Home Language Survey

How many questions comprise your county Home Language Survey (HLS)?

Top 5 Home Language Survey Questions

• What Language(s) does your child speak at home?• What was the first language your child learned to speak? • Does the student speak a language other than English? • How many years has this student attended an English-

speaking School? • Please describe the language understood by the student

(check one).a. Understands only the home language and NO English. b. Understands most of the home language and some English. c. Understands the home language and English equally. D. Understands mostly English and some of the home language.

Do you conduct any additional or clarifying follow-up to the HLS questions in order to identify students for screening?

Of the HLS questions provided above, which question most often triggers a

language screening?

• Does the student speak a language other than English?

• Is the primary or native language of the student English? Yes or no

• What language did your child learn when he/she first began to speak?

• What language does your son/daughter use most frequently at home?

Which question has the least impact on the decision to administer a language screening?

• What languages? • How many years has the student attended an English-

Speaking school?• Has the student ever lived where another language was

spoken? • What is the student’s country of origin? • If available, in what language would you prefer to

receive information from the school?• Does either parent or guardian speak a language other

than English in the home? If yes, what is that language?

Range of Accuracy in HLS in initially identifying students for Services

Lowest: 15%Highest: 100% State Average: 65%

Range of “False Positive” reported

Lowest: 0%Highest: 67%

Activity

• Read your assigned CCSSO document • Discuss as a table the key ideas• Based upon the readings, as a table generate

proposed HLS questions that seek to accurately identify an ELL. Use a separate note pad for each question.