Everything ESL

Exploring ESL – September 2009

New Director’s Meeting

TO DO:

• Uniform exiting criteria
• Record FLEP kids for end-of-year report (CEPI) or for fall counts—ask how to do this accurately in SDS
• IEP forms; Child Care Team criteria
• Final Expenditure Report—due November 30
• AMAOs
• Read 180 and System 44
• Embed strategies for ESL in SIP

Introduction

Do we have to serve them?

• YES! This is based on Civil Rights requirements according to Title VI of 1964. We need to give them access to the general curriculum.
• Lau v. Nichols and Casteneda v. Pickard require us to serve them—and provide the necessary supplies

Who do we serve?

• Home Language Survey included in registration packet; we can just base it on their appearance; it needs to be fair and includes those who are second and third generation and whose literacy skills are lacking
• Needs to be available in multiple languages; resources available at MDE under ELLs
• Must test them.
• Communicate to parents; document refusal of services and inform parents that they must still be tested each spring.
• Must test all students—serviced or not—using the ELPA each year until they achieve proficiency.

Now what?

• Offer services to family in writing using standard form in first language and English; they must sign off if they do not want their student to receive services.
• Provide services and monitor; need to develop a uniform set of criteria to determine exiting the program.
• Once students have been exited, you have the option of testing them for up to two years after; it is our decision as to when we can exit them.

Allocations/Application
How do you access your Title III funds?

• Funding based on student counts from SDS and those tested; if the student left prior to the spring ELPA, the state will still count the ELPAS. Counts are used from the prior year.
• The initial services come from general fund money.
• Must qualify for a minimum grant of $10,000—or be a part of a consortium
• Current allocations in MEGS are 85% of last year’s allocation
• Final allocations will be made in December when your 2008-2009 carryover is known based on Final Expenditure Report—due November 30.
• Modify your Consolidation Application to finish out the year; opens in spring of each year for the following school year. Talk to the Field Service Consultant. DUE 7/1 for each year in order to get the earliest possible obligation date.
• Think now about how to use up the carryover—need to spend it down.

How to use Title III?

• It has to be about MORE time
• Before/after school—and supplies for such programs
• Transportation for such programs
• Family literacy

Supplement/Supplant

• ELLs must have access to the curriculum—and anything that impedes them must be addressed through general funds
• Determination

1. First Test – an LEA uses Title III funds to provide services that the LEA is required to make available under state or local laws, or other Federal laws
2. Second Test – Using Title III funds to provide services that it provided in prior years with other funds

• Must supplement; provide additional services beyond the core language instruction educational programs

Implications
General Fund

• Salaries for teachers, parapros, and administration
• ELPAS and ELPA administration
• Core Language Instruction; determined in the same way an LEA determines other core curricula
• Supplies, staff, etc.
• Communications with parents

Title III

• After using a common determiner, students are identified for additional support
• Is the need centered on the acquisition of the curriculum or the language skills? If it’s language skills, Title III funds can be used to provide more instructional time.

Curriculum

• Issues – Science, Social Studies, etc.???
• Targeted curricula for survival, language domains and other core areas
• Resources – ELP standards
• Stakeholders – Teachers, Admin, Parapros
• Process

Testing

• MDE Contact: Aric Kuester (KuesterA@michigan.gov)
• Administer two tests: ELPAS and ELPA if student has been identified

AMAOs—only for Title III schools

Three components to measure program:

1. Progress – 75% of students must improve by four scale score points (approximately two questions).  New twist for 09-10’s AMAOs—look for students back the beginning of the testing requirement.
2. Proficiency – 10% of students move to the FLEP category on SDS. Move to FLEP status by the end of the school year.
3. AYP

Consequences

• Year 1: Letter to parents
• Year 2: Letter to parents and plan
• Year 3: Letter to parents and implement the plan
• Year 4: Letter to parents; change staff or model

Monitoring

Annual Self Assessment

• Sent in fall; due back December/January
• Administrative (Fiscal responsibility; data recording and analysis)
• Student Identification (Survey, testing, and monitoring)
• Parent/Community Involvement
• Instructional Programs and Assessment
• Teacher Qualifications/Professional Development
• Program Evaluation/School Improvement

Desk monitoring or on-site monitoring; might be combined with field services for all federal programs; receive single report

Risk factors

• AMAOs
• Business office pulling money regularly
• Amount of carryover (FIR and draw downs)
• Problems with the program
• Change required
• Respond with a plan to correct the situation
• Consultant will approve and monitor to be sure that the changes were made

Parent Support

• Permission to service students
• Support
• Translations – general fund
• Conferences
• Newsletters
• Field trips
• American school system
• Literacy programs

SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Education)

• Age can be a problem at the secondary level
• Rigor—don’t just grant them credit just to do it
• ESL can substitute for ELA credit, but is not recommended for high school if ESL class is not meeting the level of rigor for the ELA class

SIOP

• Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
• Will repeat next summer; the trainers will be available for training after this year