Unlocking your schools potential for English Language Learners

1
Unlocking your schools potential for English
Language Learners

• An introduction for front line school district
  personnel

2
Todays agenda

• Overview of ESL in our area
• Recent developments in the PA Department of
  Education
• The impact on school districts
• Key concepts for todays populations
• Ideas/ resources to help
• Questions

3
First things first

• Please feel free to obtain food and beverage this
  morning
• Please no cell phones
• Rest rooms are out the doors to your left and
  left down first hallway
• Well finish by 12 noon

4
Introductions

• Please tell us your name, your school district
  and any presenting issue or problem that you are
  having with the ESL population.

5
Overview of ESL in our area

• We cover three counties within LIU12 but 30 for
  the Migrant Program
• Our ESL program grew from a diverse migrant
  population once all English speakers

• In other areas, there has been an increase in
  overseas adoptions and refugee resettlements as
  well as the once migratory population now
  settling as part of our communities

6
Examples of Migrant ESL Enrollment in local
schools

• Bermudian Springs 89
• Chambersburg 200
• Conewago Valley 135
• Gettysburg 177
• Upper Adams 222
• York City 206

• English Language Learners have increased from 182
  in school year 1994-95 to 585 to 2000-01within
  the LIU service area
• The Migrant Program has 1426 preschoolers
  identified compared with the 114 12th Graders in
  2001-02

7
Recent Developments at PDE

• A lawsuit was filed in October 2000
• Service to these children has been on the books
  since 1964 and has been reported to the
  Department of Education on the 3044 form
• Effective with the coming school year, there will
  be much more visibility on these services and
  children in PA

8
PDE Eventsin the past year

• Overview meetings for all IUs and school
  districts
• Emphasis placed on training for all school staff
  inclusive of secretaries, bus drivers, guidance
  counselors and teachers.

• The establishment of ESL Regional Centers
• The establishment of a monitoring instrument for
  compliance
• The review of requirements for those who teach
  the students
• The Basic Education Circular (BEC)

9
The ESL Regional Center

• Lydia Heiser our Regional Monitoring for the
  area will provide an overview of her duties with
  the Department
• Lydia covers IUs 8, 11, 12, 13, and 15

10
The impact on our school districts

• The legal responsibilities as outlined by the
  federal government and the PA Department of
  Education
• The true inclusion of these students and their
  families into our systems
• Teaching students who have no or limited English
  
• The cost of doing all of the above

11
Key Concepts

• ESL ( English as a Second Language ) refers to
  the program of instruction
• ELL ( English Language Learner refers ) refers to
  the student

• Immigrant
• Refugee
• Migrant
• Adoptee
• Can all be ELLs in our districts..

12
Key Concepts ( cont. )

• Students do not need to be legal or documented
  to attend public school, K-12.
• Asking related questions is prohibited by law
  (Plyler v Doe)
• Students do not need a Social Security number to
  enter school

• A Home Language Survey is required in all PA
  school districts for all students
• A program addressing the needs of ELL is required
  of each school district, regardless of your ELL
  enrollment

13
What can you do?

• Create an environment of acceptance
• Cultural sensitivity goes beyond the taco salad(
  although food is a great way to start! )
• Provide information in the home language of the
  students and parents

• Identify interpreters in the community
• Know that the parents want success for their
  children
• Provide school handbooks, announcements,
  extracurricular info in different languages

14
can be an issue

• Identify parent volunteers
• Provide student clubs such as the student
  government, language classes, honors clubs with
  specific requests from the office
• Provide building tours via student volunteers

• Consider a video made by students as a welcome
  and intro to your school
• Provide staff with basic language skills and
  necessary resources

15
What about these parents???

• In many countries, schools do ALL the teaching
  and parents ask no questions
• Subtle cultural differences can make a huge
  difference such as eye contact, patting the head
  of a student or even asking the parent for
  feedback
• Requests for signatures for various field trips,
  testing, special activities can be very strange
  for parents

16
Parent Involvement

• Identify the leaders in the community
• Children attend the same events in many cultures
  prepare your PTO meetings for this
• Food, food and more food is an accepted norm
• Join forces with the other agencies in your
  area who serve the same populations

17
Now that we mentioned that

• Hisela Perez is the Parent Coordinator for LIU12
  Migrant Education and the operator for the
  Statewide 1-800 Hotline.
• There are other agencies who serve refugee,
  Latino, migrant, ESL populationsgive them a
  call.

18
Additional Resources

• Christie Heinaman, is also one of LIU ESL team
  members. Christie has identified several
  websites of value.
• There are a few handouts in your packets which
  also address these topics and can offer ideas for
  your districts.
• We also are providing a text to assist with your
  Spanish speakers.

19
Contact us

• Suzanne E. Benchoff, Director of Migrant ESL at
  LIU, 624-6453 or suzanneb_at_iu12.org
• Hisela Perez, Parent Coordinator, 334-0006 X 242
  or hperez_at_blazenet.net
• Francine Dutrisac, 334-0006 X 239 or
  fdutrisac_at_blazenet.net

• Lydia Heiser, ESL Regional Coordinator, 337-9302
  or lydiah_at_blazenet.net
• Christie Heinaman,christie316_at_yahoo.com
• Marcia Kile, ESL Coordinator, 334-0006 X 238 or
  mkile_at_blazenet.net