0520-01-19-.05
Staffing Ratios
Cite as Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0520-01-19-.05
(1)
LEAs shall:
(a)
Provide adequate ESL staff to implement the chosen service model effectively, as
documented by the progress in English language proficiency and academic content of
their EL students.
(b)
Adequately staff their ESL programs to meet state and federal requirements. This
includes, but is not limited to, having sufficient staff to ensure meaningful communication
to parents or guardians of EL students with limited English proficiency, to identify EL
students, and to monitor transitional EL students.
(2)
To meet the two (2) criteria of effective and compliant ESL programs, LEAs shall implement
ESL programs based on the following staffing ratio standards:
(a)
ESL class sizes shall not exceed state-mandated grade-level class size requirements;
and
(b)
The LEA-wide ESL program staffing ratio shall be based on an average of no more than
thirty-five (35) identified EL students per full-time equivalent ESL teacher unless an
alternate staffing ratio is approved by the Department of Education.
(3)
An alternative staffing ratio may only be approved when the LEA can show adequate academic
growth and proficiency with the EL student population and can prove that EL students are
receiving the required hours of service. LEAs seeking approval for a waiver for an alternate
LEA-wide staffing ratio shall provide the following information upon application and, if
approved, annually to the Department of Education:
(a)
The number of EL students served;
(b)
The proficiency levels of EL students;
(c)
The academic growth of EL students;
(d)
Evidence that no school in the LEA is an Additional Targeted Support and Intervention
(ATSI) school based on the EL student accountability subgroup;
(e)
The most recent analysis for the EL student subgroup for achievement assessments in
reading/language arts, mathematics, and science;
(f)
The proposed staffing ratio that will be used in place of the recommended thirty-five (35)
to one (1) ratio; and
(g)
The justification for the alternate staffing ratio.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
CHAPTER 0520-01-19