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16-Aug-2024
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Dear English Learner Educator, 
Welcome to a new school year! In Ohio, nearly 5% of our children and youth are multilingual learners for whom English is a second or additional language.
Each year, schools and districts administer the Ohio Language Usage Survey to all new students to identify English learners. This survey helps schools ensure that instruction is accessible for all students and understand the language preferences of families. Consider the following tips to effectively use the Language Usage Survey:
Understand the purposes of the Language Usage Survey
Improve English learner identification procedures
Communicate with families
- Ensure that parents and families understand the school’s enrollment process and their right to school communications in languages other than English. Provide interpreters to explain language usage surveys, parent notification letters, and parent-teacher meetings.
- Do not rely upon students or family members to communicate with parents with limited English proficiency. Consider ways to provide parent-friendly videos in English and languages other than English available on the website Parents2Partners.
- Notify parents of the student’s identification as an English learner within 30 days of the beginning of school. The parent notification letter must include description of the language supports and services that will be provided to the student.
Connect families with resources
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The NABU Website offers multilingual reading materials and stories for children and families, including bilingual books in multiple languages like Haitian Creole, Spanish, French, and English.
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Brain Pop ELL is an animated educational site with interactive language tests to gauge kids’ language skills and provide lessons in English, Spanish, and French.
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Reading Tips for Families has books and tips for parents and caregivers in English and additional languages, including American Sign Language.
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Project ASSETS Family Leadership Institute will conduct six weekly virtual meetings for families to share stories, gain information, and ask questions about way to support their children’s school attendance, literacy, and wellness. The Institute offers information flyers in English and Spanish. The meetings are live online and recorded for parents to listen at other times. Interpretation to other languages may be arranged in advance. Registration is available via this link.
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Family Engagement by Design is a free, virtual conference that boosts the work of schools and communities to build positive relationships with families. Learn more and enroll here.
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You don’t want to miss this episode of the ASSETS podcast!
The spotlight turns inward with a special "Meet the Host" episode. On Aug. 18, Dr. Jobi Lawrence shares the personal journey that led her to pursue a career in education, specifically with bilingual and multilingual learners. From early inspirations and challenges to the pivotal moments that shaped her career, this episode will give a deeper understanding of who Dr. Lawrence is and why she is so passionate about the topics discussed on ASSETS. Find ASSETS podcasts on Spotify and Apple. Listen to the legal obligations to identify English learners on the episode Meeting the Legal Obligations for Supporting English and Multilingual Learners.
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For additional information, or to unsubscribe, please contact the Lau Resource Center of the Ohio Department of Education at (614) 466-4109, or email Lau@education.ohio.gov.
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