The English Language Learner KnowledgeBase for Administrators

ELL Family Toolkit

The English Learner Family Toolkit was created to help families choose education services that meet their child’s needs. U.S. educators, elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and other school staff can also share the toolkit as a resource for English learners and their families.  The English Learner Family Toolkit consists of 6 chapters, and each chapter contains 5 sections - an overview, enrollment, family and student rights, questions to ask schools, tips, and resources. Download the complete toolkit by using the quick links for the information needed most.

ESSA Parent Outreach Tool Kit

This State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction website provides some parent outreach materials to parents on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) including: ESSA plans (translated into several languages), an ESSA parents guide, ESSA newsletters and handouts, and ESSA videos flyers. If you are looking for something better tailored to your district or school, please Click here and Choose your State via the United States map below.

Translated Materials

This resource provides links to websites with special education related documents translated into various foreign languages.

Translated Materials - Pacer Center

The Pacer Center offers bilingual workshops, individual assistance and translated publications focusing on issues facing families from diverse backgrounds.

Hmoob/Hmong        Soomaaliga/Somali      Español/Spanish

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Guide from the U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education has produced this reference guide for the IEP process.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools receiving funds under any applicable U.S. Department of Education program. School districts should ensure all staff members and outside contractors, such as counselors and interpreters, are familiar with the applicable policies on the privacy of student records.

Communicating with ELL Parents: Outreach & Strategies

Having trouble touching base with the parents of your ELL students? Not sure where to start? This lesson will help. We will go over some strategies you can use to reach out to your students' parents. This lesson will give you some strategies to help make communication easier, so you can keep ELL parents involved in their child's learning.  The following strategies will help you reach out to your students' parents in order to help create a home-school connection. By creating this connection, students will feel more supported; therefore, they will have a better chance of attaining their academic and language goals. 

Education in the United States

This pamphlet, developed by the ENLACE project of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, provides immigrant parents an overview of the U.S. educational system. (Note: Because of the colors used in this brochure, it can be difficult to read when printed in black and white. If possible it is recommended that this document be printed in color.)

Educational Interpreting Services

This Virginia Department of Education pamphlet provides a general description of educational interpreting services. Though intended for Virginia educators, its content may be useful to educators in other states.

Example of a Parent's Guide

Developing a guide for parents of students of other cultures is a positive way of explaining the school district's basic policies and describing the ELL program. This sample guide is accessible through the website of Montgomery County Public Schools in Montgomery, Maryland.  Many schools have their own Parent's Guide.

Free and Reduced School Meals Applications and Information Translations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service website provides free and reduced school meal applications and related information in nineteen languages.

Quality Indicators for Translation and Interpretation in Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Educational Services - Guidelines and Resources for Educators

This California Department of Education document was developed to assist educators who might serve as translators and interpreters or who work in multilingual educational settings. Its purpose is to improve the quality of translations of parental notifications and other documents into languages other than English and to ensure more appropriate and effective interpreting practices. Though intended for California educators, educators in other states may find the content useful.