Program

for English Learners at

LIFE Prep

Recommendations and Suggestions
for
Planning, Implementation and Evaluation

Prepared by:
Mary P. Daz
Consultant in the Education of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students
March, 2015


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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction and Clarifications

Topics and Recommendations
Program Planning
Identification, Entry and Exit
Programming
Assessment and Evaluation
Parental Communication and Engagement
Mainstream Support and Participation
Translation and Interpretation
Professional Development

Possible Timeline Suggestions for Program Development and Implementation

Resource Suggestions

Appendices

Appendix A: January, 2015 US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Document:
Ensuring English Learner Students Can Participate Meaningfully and Equally in
Educational Programs

Appendix B: Minnesota Department of Education Critical Elements

Appendix C: Minnesota Department of Education Self-Assessment Report (SAR)

Appendix D: Copy of LIFE Prep staff survey
Appendix E: The Minnesota Learning of English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS)
Act of 2014 Report by the McKnight Foundation










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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


It is important to acknowledge the sincere effort and commitment of LIFE Prep to provide high quality
individualized services to all students, including English Learners (ELs). The administrations proactive
approach in reviewing and modifying the schools academic program to meet the recognized academic
needs of these students is to be commended. Staff and administration have demonstrated a dedication
to improving the opportunities for students who need the valuable support and assistance a good EL
program provides in order for these students to have equal access to the many educational
opportunities that all parents desire for their children. The transparency by which those at LIFE Prep
have offered information, reports and opportunities for review and on-site access is an assuring
indicator of the authenticity of their desire to continue to improve the educational outcomes of all
students at the school.


























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INTRODUCTION AND CLARIFICATIONS

LIFE Prep should be applauded in its efforts to develop its program for English Learners (ELs). In doing
so, it recognizes this program as an integral component of its efforts to support and improve the
academic performance of all students. It is important to note from the start that providing these
services is not an elective, alternative or voluntary option for school districts, but rather required by law,
so that all students, including those whose first language is not English, have an opportunity to survive
and thrive in school. While both state and federal funds may be available to assist the district in this
endeavor, the responsibility is not contingent upon available outside funding, and the responsibility to
serve all students remains with the district regardless of outside funding availability. The responsibility
lies with the district to provide services to ELs. (See Appendix A.) How that program is configured may
vary according to a number of factors, but services should be accessible to all those students identified
as needing them and provided by teachers licensed to do so. Services for ELs is not a sub-category of
Special Education, but rather directed at a distinct and separate need, although all students identified as
needing both services should receive them to the extent determined by careful identification
procedures and by teachers licensed in both fields.

It should be noted that the terms EL (English Learner) and ELL (English Language Learner) appear
frequently in the following document. While the Minnesota Department of Education refers most often
to ELs, the term ELL is also used frequently in local districts and used often nationally as well. Both
terms are used essentially synonymously in this document. Some federal legislation uses the term
Limited English Proficient (LEP) student, a term which will be found in some of the resource information
provided below. The Minnesota teaching license held by qualified teachers is an English as a Second
Language (ESL) license. A teacher licensed to provide content and language instruction in two languages
will hold a license in Bilingual Bicultural Education.

This document will address topics that relate to the development and provision of services to the above-
mentioned students, who will be identified as determined by Minnesota and federal rule and legislation.
It will then provide suggestions for helping the district modify practices and procedures as necessary. It
should be noted that the Title III Critical Elements and Self-Assessment Report documents, used by the
Minnesota Department of Education in its program monitoring process, are provided in Appendices B
and C to guide the district in addressing some of the areas of program interest and responsibility.

Most programs in local school districts for English Learners need to be in a constant state of continuous
modification and improvement due to the often-changing demographics of the target population, as
well as the often uneven rates of English language acquisition. This will surely be the case with LIFE Prep
as well and will necessitate a frequent examination and analysis of data with respect to ELs. The hope of
the author is that this document will serve as a catalyst for initial discussion about the emerging
program, as well as provide indicators and resources which will assist in the planning and
implementation of the program, together with the assessment and evaluation of both students program
progress.
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RECOMMENDATIONS BY TOPIC

Program Planning
Recommendation: LIFE Prep administration and Board members should review the state and federal
responsibilities and legal impetus for providing services for English Learners (ELs) so that they can be
kept in mind as planning for the EL program commences and evolves. (See Appendices). School budget
items, as well as modification of some administrative responsibilities, may need revision and/or
clarification in considering EL Program needs.

Recommendation: Much of the program planning should take place with the ESL teaching staff to be
hired, with input from other school sources, as noted in other sections of this document. To that end,
LIFE Prep needs to seek out a fully licensed ESL teacher in order to carry out the program.

Recommendation: Contact and consultation with the EL experts and contacts at the Minnesota
Department of Education is advised, in order to assure that requirements for reporting and solicitation
of appropriate available funds are met.

Identification, Entry and Exit

Recommendation: The district should make known and easily accessible the criteria and procedure by
which English Learners are identified and placed in the EL Program. Mainstream staff should have easy
access to this and other information regarding each identified English Learner (EL), perhaps through a
student information sheet, which could include relevant assessment information, family information,
etc.

Recommendation: LIFE Prep needs to be certain that the MN Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ) is
not the sole means of determining eligibility for EL Program service. It is possible for a language other
than English to be spoken in the home and the student in question can be bilingual and performing well
in school. Conversely, poor academic performance may not be due to lack of English language
proficiency. Further determination of academic need should be also considered and input from
mainstream teacher and relevant support staff considered.

Recommendation: Criteria used to decide the placement level needs to be clearly determined and made
known, as the level of language proficiency may determine the amount and type of service provided.

Recommendation: The EL Program needs to develop EL Program exit criteria to determine when
services will be discontinued and to provide the parameters for program inclusion. Given the fact that
mainstream classroom staff should have a voice in determining the possibility of success of an individual
student without services, the criteria for making that determination needs to be clear to all. At the
same time, it is important to determine the usual time a district student spends in the EL Program, as
that information must be included in the Parent Notification Letter sent to parents if a student is placed

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in the program. This information cannot be clearly collected without a clear understanding of the exit
criteria.

Programming
Recommendation: A document or handbook should be developed that outlines and describes the LIFE
Prep EL Program Plan of Service, using established levels of English language proficiency to define
appropriate service. It should be made easily accessible to all stakeholders, including educational staff,
parents and community. Such a document can include process and procedure for program entry and
exit (see previous section), as well as information regarding program content, assessment, types and
amount of service, program model and staff.

Recommendation: It is important that the responsibility to provide adequate EL Program services be a
school priority. Scheduling, funding and other issues that may present complications are not reasons to
sacrifice appropriate services as outlined in both state and federal rules and regulations. Students who
meet the criteria and demonstrate need for more than one type of service should receive all services to
which he or she is entitled.

Recommendation: All instructional staff should have a basic understanding of the English Language
Proficiency Standards to which the ELs at LIFE Prep will be held accountable. (See Selected Resource
Suggestions.)

Recommendation: Regularly scheduled collaboration time should be planned among all staff members
providing services to ELs for effective and efficient use of both student and staff time.

Recommendation: EL staff needs to have access to the specific ESL and other materials necessary to
carry out their work in teaching academic English to ELs and meeting the specific WIDA English Language
Development Standards to which their field must adhere.

Recommendation: Mainstream staff may also have needs for materials that will specifically address the
needs of English Learners in their mainstream classroom environment. First language materials will
enhance instruction in a second language and may make it more accessible to the EL. These materials
might include, but are not limited to, dictionaries and glossaries, visuals such as maps and charts,
parallel bilingual materials, manipulatives, etc. These needs also should be addressed as possible.
Publishers of content instructional materials, media and library specialists, as well as the Internet can
also be possible sources.

Assessment and Evaluation

Recommendation: Information regarding the required assessment measures that must be used to
determine the language and content progress and proficiency of English Learners should be made
available to all instructional staff at LIFE Prep. This should include information about the definition of
and the meeting of the three Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs), which are specific
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to ELs, and for which the district is held responsible, as well as appropriate accommodations (See
Selected Resource Suggestions section of this document.) It should be clear that performance on the
ACCESS English language proficiency test is the main factor in determining readiness to exit the program,
although not the only factor.

Recommendation: Assure that both EL staff, administrative staff and all instructional staff are aware of
the approved accommodations for English Learners, as these apply not only when assessing English
language proficiency, but in all assessment environments. These accommodations are found in the
annual Procedures Manual for the Minnesota Assessments published by the Minnesota Department of
Education. Information specific to English Learners is found in Chapter 6 of the current manual,
published in February, 2015. (See Selected Resource Suggestions section of this document.)

Recommendation: An ongoing and systematic manner in which the EL Program effectiveness can be
evaluated needs to be devised. While a general idea should be developed from the onset, details can be
determined during the first school year of the program.

Parental Communication and Engagement

Recommendation: The district should strengthen efforts to communicate effectively with all parents
who do not know English well. It should be noted that while some parents may possess some English
oral language skills, this does not assure that they can read in English. At the same time, as with all
parents, it is important to recognize that some parents may not read well in any language, making it
necessary to provide information verbally through an interpreter.

Recommendation: In hiring new staff at all levels, attempts should be made to hire staff that possess
skills and understandings with respect to the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of LIFE Prep students.

Recommendation: Consider offering parent meetings in the parents first language which would allow
LIFE Prep to disseminate important information to parents and allow said parents to pose questions,
provide input and gain information about issues important to them. Such meetings can be a learning
experience for both the parents and for the school. Demonstrate to parents that LIFE Prep celebrates
the linguistic and cultural diversity that they and their children bring to the school.

Recommendation: A school wide initiative should be developed for transmitting relevant information
regarding EL families and students to all school staff. A Student Information Sheet could include both
relevant family information as well as academic and assessment information, including information from
the Home Language Questionnaire. This form could be made available to classroom staff and updated
as appropriate.

Mainstream Support and Participation

Recommendation: It is abundantly clear from the LIFE Prep Survey on English Learners that staff feels a
need for an EL Program and is anxious to provide support for the program, staff and identified English
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Learners. Using the input from mainstream staff, together with the expertise of the ESL teacher, ways in
which collaboration can take place need to be fully explored and facilitated. Time for such collaboration
should be allocated and ways in which ongoing communication can take place need to be identified.

Recommendation: ELs will spend most of their school day with mainstream instructional staff members,
who are responsible for teaching content. Keeping this in mind, it is important that
Mainstream teachers feel that the EL program is helping them carry out their work
EL Program staff are able to provide instruction that will support this work
To that end, both groups need to be able to use their expertise and experience in carrying out their work
with mutual respect and attention to individual student needs.

Translation and Interpretation
Recommendation: Define roles and schedules of school staff as translators and interpreters and the
time to be allotted for that purpose.

Recommendation: Local school districts have the responsibility to assure that all information
disseminated to all parents is provided in a language that they understand. (See Appendix A) Translated
materials can be developed, collected and stored for use as they become necessary, thereby avoiding
often-duplicated efforts and making translations more immediately available to those who need them.
The quality of the translations should be verified and a process for doing so established. For routine
forms, collaboration and sharing with other schools and districts might be explored, adapting the
translations to confirm to LIFE Prep needs. Again it should be noted that for parents to fully understand
information shared by the school, it may be necessary to also provide the information verbally through
an interpreter.

Professional Development

Recommendation: One of the most significant results of the LIFE Prep Survey on English Learners was
the desire expressed by all respondents for more information and training in order to better serve ELs.
Planning for such training should begin as soon as possible and take into account interests expressed by
staff, as well as assuring that all staff have been provided information regarding the EL Program at LIFE
Prep, both initially and as it develops. A simple general overview session regarding ELs and the EL
Program should be planned for the end of the current school year if calendars and schedules permit so
that staff can better understand possible impact for the coming school year. LIFE Prep administrative
staff and Board members should be included as possible.

Recommendation: EL Program staff should be afforded opportunities to interact and participate in
training and information sessions targeting them. This should include statewide as well as regional and
local opportunities.



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TIMELINE SUGGESTIONS FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND

IMPLEMENTATION

Spring, 2015
The EL Program announced and described to:
o Board of Directors
o Staff
o Parents and Community
Addition of EL Program to announced LIFE Prep programs and services in brochures, on website
and other public information
Budget planning to include EL program needs
Designation of ESL instructional space within the school
Development of position description for ESL teacher position
Interview possible ESL teacher candidates
Consideration of existing and future paraprofessional positions and how they can support both
the ESL teacher and the program, taking into account position description, scheduling,
interpreting and translation responsibilities, familiarity with communities served by the school,
etc.
Begin collection and development of necessary forms and communications, both in English and
in the first language of families served
Begin collection of first language materials for student and classroom use in support of best
second language acquisition environment
Discuss possible materials needs for EL Program with newly hired ESL teacher in order to be
prepared for fall, 2015 initiation of program
Initiate a campaign directed at both students and families of the value of knowing more than
one language and being comfortable and active in more than one ethnic environment and the
importance of this as part of the preparation for students to achieve in a diverse, global context.
Plan and schedule (in late spring, summer or early fall) parent meetings in ELs families first
language(s) in order to:
o Inform parents and community about the program and the school and answer questions
o To gather information and input from them regarding their priorities, suggestions and
needs for the EL Program and the general academic environment
Data collection procedures updated to include ELs
Consideration of collaboration with existing programs at LIFE Prep, including common goals and
activities
Review the LIFE Prep Teacher Survey on English Learners in order to incorporate suggestions and
expressed needs into professional development planning for the 2015-2016 school year
Seek out resources from and about the EL community that can assist in the development and
implementation of the EL Program at LIFE Prep. Example would be English Learner Education
Newsletter, disseminated by the Minnesota Department of Education.
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Summer, 2015 (as time, staff and funding permit):
EL program and curriculum planning and development, including a written EL Program
description and plan of services
Student and program evaluation and monitoring plan determined
Initial scheduling for EL Program staff
Outreach of Director of Student and Family Services person to familiarize families with the plans
and benefits of the upcoming EL Program

Fall, 2015:
Incorporate the Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ) into all student enrollment at LIFE Prep
If not yet completed, the development of a written EL Program description and Plan of Service,
including:
o Identification of ELs, using written identification criteria
o Placement of ELs: Decisions regarding levels of English language proficiency to
determine levels and amount of service to be provided
Carry out initial identification and placement of ELs at LIFE Prep
Required assessments of ELs scheduled and taken into account in planning both overall program
services as well as individual student services
Final scheduling of ESL teacher and eligible students determined
Notification letters sent to parents within the required time frame in languages that they
understand. Information also provided orally for those parents who may not read well in any
language.
EL Program provides services to identified students
Planning and carrying out of EL parent meetings and activities, together with the incorporation
of said parents into already existing school meetings and activities
Staff development re working with ELs

On-going thereafter:
Collaboration between EL and mainstream staff
Exit from EL Program and Monitoring of Student Progress for Possible Re-entry
Assessment of English Language Proficiency of students (in addition to required content
assessment for all students)
Review of AMAOs
Scheduling adjustment as necessary
Review and evaluation of EL Program successes and weakness in order to modify and improve
the program and program services


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SELECTED RESOURCE SUGGESTIONS

Educational

Minnesota Department of Education site with links to sample program description for parents,
parent notification letter and Home Language Questionnaire
http://www.education.state.mn.us/MDE/JustParent/EngLearn/index.html

Minnesota Department of Education site with information on Title III , including translations of
forms, area director list, intent to form a Title III consortium and consortia guidelines, EL
program review and monitoring protocol, Title III program guidelines and AMAOs.
http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/SchSup/ESEA/TitleIII/index.html

Link to WIDA Download Library. In setting up your program and getting assessment protocol
established, request your login in order to have access to all resources.
https://www.wida.us/downloadLibrary.aspx

The WIDA English Language Development Standards Information, webinar, and list of
standards. Used as Minnesota standards.
https://www.wida.us/standards/eld.aspx#2012

Information and definitions of Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) can be
found at: http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/SchSup/ESEA/TitleIII/index.html

In order to access the Procedures Manual for the Minnesota Assessments to obtain information
regarding testing accommodations for English Learners, navigate to
http://www.pearsonaccess.com, choose Minnesota in the dropdown, then choose
Resources under Quick Links, choose Manuals, and finally choose the Procedures Manual
for the Minnesota Assessments. Go to Chapter 6. The direct link to the manual is:
http://www.pearsonaccess.com/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urlblob&blobheader=application%2Fforce-
download&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadername2=Content-Transfer-
Encoding&blobheadervalue1=attachment%3B+filename%3D%222014-
2015_Procedures_Manual%2C0.pdf%22&blobheadervalue2=binary&blobkey=id&blobtable=Bin
aryData&blobwhere=1255060249553&ssbinary=true

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Laws and Rules

US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights: Schools' Civil Rights Obligations to English
Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents (January, 2015). An Office for Civil Rights
(OCR) Portal to both forms and information.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ellresources.html

The forms found in Appendices B and C below contain the legal references to the required
information.


Other Resource Suggestions:

Use the services of the Minnesota Centers for Excellence when possible to provide information
and further resources as LIFE Prep works to develop and improve its EL Program.

Take advantage of the interpreter training offered periodically by the Minnesota Department of
Education Office of Special Education

Contact and maintain communication with other state, county and city offices that serve new,
immigrant and refugee populations in order to better coordinate services and take advantage of
mutual interests and objectives.

Pursue other educational partnerships and alliances.

A federal interagency website on limited English proficiency, which also addresses community
responsibilities outside the realm of K-12 education which may provide information for
community issues:
http://www.lep.gov/













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Appendices

Appendix A: January, 2015 US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Document:
Ensuring English Learner Students Can Participate Meaningfully and Equally in
Educational Programs

Appendix B: Minnesota Department of Education Critical Elements

Appendix C: Minnesota Department of Education Self-Assessment Report (SAR)

Appendix D: Copy of LIFE Prep staff survey
Appendix E: The Minnesota Learning of English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS)
Act of 2014 Report by the McKnight Foundation

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