English Learners & Title III News - Fall 2020

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English Learner & Title III News

 

Fall 2020 Volume 2, Issue 2

District coordinators are encouraged to share this newsletter with others in their district.

COVID-19 Guidance

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has released a guidance document on implementing English learner (EL) programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The "COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Frequently Asked Questions about English Learner Programs at Reopening" document provides answers to frequently asked questions from Kentucky’s school districts.

As the situation with the pandemic evolves, KDE will work to keep districts updated on implementing EL programs as new information develops. Email Jessica Sanderson or Erin Sudduth if you have questions or concerns.

Beginning-of-the-Year Training Videos

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has created a series of webinars to serve as this year’s beginning-of-the-year training. The webinars and accompanying PowerPoints are available on the English Learner and Immigrant Resources webpage.

The training webinar series includes the following videos:

Providing Information in a Language Parents can Understand

The importance of providing parents and families with information in a language they can understand has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Compliance with nontraditional instruction procedures or Healthy at School requirements depends on the parents’ ability to understand the information being shared by the district and/or school.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act require districts and schools ensure meaningful communication with limited English proficient (LEP) parents in a language they can understand. This includes adequately notifying LEP parents of information about any program, service or activity that is called to the attention of non-LEP parents.

According to the Title III non-regulatory guidance, districts “must provide language assistance to LEP parents effectively with appropriate, competent staff or appropriate and competent outside resources.” The parent, family and community engagement section of the guidance document discusses these requirements under civil rights laws, Title I, Part A and Title III.

Section 1116(f) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires districts and schools to provide information to parents and family members in a language they can understand. Additional information on this requirement is found in the January 2015 Dear Colleague Letter, as well as Chapter 10 of the English Learner Toolkit.

Immigrant Subgrant

Section 3114(d) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to reserve no more than 15% of the Title III allotment to award subgrants to eligible districts that have experienced a significant increase in the percentage or number of immigrant children and youth compared to the average of the two preceding fiscal years.

Eligibility for the immigrant subgrant can fluctuate from year to year, and therefore, eligibility during a preceding year does not guarantee future eligibility. Although a district’s immigrant population may increase from one year to the next, it may not constitute a “significant increase.”

Any district may be eligible for the immigrant subgrant, not just districts receiving Title III funds. More information about the immigrant subgrant, including a list of allowable activities, is located in the District Guide for the English Learners Program.

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will run the Title III Immigrant report in Infinite Campus and use this data to determine which districts have had a significant increase as compared to the two preceding fiscal years. Eligible districts will be contacted by KDE to determine participation. Participation is optional and districts may decline the subgrant.

KDE will schedule phone calls with participating districts to further discuss the grant. Participating districts will be required to complete an application in the Grant Management Application and Planning (GMAP) System.

IMPORTANT DATES, DEADLINES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Nov. 1: KDE extracts EL data from Infinite Campus for federal reporting requirements.
  • Nov. 10: KDE will extract immigrant student data from Infinite Campus for the Title III-Immigrant Subgrant. This deadline was extended from Oct. 27 to Nov. 10.

Announcement from KYTESOL (Kentucky Teachers of English as a Second Language)

The following announcement was provided by KYTESOL (Kentucky Teachers of English as a Second Language):

“The KYTESOL board has planned a series of focused PD sessions to support our hardworking ESL/ELs teachers and educators during this challenging academic year. We have successfully hosted our first session in August 2020. Our upcoming session is scheduled for Oct. 17. We will have two more sessions scheduled for Jan 16 and Mar 13, 2021, respectively. All the sessions are offered on Saturdays from 11:45 to 12:45 (ET). Here is the link to register and join when the time comes: Registration link."

 

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition newsletter

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) supports the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) in its mission to respond to Title III educational needs.

NCELA serves stakeholders involved in the English learner (EL) education through the collection and dissemination of research and resources related to providing a high-quality education to ELs.

The NCELA Nexus is a semimonthly e-newsletter sharing new resources, upcoming events, and other announcements related to the education of ELs and the EL community. Sign up for the newsletter or read previous editions on the NCELA Nexus webpage.

 

Fall data verification window

English learner (EL) and immigrant data is extracted from Infinite Campus by the Kentucky Department of Education several times each year for federal reporting purposes, as well as determining Title III allocation amounts.

Districts must review their data prior to these dates to ensure accuracy. Failure to address critical errors in Infinite Campus will result in an inaccurate count of EL or immigrant students.

English learner data will be extracted for federal reporting requirements on Nov. 1. All districts should have reviewed the EL extract in Infinite Campus (English Learner Enrolled and Served as of Oct. 1) sometime between Oct. 1-30. Information on data collection and links to the data standards are located on the English Learner and Immigrant Data Collection and Reporting webpage.

 

CONTACTS

 

Neil Watts
Branch Manager
(502) 564-3791, ext. 4054

 

Jessica Sanderson        
Title III-EL State Coordinator
(502) 564-3791, ext. 4004

 

Erin Sudduth
Title III-EL State Coordinator
(502) 564-3791, ext. 4021