Present levels for English learners with IEPs

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Present levels for an English learner should report English proficiency by domain, skills in the home language where known, and academic and functional data, then say which needs come from the disability and which from learning English. State how language affects access to instruction. That split drives goals, services and the language supports the IEP team must consider.

An English learner with an IEP has two sets of needs that look alike on a test. A student who reads 40 words per minute in English might have a reading disability, might be early in learning English, or both. Present levels that blur the two lead to goals that teach the wrong thing.

The IEP team must consider the language needs of a child with limited English proficiency as they relate to the IEP.^[1] Present levels are where that consideration starts. For the general method, see the pillar on present levels of performance.

What you need before you start

The most recent state English language proficiency (ELP) scores, by domain: listening, speaking, reading, writing
Any home-language data: a bilingual assessment, a home-language reading sample, or parent report
Evaluation results, with notes on the language of testing
Classroom data in English, such as curriculum-based measures and work samples
Input from the English language development (ELD) teacher
A parent interview, with an interpreter if needed

Step 1: Report English proficiency by domain

Give the ELP level for each domain, not just the overall score. A student can speak at a level 4 and write at a level 2. That pattern matters for goals.

Write it as data: "On the spring state ELP test, Luis scored level 4 (expanding) in listening, 3 in speaking, 2 in reading and 2 in writing, on a 6-level scale." Note how long the student has been learning English in U.S. schools.

Step 2: Report skills in the home language

What the student can do in the home language tells you a lot. A student who reads fluently in Spanish but slowly in English is likely still transferring skills. A student who struggles to decode in both languages points to a disability.

Evaluation tools must be given in the language and form most likely to give accurate information about what the child knows and can do, unless that is clearly not feasible.^[2] If formal home-language data is not available, say so, and include what you have, such as a parent's report or an informal reading sample.

Step 3: Report academic and functional data

Report the same data you would for any student: baseline scores, the measure, the date, and the conditions. Add the language of the task and any supports used. "Read 52 words correctly per minute on a grade 4 English passage, with no glossary" is clearer than "reads below grade level."

Step 4: Separate disability needs from language needs

This is the core of the section. For each area, say what the data suggests about the source of the difficulty. Eligibility rules already say limited English proficiency cannot be the deciding factor in finding a disability.^[3] Present levels should carry that same logic into the IEP.

Pattern in the data	Likely points to	Goes in the IEP as
Difficulty in both languages, same skill	Disability-related need	Annual goal and SDI
Strong in home language, weaker in English	Language acquisition	ELD services and language supports, not a disability goal
Slow progress compared with other ELs with similar background	Possible disability-related need	Goal, with data compared to EL peers
Vocabulary gaps on content words only	Language acquisition	Accommodation, such as a word-to-word glossary

Compare the student's growth with other English learners of similar proficiency and time in the country, not with native English speakers. The SLP's input is often key here, especially for language disorders.^[4]

Step 5: State how language affects access

Write one or two sentences on how the student's language needs affect access to the general curriculum. This links present levels to accommodations and services.

"Luis understands most spoken classroom directions but cannot yet read grade-level science text independently in English. He needs content vocabulary pre-taught and texts with visual support to access grade 4 science."

Step 6: Note the supports from both programs

English learners with IEPs are entitled to both English language services and special education. Present levels should mention the student's ELD services so the IEP team plans them together, not in two separate silos.

Worked example from start to finish

Fictional student: Luis, grade 4, home language Spanish, in U.S. schools since grade 1. Eligible for a specific learning disability in reading.

English proficiency (spring state ELP test): Listening 4, speaking 3, reading 2, writing 2, on a 6-level scale.

Home language: Bilingual school psychologist gave a Spanish reading inventory in October. Luis read a grade 2 Spanish passage at 38 words correct per minute with 85% accuracy, and decoded 11 of 20 Spanish nonsense words. His parents report he reads Spanish slowly at home and avoids it.

English academic data: Oral reading fluency median 44 WCPM on grade 4 passages (3 probes, September). Decoding: 9 of 20 English CVCe words. Math calculation at grade level when problems are read aloud.

Present levels statement (reading):

"Luis has received English language development services for 3 years. On the spring ELP test, he scored level 4 in listening, 3 in speaking, 2 in reading and 2 in writing. In Spanish, he reads a grade 2 passage at 38 words correct per minute and decodes 11 of 20 nonsense words, showing decoding difficulty in his home language as well as in English. In English, he reads 44 words correct per minute on grade 4 passages and decodes 9 of 20 CVCe words. His progress in reading is slower than that of other English learners in his school with similar proficiency and years in U.S. schools. Together, these data show a disability-related need in decoding across both languages. His lower English reading and writing levels also reflect language acquisition. He needs explicit decoding instruction, plus ELD support for academic vocabulary, to access grade 4 reading and content texts."

What follows from it: A decoding goal in English with SDI. ELD services continue. Accommodations include pre-taught vocabulary and a bilingual word-to-word glossary for content tests, if state rules allow it.

Common mistakes

Weak	Better
"Luis is an ELL and reads below grade level."	"Luis reads 44 WCPM on grade 4 English passages; ELP reading level 2 of 6."
Overall ELP score only	ELP level for each of the 4 domains
No home-language data, no mention of it	"Spanish reading inventory: 38 WCPM, grade 2 passage" or "No formal home-language data available; parent reports..."
Comparing to native English speakers	Comparing growth with EL peers of similar proficiency and time in U.S. schools
Writing a goal for English vocabulary as a disability goal	Placing general English vocabulary in ELD services and accommodations
Leaving out the ELD teacher	Including ELD teacher input and the student's ELD service plan

Templates and tools

Goal wording: IEP goals for English learners.
Matching accommodations: ELL accommodations in the IEP.
For reading support: reading intervention for English learners.
Area-by-area wording: present levels examples for math and writing.
Paste the goals you draft from these present levels into the goal checker.

The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on teaching English learners recommends teaching academic vocabulary intensively across several days, which supports the vocabulary work in this example.^[5] State rules on ELP testing for students with IEPs, allowed accommodations and bilingual assessment vary, so check your state guidance.

Frequently asked questions

Do present levels for English learners need English proficiency scores?

Yes. Report the most recent English language proficiency level for each domain: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The domain pattern helps the team separate language needs from disability-related needs.

Should present levels include the student's home language skills?

Yes, when that information exists. Skills in the home language help show whether a difficulty is a disability-related need or part of learning English. If no data exists, say so.

Can an English learner get ELD services and special education at the same time?

Yes. English learners with IEPs are entitled to both. Present levels should mention ELD services so the team plans both together.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.304: Evaluation procedures, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.306: Determination of eligibility, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
Multilingual Service Delivery in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA
Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.