Language Assistance Program Update
August 24, 2018
What if a parent declines English Learner services for their child?
The Indiana Department of Education 2018-2019 English Learner Identification and Placement Guidance states that parent refusal of services must be documented, signed, and stored locally. Parents must be informed that they have the right to opt back into services at any time. Students must still be assessed annually with ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 until testing out of the program with an overall score of 5.0 or higher. The school still has the responsibility to meet the students’ academic and language needs, perhaps through differentiated instruction in the mainstream classroom. This includes the student having an Individualized Learning Plan and receiving accommodations on state standardized assessments.
Who is a migrant student? Where do migrant families work in Indiana?
These questions can be answered here at the Indiana Department of Education's Migrant Education 101 website, which includes a map of Indiana and common crops that migrant workers help produce.
Please remember that every student (not just English Learners) should have a completed migrant form in their cumulative file for the current school year. The form and instructions for school staff can be found here.
Building Skills Parent Handouts
TeacherVision has a collection of reference sheets that are perfect for sharing with parents at the beginning of the school year. Each one-page tip sheet suggests how to help kindergarten through sixth-grade students in each subject and grade level here.
Rewordify
Rewordify is a free website that beginning English Learners may find helpful. Students can copy text from articles, websites, or online textbooks and the site will provide a simplified text that will be easier for a student to comprehend.
Ten (Usually Wrong) Ideas About ELLs
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development presents a list here of common misconceptions about English Learners and how teachers can help them succeed. Some of these incorrect ideas may surprise you.