World Language Immersion Late Entry Overview
Special application procedures exist for certain magnet themes, including late entry to World Language
Immersion. The specific process for World Language Immersion late entry is indicated below, along with
special considerations and guidelines for the late entry process.
Late Entry to World Language Immersion Magnet Schools
The online lottery application process permits rising kindergarten students to apply for Chinese or
Japanese language programs and permits rising kindergarten and first grade students to apply to French,
German, and Spanish language programs. Because the student is immersed in the language of study for
the majority of the instructional day, students entering a language immersion program after these grades
must demonstrate grade level proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing in the intended
language of study. An assessment is used to make this determination. A family wanting to apply their
child to a Language Immersion program at a grade level other than what is available on the online lottery
application must do so through the Request for Reassignment/ Transfer process.
To apply for late entry through the Request for Reassignment/ Transfer process:



Step 1: Contact the Language Immersion magnet school directly to arrange an appointment for
an assessment of the child’s level of proficiency in the target language. The school will schedule
the appointment to accommodate the timeline and deadlines established by Student Placement
for submitting the online Requests for Reassignment/ Transfer. The prospective student will be
assessed for late entry into the language immersion program at the school using a standardized
late entry assessment rubric.
Step 2: At the conclusion of the assessment, if the results confirm the student as having the
necessary proficiency skills to transition into the language program at the grade desired, the
school will provide acknowledgement verifying this on school letterhead.
Step 3: Complete the online Request for Reassignment/ Transfer form. For this form to be
accepted, the family must indicate that they have reviewed the Magnet Expectations Agreement
for the desired magnet theme. The family submits the school’s acknowledgement letter of
approval as supporting documentation to accompany the online Request for Reassignment/
Transfer form registered with the Student Placement office at the Family Application Center.
Request approval is dependent upon grade level space availability.
Considerations and Guidelines for Late Entry to Language Immersion
Lottery Application Process and Wait Lists
The CMS online lottery application form for the first and second lottery permits families of current and
future-enrolled students to choose grades K for Chinese and Japanese, and grades K and 1 for French,
German and Spanish; therefore, wait lists will exist only at these grade levels. Wait lists become active
after Year End Transition (YET) in early July and remain active through the end of the first quarter
grading period of the coming school year (usually near the end of October). Vacant magnet seats are
filled during this time period by the school contacting the next family on the wait list and offering the
seat. The family can accept or decline. If the family declines, the school goes to the next family on the
list. The school updates students’ wait list status, based on family responses, and keeps their Student
Placement Specialist informed. All wait lists are dissolved at the beginning of second quarter and the
process begins anew with the first lottery application period.
No Late Entry for K and/or Grade 1
Because families of current or future-enrolled students have access to placement in the Language
Immersion program through the first and second lotteries, late entry is not available for grade K Chinese
and Japanese nor is it available for grades K and 1 French, German, and Spanish. The online lottery
application process is the only option for families seeking placement for their child in these languages at
these grades.
Late Entry
The late entry process is intended as a way to fill available seats at grade levels in the absence of a
lottery application process which results in no placements or wait pools. Once a successful proficiency
assessment has been completed by the prospective language immersion school, then the family can
submit a Request for Reassignment/Transfer for late entry consideration.
Assessments for Current CMS Student Late Entry
Reassignments approved for current CMS students occur at the beginning of the grading period.
Because current CMS students are not reassigned during fourth quarter, current CMS students will be
considered for late entry to the second or third quarter of the current school year, or to the first quarter
of the next school year.
Timing of Assessments for Current CMS Student Late Entry
Student Placement publishes the submission deadlines for Request for Reassignment/Transfers on the
online form. For current CMS students, the language immersion school is to schedule and complete the
late entry assessment no later than ten (10) business days prior to the published deadline for each
transfer period and is to notify the family of the assessment result (approval or denial) within three (3)
business days of the completed assessment.
Exception for Families New to CMS
An exception to the assessment timeline exists for a grade K or higher student who is newly enrolled in
the school district. Student placement regulations allow new families ten days after enrolling their child
at the home school during which they can submit a Request for Reassignment/Transfer, even if it is midMay. To meet the district’s reassignment guideline for new students to CMS, staff should inquire when
the family contacts the school regarding an assessment to identify if the student is new to the district. If
so, the school should prioritize in order to accommodate the new family with an expedited assessment
and notification of assessment result to meet the ten day deadline.
Caveat
In all cases, a Request for Reassignment/Transfer can be approved by Student Placement only if the
school’s assessment letter of approval is submitted as supporting documentation and space is available
at the grade requested.