Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 200 - Board of Education
Chapter 20 - Council on Elementary and Secondary Education
Subchapter 30 - Student Supports
Part 3 - Regulations Governing the Education of English Language Learners
Section 200-RICR-20-30-3.3 - Language Identification

A. LEAs shall determine the home/native language(s) of all public-school children when these children are registered in the LEA. This determination shall be made through the Home Language Survey developed by RIDE.

B. The Home Language Survey shall not be used to deny any student the right to participate in, or benefit from, any program or service.

C. Data from the Home Language Survey shall be filed in the student's permanent record.

D. If the Home Language Survey indicates that a student's home/native language is not English, a background interview with the student, and with his or her parents, shall take place. Before this interview takes place, the parents shall be informed in writing, in a language they understand, about the procedures used in the identification, assessment, and placement of ELL students. Based on the findings of this interview, the student shall be referred for a timely screening assessment. The LEA shall make a tentative educational assignment and provide the teacher with relevant information about the student pending the results of the ELP screening assessment. The LEA shall use the appropriate data from the student's previous schools, when available, to make this tentative assignment.