Home Language Survey Practices in the Initial Identification of English Learners in the United States

This article is focused on the different Home Language Surveys (HLS) used across U.S. states as a means of identifying students who, with further assessment, may prove eligible for language-support services. The majority of states mandate some form of HLS, be it state- or district-created. However, there is great variation in the number and the phrasing of survey items across states that raises issues of equity. To date, there is a dearth of evidence for the validity of HLS in the procedures used for identifying students for English learner (EL) status. States must recognize that the fundamental role of an HLS in their English-language proficiency assessment systems necessitates its further scrutiny as part of the assessment validation process. The article concludes with a series of recommendations for federal- and state-level actions to help remedy current concerns with EL identification processes around the nation.