding.  Students enrolled with Conseil scolaire francophone may be reported as French as a Second Language (FSL), if all the requirements are met.

Support services for English as a Second Dialect (ESD) are recognized as part of ELL support services.  Students reported as requiring ESD services speak a dialect of English that differs significantly from Standard English used in school and in broader Canadian society.  Boards must meet all of the conditions noted in the Form 1701 Instructions in order to receive supplemental funding for ESD.

Students are eligible for ELL funding for up to five years, provided they continue to meet funding criteria.

Boards of Education will be funded as per the current year’s operating grant manual for each eligible full time equivalent (FTE) ELL student.

An ELL student may also be eligible to receive funding for Indigenous Education or Special Needs funding, if the requirements of these programs are also met.

Adults are not eligible for ELL program funding.

Procedures

Boards of Education should report students requiring and receiving ELL services on the Form 1701.

School districts must comply with the Form 1701: Student Data Collection Completion Instructions when submitting ELL student claims to the Ministry.

The Ministry of Education and Child Care will provide school districts with a report identifying those students who have already received five years of ELL and therefore would not qualify for the additional funding.