Yes. The IEP team must consider the language needs of a student who is not yet proficient in English.^[1] An IEP team will often use a student’s scores on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) to measure an English Learner’s progress in developing English language proficiency. For more information on the ELPAC, see Chapter 11, Information on District-Wide Assessments/Graduation Requirements.

Based on your student’s individual needs, the IEP team should also determine if it is appropriate to include linguistically appropriate goals, objectives, programs, and services.^[2]

Linguistically appropriate goals, objectives and programs mean: 

1. Activities that lead to development of English language proficiency; 
2. Instructional systems which meet language development needs of English Learners; and 
3. In the case of an English Learner whose potential for learning English is severely limited (as determined by the IEP team), then the IEP team may determine that instruction may be provided through a language acquisition program, including a program provided in the individual’s primary language.^[3]

You can find more information on linguistically appropriate goals, objectives, services, and programs in the “California Practitioners’ Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities,” developed by the California Department of Education, available here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/sr/elpracguideswd.asp 

1. 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1414(d)(3)(B)(ii); 34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.324(a)(2)(ii); Cal. Ed. Code Sec. 56341.1(b)(2).[↩]
2. Cal. Ed. Code Sec. 56345(b)(2).[↩]
3. 5 C.C.R. Sec. 3001(m).[↩]