The Oregon Department of Education has launched a year-long process of developing our state’s updated Multilingual Learner State Strategic Plan! The process will include multiple opportunities for community input through listening sessions and revision feedback from constituents across the state and we will provide regular updates via the MME Newsletter.

For questions or more information, Jennifer Fontana.

2. Oregon Statewide Collaborative for Multilingual Education

The Oregon Statewide Collaborative for Multilingual Education is a collaborative of professional educators, administrators, higher education and community-based organizations who have a vested interest in increasing educator pathways for multilingual educators as well as the development, expansion and strengthening of high-quality dual language programming in Oregon. Please use the link below to express your interest in participating in this collaborative. You are invited to share this form with others who may wish to participate.

During the launch year of 2023-2024, we anticipate holding 2-3 meetings between January and June of 2024.

Oregon Statewide Collaborative for Multilingual Education Interest Survey

For questions or more information, Jennifer Fontana.

News and Resources for Multilingual and Migrant Education

1. Recommendation from the Field

The director of the Migrant Program at High Desert ESD, Kayla Hefling, is recommending The Latino Family Literacy Project™ literacy resources. MEP HDESD has been implementing this culturally responsive curricula to engage migratory and multilingual students and families in literacy. See more information here Title 1 and Title 3 Programs for Spanish Speakers - Latino Literacy

More information about this resource or if you want to recommend a resource your district or region is using email yuliana.kenfield@ode.oregon.gov

Questions: Yuliana Kenfield.

2. Launch of the “Being Bilingual is a Superpower” Initiative

Please take a moment to look at this announcement. As part of its Raise the Bar: Create Pathways for Global Engagement, the Biden-Harris Administration launched “Being Bilingual is a Superpower,” an initiative by the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to promote multilingual education and bolster high-quality language programs and a diverse multilingual educator workforce across the country.

"Being Bilingual is a Superpower” will promote and further the understanding of bilingualism and biliteracy as an educational and economic imperative for student success, global competitiveness, and engagement. The new initiative under the Department's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) seeks to promote research-based bilingual educational opportunities and language instruction in early learning education settings and beyond.

Read the Press Release

Read the Letter from Secretary Cardona

3. FY 2024 HEP and CAMP Competition Announcement

The Office of Migrant Education at the U.S. Department of Education administers two competitive discretionary grant programs that provide academic, financial, and supportive services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers, or immediate family members of such workers: the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). The HEP helps migratory and seasonal farmworkers (or immediate family members of such workers) who are 16 years of age or older and not currently enrolled in school to obtain a general education diploma that meets the guidelines for high school equivalency (HSE) established by the State in which the HEP project is conducted and to gain upgraded employment, be placed in an IHE or other postsecondary education or training, or enter the military. The CAMP assists migratory and seasonal farmworkers (or immediate family members of such workers) to complete their first academic year of college and continue in postsecondary education.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Notices Inviting Applications (NIAs) for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) have been published in the Federal Register and are available at the links below. Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education (IHEs) and private nonprofit organizations. The deadline for transmittal of the applications is January 16, 2024.

Learn More: HEP NIA

Learn More: CAMP NIA

Upcoming Events, Training and Conference Opportunities

1. OALA Winter Conference Call for Proposals

The Oregon Association of Latino Administrators’ annual conference provides a venue for Latino and non-Latino educators, business and community leaders to learn about ongoing and emerging educational issues impacting the Latino community. Conference strands will include: programs and practices that promote equity and opportunity, instructional pedagogy, leadership development, initiatives and reforms, and family/community outreach.

Contact Perla.Rodriguez@oalaboard.org with any questions.

2. OABE Winter Institute Call for Proposals

The Oregon Association for Bilingual Education (OABE) will hold its Winter Institute on February 23-24, 2024 at Mountainside High School, Beaverton, OR. The 2024 theme is ¡Es el momento! Elevating the Multilingual Learning Experience. OABE is accepting proposals now. The due date to submit proposals is December 1, 2023. Click here to submit your proposal

Contact www.oabe.org for more information.

3. Indigenous Language Reclamation | Tue, Dec 5, 2023 | 1:00 PM

This webinar will provide an overview of initiatives in the area of Indigenous language reclamation. Panelists will share about research projects and programs designed to support Indigenous children in connecting to language, heritage, and culture. Webinar attendees will hear about what Indigenous-led research says about intergenerational language learning, land-based pedagogy, and the importance of Indigenous languages for early childhood learning.

Click here to Register

4. English Learner Family Toolkit Webinar

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) is excited to share the publication of the updated English Learner (EL) Family Toolkit and the release of the EL Family Toolkit App, (OELA) is hosting a series of webinars to introduce and showcase these resources. In this introductory event the presenters will review all six chapters of the toolkit and the available languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic); discuss the implications and potential uses of the information and resources in each chapter; recommend ways and best practices for sharing these resources with EL families; and demonstrate the features of the EL Family Toolkit mobile app.

Presenters include:

Montserrat Garibay, Assistant Deputy Secretary & Director, OELA
Melissa Castillo, Senior Advisor, OELA
Beatriz Ceja, Deputy Assistant Secretary, OELA

5. Equity-Driven Strategies for Addressing Chronic Absence webinar series
Session VI: Increasing Attendance and Engagement for English Learners

The Western Educational Equity Assistance Center will hold a next webinar on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 from 2–3:30 pm on chronic absence series to learn more about the challenges and opportunities experienced by multilingual students and their families and hear how districts and schools are improving attendance.

During the webinar, participants will learn about

connecting with multilingual students and families to discover factors contributing to chronic absence;
culturally responsive strategies that increase attendance and engagement among multilingual learners; and
actions that schools, districts, or communities take to improve attendance.

The Western Educational Equity Assistance Center (WEEAC) at WestEd presents: Equity-Driven Strategies for Addressing Chronic Absence (a six-part webinar series) Click this link for webinar resources: https://padlet.com/nsandov/chronic-absence-webinar-series-2023-hdjblctn1ekbtc3u

Our Team

Leslie Casebeer, Office Specialist, Title III, Title I-C, and ESEA Monitoring	Leslie.Casebeer@ode.oregon.gov
Diego Contreras-Medrano, Research Analyst	Diego.Contreras.Medrano@ode.oregon.gov
Jennifer Fontana, Multilingual Education Specialist	Jennifer.Fontana@ode.oregon.gov
Yuliana Kenfield, Migrant Education Title 1-C Specialist	Yuliana.kenfield@ode.oregon.gov
Carla Martinez, Administrative Specialist for Multilingual and Migrant Education	Carla.Martinez@ode.oregon.gov
Mary Martinez-Wenzl, Director of Multilingual and Migrant Education	Mary.Martinez-Wenzl@ode.oregon.gov
Kim Miller, Title III Education Specialist	Kim.A.Miller@ode.oregon.gov
Myrna Muñoz, Migrant Education Specialist	Myrna.Munoz@ode.oregon.gov
Reza Norouzian, Multilingual Education Research Analyst	Reza.Norouzian@ode.oregon.gov
Natalia Piar, Multilingual and Migrant Education Team Coordinator	Natalia.Piar@ode.oregon.gov
Tiffany Palaniuk, Title III English / Multilingual Learner Education Specialist	tiffany.palaniuk@ode.oregon.gov
Mariana Zaragoza, Multilingual and Migrant Education Specialist	Mariana.Zaragoza@ode.oregon.gov
Charlie Bauer, Interim Director of the Title 1C High Risk Response Team	Charlie.Bauer@ode.oregon.gov

You were added to this newsletter if you are part of the Migrant Education Program and/or the Title III English Learner listserv. Migrant Ed and Title III leaders, staff, and interested members of the public may subscribe to this newsletter through ODE's QuickSubscribe portal at any time. We thank you for serving Oregon's multilingual and migrant students.

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