There will be a webinar on 1/23 from Sibel to answer questions from Devens mtg

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1 Minutes for MATSOL LI SIG 1/12/15 Sibel Hughes opened with discussion on the new guidance from the federal OELAAA. It addresses SEI and separate ESL instruction. It promotes separate ESL instruction for level 4 & 5 ELLs. There is a focus on SPED ELLs as well. DESE will revise transitional guidance document to align it with federal guidelines. It will also update the CPR booklet. There will be a webinar on 1/23 from Sibel to answer questions from Devens mtg 4/30 pending next big DESE sponsored LI/charter meeting on ESL curriculum with Fernanda Kray Register early it will fill up fast. Continuation of CPR presentation from November LI mtg: ELE 8 Declining Entry to a Program - Do not forget that they are ELLs and code them as ELLs - Some districts are tempted to persuade parents to opt out not advised - Opt out ELLs must be making progress, must take ACCESS, cannot be exited until they meet district s reclassification criteria (ACCESS, MCAS, report cards, etc) - Signed and dated letter from parent is sufficient for opt out Q: in a language they can understand - - Can we use other parents to interpret? Is training required for interpreters? DESE doesn t do oversight on training, but training is important for IEP mtgs. DESE does not mandate trained interpreters. DESE is looking into developing a community training program for interpreters to learn about the language of education Joni Magee offered support for finding interpreters, please contact her Q: What is the exit score? Exit criteria changes depending on ACCESS results - Level 6 versus Levels 5 and 4 ELE 9 Instructional Grouping Depending on proficiency levels, it s ok to combine students across grade levels as long as they are at same proficiency level. Can be problematic if grade span is very large. No law determining how many grade spans you can combine though. Rhoda ELE programs can have instructional grouping, but it s not constrained like SPED

2 ELE 10 Parent Notification Q: Can we provide another parent notification form without Title 3 information? You can delete that section on the form. - Must be sent out every year. Parents must be notified about ELL status every year. ACCESS documents only are not enough. Must be specific with levels and scores. - Not mandatory to send DESE s document but must send it out every year. Everything in ELE 10 must be covered use CPR document as guidance it specifically outlines necessary information for parent notification forms - Parent permission is not needed for ELL services. Districts should not require parents to give permission - Parents can opt out and request a waiver. ELE 11 Access to Academic Programs and Services - All students should have equal access to all programs special ed, gifted classes. ELL scheduling should allow for students to participate in special programs they are eligible for. It s a violation of civil rights not to provide for these services - Do not require waiting time for testing, i.e., 2 years in ELL program before SPED testing - Do not over test students or assume that language difference is learning difficulty - Do not use specials/electives for scheduling ELL services. Do not schedule all electives 1 or 2 is fine it is temporary. Q: What about Title 1 services? Do not pull from Title 1 or PE anything that conflicts with graduation and/or promotion. Districts have specific requirements - First meet the ESL needs then determine reading intervention if necessary ELE 12 Equal Access to Nonacademic and Extracurricular Programs Sibel shared her experience of having a student who was denied access to dance classes due to beginner proficiency level ELE 13 Follow-up Support - Monitor FLEP students for 2 years. - Whenever possible, place FLEPs with SEI endorsed teachers. - Confirm that student is capable of doing grade level work. Consider reclassifying students if they are not succeeding. - Progress reports can qualify as appropriate monitoring forms make sure they are filed in ELL folder, but districts should have FLEP monitoring forms Q: Is it a mandate to place FLEPs with SEI endorsed teachers? No, it is advised Q: 2 students have been reclassified as ELL again. Do they have to take ACCESS now? Yes. Order tests. Call Alexis Glick at DESE

3 ELE 14 Licensure requirements - All ESL teachers must have appropriate licenses - Teachers only licensed in ESL should not be providing content area instruction - All teachers should be highly qualified pass MTEL Q: Are ELE directors required to hold a Supervisor license? Yes. They should have both an ESL and Supervisor license. If title is ELE Director, person must be ESL certified and supervisor licensed. If the person s title is not ELE Director, i.e., Student Services Director, that s fine. Q: What if boss is Assistant Superintendant? Only required to hold both licenses if primary job title is ELE Director Q: Is it ok if my Director of Curriculum and Instruction has Supervisor license and I have ESL license and we work together. OK If the person s only responsibility is as ELE Director, the person must be dually certified in ESL and Supervision. ELE 15 Professional Development Requirements Not Until ELE 16 Equitable Facilities Where is the ELL teacher s teaching location? In a closet? If other students use the closet, that s ok. - Materials, access to technology must be equitable ELE 17 Program Evaluation OELAAA mandates a regular internal program evaluation. DESE website has a tool for districts to use for evaluating ELE programs Q: What is the name of that form? Program Evaluation Form FLEP monitoring form, Opt out forms, many forms can be found other DESE website ELE 18 Records of ELL Students Do districts need ELL student folders? Yes. They can be stored anywhere. Folders should be accessible Q: Where do you put the ELP tests for students who do not qualify? Testing materials for students who do not qualify should be stored in the cumulative folder Some districts change the color of the folder for FLEP students

4 It s rare in Massachusetts for districts not to have a finding for ELE 5. Sibel was impressed with programs at Quincy Public Schools - great ELE program/curriculum. As long as you have a plan to help students catch up later on, it makes sense to provide ESL services during ELA blocks. At Quincy HS, 4 levels of ESL classes, students who need more time, have other classes like pronunciation, for 30min/day block. Whittier Vocational School provides ESL during shop time in the shop (not providing 2.5 hours/day, but much Push in ESL instruction ). Joni Magee English Language Learner Special Education Coordinator- What is OELAAA up to? Q: Can I audit the SEI Endorsement class? Dee Doan person at DESE to contact regarding auditing SEI course. There have been recent changes in auditing requirements - ESL Curriculum Project Fernanda Kray Do not wait on the curriculum work to come out in order to begin district curriculum work There will not be a state wide ELE curriculum. Committee is looking at: Definition of ESL Committee consensus District guidance on curriculum development Model units Developing a guidance doc for eligibility, parent engagement, identifying disabilities, students who are suspected of being LD but do not. A survey will be going out to districts asking for input. Federal guidance doc will also offer input. Bilingual programs need to participate as well. Q: Do Alt ACCESS proficiency levels have their own required hours of service? Level 1 and 2 receive 2.5 hrs of ESL How do the hours of ELL services tie in to the IEP services? Q: Can 2 services be combined? OT and ESL for example

5 Yes, if objectives can be aligned. Services must include language objectives Not coteaching, cotreating ESL teacher teaching, Speech Pathologist treating. IEP form being revised and available online ESL proficiency levels will be listed on IEP. More focus on family background Piloting programs for family engagement RFQs for case studies, Title III Melanie Manares Title III Coordinator Urban ELL Coordinators David Valade (West), Zhaneta Liti (East) - Work with commissioners districts - High incidence districts - Facilitate Summer ELL Leadership Programs OELAAA works closely with other departments in DESE Coauthoring a paper to present to federal OELAAA on SPED ELLs 2-way bilingual guidance Slife guidance ELL/SPED guidance ESL Leadership institutes LI/Charter schools Research Studies Helen Solorzano MATSOL Executive Director link to Federal guidance papers on MATSOL homepage Access to slides from today will be on MATSOL website Q: When will evaluation checklists for principal walkthroughs be available? Probably not until Q: Do you recommend LI districts to form Title 3 Consortia? Funding, shared resources, best practices, pd training, collegiality Need 100 ELLs to qualify Q: Is there a mandate to create an ELL student questionnaire for parents and students? Not specifically. Maybe through the internal program review. More at the Site based management level. Put that on the agenda for next LI meeting Q: SPED ELL question change in PDP distribution. Joni is looking into PD which addresses both SPED & ELLs and satisfies PDP requirements for both

6 Developing Conference with SPED and ELL teachers Support to work effectively as a team Mass FOCUS Academy has great course taught by Maria Serpa (combined DESE and LesleyU) Link to 2 papers on DESE website: Imperative for Change ELLs with disabilities in Massachusetts Rhoda asked if there were any questions on curriculum. None HS content support/mcas/graduation issues held for next mtg Helen update - Conference in May - Conference schedule will be posted after early registration closes - OELAAA will be presenting 6-8 sessions on DESE projects - SLIFE policy guidance and ESL Model Curriculum development - MATSOL Professional Learning - Registration open for SLIFE Institute in April - Advocacy deadline for filing a bill to allow for program choice in districts Language Opportunity Coalition will establish a Seal of Biliteracy 2 weeks to get legislators to sign on as cosponsors, support bill Languageopportunity.org Language learning information, FL learning, support language learning for everyone maintaining native language, learning English, learning a FL SLIFE elist Bilingual SPED elist PD coming on that topic Collaborating with DESE and working independently Reach out to businesses looking for bilingual employees, parent groups who want more choice for their children, making up a FAQ pamphlet about coalition Q: What do we bubble in for students who do not have a PreId label? Refer to the TAM