The English Language Learner KnowledgeBase for Administrators

How to Reach Out to Parents of ELLs

This Colorin Colorado offering focuses on how to reach out to parents of ELLs. ELLs benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. This site provides some ways to reach out to parents of ELLs and increase the likelihood of their participation.

Parenting Resources

Steps for Creating or Improving a Parent Involvement in Education Program. For those professionals new to parent involvement, this exercise will guide you to an appropriate starting point, and for those seasoned in working with parents, you'll better understand options for expanding and improving what you're currently doing and answer the question, "Where do I go from here?"

Toolkit for Hispanic Families

As noted via the U.S. Department of Education's website, "This U.S. Department of Education toolkit will show Hispanic families what to expect from their schools, their teachers and their child at all ages and grade levels. It will tell them how to help their child through school, what resources are available and what they, their family and their community can do to help their child learn."

Alternate version in Spanish

Tools For Engaging Families and Communities As Partners in Education

This toolkit is a four-part guide for school staff to strengthen partnerships with families and community members to support student learning. Each part can stand alone or be used in conjunction with one another to meet the unique needs of staff and school community.

BRYCS LEP Parent Involvement Project: User's Guide

The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Parent Involvement Project was developed by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). This 2005 User's Guide was designed for the purpose of teaching modules for ESL classes, community-based organizations and parent groups with the purpose of aiding and empowering parents and caretakers with limited English proficiency to become actively involved in their children's education.

Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences with Bilingual Families

This link to the Reading Rockets website provides practical tips for having successful parent-teacher conferences with bilingual families.

Tips for ELL Parent Involvement

The content and thoughts for this document were derived from interviews conducted with ELL practitioners from several Nebraska school districts. The article offers practical ideas for encouraging ELL parents to be involved with their child's school.

Increasing Limited English Proficient (LEP) Parent Involvement

"The purpose of this resource document is to help school divisions develop parental involvement programs that are accessible to LEP parents, address their unique needs and, ultimately, have a positive influence on LEP students' academic achievement." Though developed by the Virginia Department of Education for Virginia schools, the content may be useful for educators working to increase the parent involvement of ELL students.

Parent Information and Resource Centers

This link is to the Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) funded by the U.S. Department of Education. As noted at its website, the centers "bring parents, educators and those that work with families a wealth of information about helping children get ready for school and succeed in school, from the early grades through high school."

Parent Involvement

Having parents play a significant role in their child's experience with the ELL program requires planning by the school's teachers and administrators. This document summarizes the primary issues that should be addressed.

Parent Involvement Checklist

This checklist is designed to serve as a tool to help LEA administrators, parents and community leaders determine whether their schools and school districts are on the right track when it comes to involving parents, as Section 1118 of ESSA requires.