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English Language Learner KnowledgeBase for Administrators & Teachers

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

The English Language Learner (ELL) KnowledgeBase for Administrators and Teachers is an online resource supporting both the administration, teaching and execution of programs for English learning students. It offers resources related to Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requirements and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).


Task 1: Become Familiar with Legal Requirements and OCR Guidelines

Guideline: 

School district personnel should familiarize themselves with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) guidelines for parental notification in an appropriate language. The district should then develop procedures to determine which documents should be translated into languages spoken at home. The school principal should follow established procedures to ensure documents are translated and distributed to parents of English language learner students in the language spoken at home. If documents are not translated, then he or she must determine whether a telephone call from a translator would be sufficient.

resources

Tools

 

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 six chapters, and each chapter contains five sections—an overview, enrollment, family and student rights, questions to ask schoolstips and resourcesDownload the complete toolkit by using the quick links for the information needed most.


ESSA: ELL Toolkit

This ESSA updated ELL Tool kit is provided by the Department of Education.


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

Guidelines

ELL Parental Involvement

Local education agencies (LEAs) must have a process to identify limited English proficient (LEP) parents and provide them with free and effective language assistance, such as translated materials or an appropriate and competent interpreter.


OCR PAR Issues Brochure - Parental Notice

This document contains the parental notice section from the OCR Region VII office's Profile, Assessment and Resolution (PAR) Region pilot project. The brochure covers guidance on the parental notice requirements.


OCR Self-Assessment Guide - Notice to Parents

This assessment guide is part of a OCR Region VII office's pilot program to encourage partnership approaches to civil rights compliance. It assists school systems to voluntarily comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 regarding equal educational opportunities for national origin minority students who are English language learners (ELL). This section can be completed at the school or district level to evaluate policies and procedure for communicating with the parents of ELL students.

Alternate Format: PDF


Parent and Family Engagement Provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

LEAs must ensure meaningful communication with LEP parents in a language they can understand and adequately notify LEP parents of information about any program, service, or activity of an LEA or state that is called to the attention of non-LEP parents. This January 2016 brief provides advocates with a full overview of the ESSA's requirements and opportunities for parent, family and community engagement.

Legal

Examples

 

ELL Resources

This link provides additional resources for ELLs from the Central and South Central Comprehensive Centers "External Resources - Topic Specific Sources."

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and are intended for general reference purposes only. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Some resources on this site require Adobe Acrobat Reader. This website archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.