Monthly Happenings: October 2019
Updates from IDOE's English Learner Team
LATEST NEWS
September EL Leadership Meeting Resources
Thanks to those who were able to take time out of their busy schedules to attend our EL Leadership Webex in September! If you weren't able to attend, or want to reference content shared during the call, you can access the slides here in the EL Leadership Meeting Resources drop-down.
Our next EL Leadership meeting will be in-person and held on December 4 at Washington Township in Indianapolis from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET. More info can be found on our EL PD calendar. We hope to see you there!
GRANTS and REPORTING
NESP: Intelligrants Updates and Tips
As we tie-up the first round of grant application reviews, we wanted to share some important information on the next phases of the NESP grant cycle:
Distribution Requests: After the grant has been executed, the district can then request those funds. Distribution Requests are completed within the Intelligrants system, however must be done so by the Subgrantee Fiscal Agent role. Instructions on how to access the Distribution Requests can be found in the Intelligrants User Manual, attached below.
Amendments: Moving forward, NESP amendments will also be completed through the Intelligrants system. A similar review and approval process will occur for amendments, and you can learn more about the steps required for sumbitting 2019-2020 NESP amendment requests in the Intelligrants User Manual.
Test Label (TL) and Language Minority (LM) Reports Reminders
Test Label (TL) Report: The TL report generates bar code and testing labels for the annual WIDA ACCESS assessment. The report submission window is September 30 - October 14. Any EL student not reported on the TL, or those that enroll after TL reporting, will need to be added to the WIDA-AMS system and/or have their test booklet bubbled manually. See the TL Layout here. Reminder: only English learner students who will take ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS need to be reported.
Language Minority (LM) Report: All non-English speaking and immigrant students are reported annually on the LM report. The new window for the LM report submission for this year and moving forward is October 1 - November 15. Please see the updated LM layout, language codes, and country codes documents in the LM tab of our EL Policy and Guidance page. Continue to check your Reconciliation Report to allow yourself time to make any adjustments if needed. NOTE: HLS Amendment requests that you would like reviewed before the LM deadline must be submitted by November 1. This will allow our office the time to review and each request thoroughly prior to the deadline.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Indiana EL PD Opportunities
Our Indiana English Learner PD Calendar features current professional learning opportunities for the school year. We will continue to update the Calendar as new opportunities arise and highlight those that are just around the corner here in Monthly Happenings.
On our Professional Learning and Resources main page, you can also find resources from past EL Leadership and Directors' Meetings, external PD options, and WIDA eLearning information.
Upcoming WIDA Workshop: Writing with Multilingual Learners
There are still spaces available for the two-day Writing with Multilingual Learners workshop, presented by WIDA, on October 29-30. The workshop will take place in Franklin Township and will last from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET each day. These interactive sessions, intended for all K-12 educators of ELs, will explore a pedagogical approach that apprentices multilingual learners into writing in various academic genres. Find more details and register here. Keep in mind there is a maximum of two participants per district.
Annual INTESOL Conference and K-12 Pre-Conference Reminders
Registration is also open for the INTESOL K-12 Pre-Conference, which will focus specifically on Social Emotional Learning for ELs. This will take place on Friday, November 1 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET, also at Marriott East in Indianapolis. The goal for this day is to bring together educators from different spaces within schools to collaborate and dive into the issues facing immigrant children and how to support their social, emotional learning. The day will include something for everyone! Learn more and register here.
WIDA eLearning Offerings Information
- Using the WIDA Writing Rubric
- Leading for Equity: Classroom Walk-through
- Classroom Educators: Engaging Multilingual Learners
- Language for Learning in Mathematics
- Doing and Talking STEM
- Foundational Concepts for K-12 Educators
You can find more details on each of these sessions, including a video overview, in WIDA's Self-Paced eWorkshops page. To access the eWorkshops, after logging into the secure portal, click the button labeled Free eWorkshops. If you have any questions, contact the WIDA Client Services Center at (866) 276-7735 or help@wida.us for assistance.
Indiana ILP Corner: Upcoming Trainings
We are happy to announce two upcoming regional, in-person Indiana ILP trainings. These will take place on October 23 at SIEC in Lafayette and on November 7 at WVEC in Jasper. These trainings are intended for current and prospective users of the system. There will be walk-throughs of the different components as well as technical support. Both days will feature a morning and afternoon session to choose from. Find more information and register via the links provided.
For additional questions regarding system access, please contact the system help desk at IndianaILP@pcgus.com. Various training materials and resources are also available on the IDOE EL Policy and Guidance webpage.
THE WORLD OF ENGLISH LEARNING
Coming Soon: The 2020 Edition of the WIDA ELD Standards
Upcoming IDOE EL Networking and Collaboration Events
This is a friendly reminder about the following IDOE networking and collaboration days on specific EL-related topics:
Annual IDOE Dual Language Networking Day: On October 29, MSD Washington Township will host the annual IDOE Dual Language Networking Day. This is an event open to current DLI programs leaders and teachers, as well as for those interested in starting a program. This is always a wonderful opportunity for the DLI community to collaborate and share research, ideas, and successes. Please sign up here, and if you have any questions please reach out to Nicole Leach.
IDOE Secondary Collaborative Community Work Days: On November 19 and 20, the Secondary Collaborative will meet to draft guidance on key topics facing secondary English learners. This will take place at the Indiana Association of Principals (IASP) in Indianapolis from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET each day. Please contact Georgina Schneider or Nicole Leach to get registered for this day, review kick-off meeting materials, and/or review webinar materials.
Indiana Refugee Series - Fort Wayne Community Schools
Fort Wayne Community Schools make their newly arrived immigrant families feel welcome by planning home visits. Teachers take all the necessities with them, including games for the children to use with their families to promote oral language practice over the summer, flash cards, and specific school information available in English and their native language. Teachers also help families navigate through some of the school registration processes and help answer or advise for the upcoming school year. This not only empowers the family and puts them at ease, but truly bridges the divide between home and school for these families!
Dual Language Book Study - Chapter 2
This month, the book study for Why Dual Language Schooling by Virginia P. Collier and Wayne P. Thomas continues with chapter two, which is appropriately titled What Else Do Policy Makers and Families Need to Know? Indiana currently has dual language programs in Spanish and Mandarin. This chapter gives a list of languages used in programs across the country which includes Arabic, Armenian, Filipino, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese as well as indigenous languages. There is a huge amount of potential for growth in languages within Indiana. This chapter also gives more reasons to implement programs such as an increase in graduation rates, attendance, and engagement. Program types are then reviewed as well as the socio-cultural benefits for ELs as well as English-speaking students. This chapter ends with a summary of the cost-effectiveness of dual language programs as well as an explanation of the manner in which dual language leads to better accountability with its benefits for students who might be considered at risk.
IDOE English Learner Team
Valerie Beard
Assistant Director of English Learners and Migrant Education Programs
(317) 232-0558
vbeard@doe.in.gov
Nicole Leach
Dual Language Immersion and English Learner Specialist
(317) 232-0572
nleach@doe.in.gov
Adam Pitt
English Learner Specialist
(317) 234-7168
apitt@doe.in.gov
Georgina Schneider
English Learner Specialist
(317) 234-7785
gschneider@doe.in.gov