NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Division of Programs and Operations

Office of Title I

 

Immigrant Student Count

Winter 2012

 

USER MANUAL

 

Title III of No Child Left Behind requires the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to report the number of immigrant students enrolled in school districts.  This is a mandatory data collection required by state administrative code N.J.A.C. 6A:15-1.6(b)1.   All districts must submit this data online and finalize at http://homeroom.state.nj.us (ISDC) even if the number to be reported is zero. 

 

Eligibility Requirements

Federal eligibility requirements define immigrant students as those who:

·        are age 3 to 21;

·        were not born in any US state or US territory;  and

·        have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more states for more than three full academic years. 

 

In making determinations whether or not a student meets the federal definition of “immigrant,” a district must ensure that they do not require students to disclose their immigration status or make inquiries of students or parents that may expose their undocumented status.  Districts may use existing student records, such as birth certificates or prior school records to determine if a student meets the federal definition of “immigrant” for this data collection. 

 

Please provide the number of immigrant students attending public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools within the jurisdiction of your school district.  Charter schools should report their immigrant student enrollment individually, including their school and county code.  In determining immigrant status, please note the following:

 

  • Immigrant children and youth are individuals aged 3 – 21 who were not born in the United States and have not been attending schools in any part of the United States for more than three full academic years.

 

  • Children born in the United States are not immigrants, regardless of the status of their parents.

 

  • Immigrant students may be proficient in English or they may be limited English proficient (LEP).  Students’ level of English proficiency is not a factor in determining eligibility.

 

  • Natives of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John) are United States citizens, and are not eligible to be counted as immigrants.

 

  • In ascertaining eligibility, school officials may rely on credible information from any source, including the student, the student’s parents or guardians and previous school records.

 

  • Students’ immigration status is not a factor in determining eligibility.  The U.S. Supreme Court in Plyler v. Doe [457 U.S. 202 (1982)] ruled that public schools were prohibited from denying immigrant students access to a public education on the basis of their immigration status.  In making inquiries for purposes of determining whether a student may be counted as an immigrant, schools should solicit voluntary information from parents and students or find alternative ways of identifying and documenting the eligibility of students.  Schools should adhere to the following when collecting this information:

 

-         School personnel should be informed of undocumented students’ Plyler rights;

 

-         School officials may not demand documentary evidence of the child’s immigration status from the child or the child’s parents or guardians.  http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2006/0907ssn.htm[l1] [l2] [l3] 

            http://www.state.nj.us/education/bilingual/data/immenrol.htm

  

Nonpublic Schools

Nonpublic, nonprofit school immigrant students are counted as well; the public school district must report a total number of immigrant students which includes those students in both the public and nonpublic, nonprofit schools within the jurisdiction of the public schools.  School districts, after consultation with nonpublic school officials, must provide the NJDOE with a nonpublic school summary verification form (Form A) that documents the number of immigrant students enrolled in each of the nonpublic, nonprofit schools within its jurisdiction.   Only this summary verification form (Form A) should be submitted to the NJDOE.

 

Please mail or fax the completed nonpublic school verification form located at: http://homeroom.state.nj.us/isdc.htm to the NJDOE by January 31, 2012 to:

 

New Jersey Department of Education

Division of Programs and Operations

Office of  Title I

PO Box 500

Trenton, NJ 08625-0500

Fax: (609) 292-1211

 

Districts that contract with early childhood providers must count three- and four-year-old immigrant students attending these preschools as part of their school immigrant count.  These contracted preschools are not considered nonpublic schools.

 

The total immigrant student count (public and nonpublic) must also be submitted via the Internet to the NJDOE by January 31, 2012.

 

 

 

 

Title III Eligibility Immigrant Funds

This data collection is also used to determine your district’s eligibility to receive federal Title III Immigrant Education funds.  School districts may be eligible to receive Title III immigrant funds if they have experienced a significant increase in the number of immigrant children enrolled in public and nonpublic schools within their jurisdiction.   The purpose of these immigrant funds is to pay for activities that provide enhanced instructional opportunities for immigrant children and youth.     All funding is contingent upon the state’s receipt of federal No Child Left Behind Title III Immigrant funds.

 

To be eligible for an immigrant grant allocation, districts must meet the following criteria:

·        The district’s combined public and nonpublic school immigrant student enrollment in 2012 must represent at least a 2% increase as compared to the average immigrant enrollment of the two preceding years: 2010 and 2011.

·        Districts must have a total public and nonpublic school enrollment of 20 or more immigrant students in 2012.

 

If your district is eligible for an award, it will be listed on the FY2013 NCLB allocation notice.  The application for these funds is included as part of the consolidated Title III grant.

 

If you have any questions, please call the Office of Title I at (609) 292-8777 or e-mail isge@doe.state.nj.us.

 

 

 

Data Entry Instructions

SPECIAL NOTE:

·        the students’ countries of  origin are no longer requested;

·        LEP immigrant students need to be identified and counted;

·        students’ home language must be provided (use the federal language list http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/English_list.php); and

·        the immigrant student count must include non-public school students who are also LEP.

 

 

*In order to login, you need to obtain a login from your district Web User Administrator.

 

  1. Log in  (if you have zero students, go to “Finalize”).
  2. Click on “Enter Data.”
  3. Enter the total number of immigrant students including nonpublic students.  For each language enter total immigrant student count and of that total, the number of immigrant students who are in LEP status (the number in the LEP column should be less than the number in the Total column).
  4. For each language click on “Add language” button and select language from drop down menu.
  5. Click “Select Language” and enter the count information as in #3 above. 
  6. Repeat for the next language until all languages have been entered.
  7. Return to Welcome Page by clicking on “Back to Welcome Page.”
  8. Click on “Finalize.”
  9. Log off.

IT IS CRITICAL THAT DISTRICTS IDENTIFY IMMIGRANT STUDENTS ACCURATELY AS IT MAY RESULT IN A GRANT ALLOCATION ERROR.

 

 

        

 

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