ELAC English Learners Advisory Committee http www ellsuccess

ELAC: English Learners Advisory Committee http: //www. ellsuccess. org/

A committee for parents or other community members who want to advocate for English Learners. A committee that assists in the development of the school’s needs assessment, Language Census Report, and efforts to make aware of the importance of attendance. Something that all schools with 21 or more EL students, must have. What is the ELAC? A committee whose purpose is to advise the principal, school staff and the School Site Council (SSC) on programs and services for English Learners (ELs). The percentage of EL parents on ELAC must match that of the school. Must meet at least 4 times a year. Can be a part of SSC but then SSC must still fulfill the duties of ELAC. 2

How does the ELAC get formed? Elections are at the beginning of any year that there are no members. Only families of ELs can vote for the ELAC members. Anyone can be nominated for the ELAC but the ELAC offices must match the % of the number of EL students at the site The principal or school site person is a member of ELAC. Other staff members and community members may be elected as ELAC members but the ELAC offices must match the % of the number of EL students at the site 3

ELAC Member Reminders § The percentage of members for ELAC must be at least the same percentage as that of ELs at the school. § If 82% of the school students are ELs, then 82% of the ELAC must be parents of ELs. § So if there are 10 members, 5 must be parents of ELs. § The rest can include the principal, staff, or other parents and community members but the ELAC members must match the % of the number of EL students at the site § ELAC can be part of SSC however the duties of ELAC must then be carried out by SSC. § The ELAC serves to advise the site in decision making. 4

ELAC Officers Chairperson/Pres ident Leads the meeting Signs letters or documents Vice-Chair/ Vice President Helps the president in any or all of the task Secretary Takes meeting notes Keeps the binder updated Attends the SSC meetings 5

What must the ELAC do? n n n Select officers and follow their by-laws. Meet on a regular basis with agendas – posted 72 hours before. Keep a binder with minutes, the sign-in, the by-laws, etc. Elect and send at least one representative to the DELAC meetings. n Also select an alternate for the DELAC meetings in case the representative cannot come. The alternate can be someone from the school site- principal, teacher, etc. The alternate cannot vote at the DELAC meeting though. Open the meetings for all interested families or staff. Advise, in writing, the principal and the SSC on the development of the SPSA and or recommendations for the SPSA. 6

What are the meeting requirements? Meetings must be open to the public and allow for public input. n Meeting notices and agendas must be announced and posted at least 72 hours before the meeting. n The public must have access to all the materials discussed and/or distributed at the meeting. n n This is usually kept in the ELAC binder and stored in a public place (like by the secretary). 7

Required Agenda Topics for ELAC (There a minimum of 4 required ELAC meetings per site per year. ) 8

Agenda Topics #1 n The first meeting is an organizational meeting. The primary purposes of this meeting are to: n n n n n Explain the purpose of the ELAC Provide training on the roles and responsibilities of ELAC members Elect ELAC officers Elect a DELAC Representative and Alternate Determine meeting dates and times for the year n The principal or a site designee will conduct the meeting until a chairperson is elected. Uniform Compliant Procedure AMAO’s CELDT Testing Needs Assessment

Sample Agenda for Meeting 1 n n n Call to Order Old Business New Business n ELAC elections n Appoint DELAC Representative and an Alternate n The DELAC representative will vote at the DELAC meetings. The alternate cannot vote but still needs to attend if the representative cannot. ELAC Purpose Uniform Compliant Procedure AMAO’s CELDT Testing Needs Assessment Next Meeting Adjournment n n n n 10

Sample Needs Assessment n n n n How do you feel your child is progressing in school? How well do you feel that your child’s teachers are prepared? How do you feel about communication to and from school? What are your thoughts about school policies? Do you feel that the content standards your child is learning have been clearly explained to you? Are the school rules equitable to all students? Do you feel comfortable discussing concerns with the school administration? 11

Sample Nomination Letter Dear Parents: This year you will have a wonderful opportunity to become a more active participant in your child’s education. ________ is conducting elections for the English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). The ELAC is a representative body of parents, students, and school site personnel who wish to take a more active part in planning, implementation, and evaluation of the school site’s educational plan. You can be nominated and then voted in to serve on the ELAC. English Learner Advisory Committee Candidate Name: Telephone Number: Student’s Name: Thank you for your participation and support! Please return this nomination letter to your child’s school. 12

Sample ELAC Ballot School Site: _______Elections English Language Advisory Council (ELAC) Please vote for 2 parents and 2 staff members: Parent: Staff Member: 13

Agenda Topic #2 n n n Call to Order Reading and Approval of Minutes New Business n Budget Input n SPSA Discussion n Student achievement n Program services n Categorical Budgets n School goals n District/School evaluations of program effectiveness Announcements Next Meeting Adjournment 14

Agenda Topic #3 n n n Call to Order Reading and Approval of Minutes New Business n Reclassification Criteria n Language Census n Student Attendance Public Comment Next Meeting Adjournment 15

Talking points for Attendance 16

Schools receive on average $35 in income a day for each child that attends school. So if a child misses four days a month, then the school loses $140 a month per child that is absent 4 days. Schools receive on average $35 in income a day for each child that attends school. If 20 children at each school are absent this much, then the school loses $28, 000 a year. Four days a month for the entire school year, means that the school then loses $1400 per child for the entire year. So if a child misses four days a month, then the school loses $140 a month per child that is absent 4 days.

Every day a student misses school, he or she gets more than two days behind his or her peers. So if a child misses four days a month, that is eight or more days behind their peers per month. If the school year is 180 days, then that means that the child is almost half a year behind their peers. Being absent for 4 days every month equals 36 days a year. This means that the child then becomes more than 72 days behind their peers.

Agenda Topic #4 Call to Order n Reading and Approval of Minutes n New Business n Language Census Report n Upcoming SBAC/CAHSEE testing n Public Input n Announcements n Next Meeting n Adjournment n 19

Other Useful Information Sites may need for ELAC 20

Guiding Questions for Parents to ask at ELAC: n What kind of questions can we ask as ELAC members? What is the school plan? n How are teachers trained to teach ELs? n Who oversees the plan and how is it evaluated? n I want to visit classrooms. Who will help me with this? n How can I support my child in school? n 21

Purposeful Placement Structured English Immersion (SEI) CELDT B, EI, and I English Language Mainstream (ELM) CELDT EA and A Mainstream/Core Classes ELD RFEP students K-5 takes place during the selfcontained classroom day 6 -12 students are grouped by EL Proficiency level 22

Professional Development for Teachers QTEL WFTB and WFTBB Thinking Maps ELPD Teacher Authorization CTEL CLAD SB 395 23