Key Contacts
Chief Special Programs & SEL Officer Mrs. Renahan: mrenahan@ilearnschools.org
ESL /ENL & Bilingual Department Director Mrs. Cosgun: gcosgun@ilearnschools.org
NJDOE Office of Supplemental Educational Programs: ML@doe.nj.gov, (609) 376-9080
NJDOE Office of Assessments: assessment@doe.nj.gov
WIDA Help Desk: help@wida.us, (866) 276-7735
WIDA AMS / test materials: wida@datarecognitioncorp.com, (855) 787-9615
Full NJDOE guidance: nj.gov/education/title3
Regulations
Guidance current as of July 2026. Always confirm current forms, cut scores, and deadlines with the Department Head, as state guidance may be updated.
N.J.A.C. 6A:15 - Bilingual Education: Governs identification, program models, and exit for New Jersey MLs. Every LEA follows the same three-step identification process for students ages 3-21.
ESSA Section 1112(e)(3) - Parent Notification: Written notice of identification and placement within 30 calendar days of the start of the year, or 14 calendar days for later enrollees, in a language the family understands.
NJDOE Title III: Three-Year Plan requirements: at least one daily period of ESL instruction per ML, three annual PAC meetings, and annual program evaluation.
NJ Exit Standard: 4.5 or higher composite on ACCESS for ELLs or WIDA MODEL, or A3 (3.0+) on Alternate ACCESS, plus a completed English Language Observation Form.
34 C.F.R. Section 200.16(c) - MLs with disabilities: When no appropriate accommodation exists for a domain, identification and exit may use a composite of the assessed domains. NJ applies WIDA's Less Than Four Domains, Model 2.
IDEA 34 CFR Section 300.324(a)(2)(ii): The IEP team must consider the language needs of a child with limited English proficiency as they relate to the IEP.
NJSLEDS reporting: Former-ML status is reported for four years after exit (F1 through F4); academic monitoring runs for the first two.
Bridging Worlds Through Words.