Updates from the Oregon Department of Education

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Updates from the Oregon Department of Education

1.A Memorable 2024 Binational Teacher Exchange Program Symposium: Thank you! 

2.ODE Early Literacy Update 

3. Migrant Education Kick off, MEP Conference, and MEP Family and youth Institute: Save the Dates

4. ELPA Screener Materials Updates

News and Resources for Multilingual and Migrant Education 

1.Unlock Free Tablets for Migratory Students with The Achievery—Sign Up Now!

2. MEP Beat the Heat: Order Your Heat Safety Bags and Access Essential Resources

Upcoming Events, Training & Conference Opportunities

1.Register Now: OSU's Fall 2024 Teaching Early Literacy from a Multilingual Perspective PD Course 

2.August 2024 ELPA Informational Webinar Scheduled

3. Linguistic Justice for Black, Indigenous, and Queer Languaging

4. New MEP Graduation Specialists Orientation

Oregon Department of Education Updates to Field

1. A Memorable 2024 Binational Teacher Exchange Program Symposium: Thank you! 

2.ODE Early Literacy Update 

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3. Migrant Education Kick off, MEP Conference, and MEP Family and youth Institute: Save the Dates We are excited to announce the upcoming Migrant Education Program (MEP) events for 2024 and invite you to mark your calendars for these important dates: the MEP Kickoff, the MEP Conference, and the MEP Family and Youth Institute. These events will offer valuable opportunities for professional development, networking, and engagement with the migrant education community. Please save the dates and stay tuned for more details on how you can participate and contribute. If you are interested in presenting or showcasing your work as a vendor at the MEP Kickoff, MEP Family Institute, or Youth Institute, we would love to hear from you: Presenters Vendors Your expertise and insights will greatly enrich our programs. We look forward to your involvement and to making these events a success together! Back to top

4. ELPA Screener Materials Updates

The 2024-25 ELPA Screener Administration Manual​​ is now available on the Assessment Training Materials page, in the Training Modules accordion. With the publication of the Manual, ELPA Screener training requirements have changed. TAs may now meet training requirements by reviewing either the ELPA Screener Informational Slides or the ELPA Screener Administration Module (consulting the other module as needed). If desired, districts may create local requirements as to which module TAs must review.

Please contact Ben Wolcott, ELPA Specialist, with any questions or concerns.

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News and Resources for Multilingual and Migrant Education

1. Unlock Free Tablets for Migratory Students with The Achievery—Sign Up Now! We are excited to announce a valuable opportunity for migratory students through The Achievery, a FREE online learning platform provided by AT&T. This platform features over 800 educational videos, including clips from popular movies and shows, and lesson plans across seven subject categories. To support the adoption of this resource, AT&T is offering a free tablet for every 25 accounts created. Accounts can be set up by school district staff, students, parents, or community members, and each teacher account will automatically receive a subscription to their newsletter. To participate, create your accounts using the links below and track your progress with the online tracker provided by IDEA. For every 25 accounts, your organization’s designated coordinator can request a free tablet. This pilot program, which runs through December, may be extended for another five years based on participation levels. Create your account in English: The Achievery English Create your account in Spanish: The Achievery Spanish For more details on the available lessons or to address any questions, please contact Yasmine Lennon, the Achievery Educational Specialist, and Rosalinda Martinez, AT&T Grant Specialist.   Back to top

2. MEP Beat the Heat: Order Your Heat Safety Bags and Access Essential Resources

As the summer heat continues to impact many areas, The Identification & Recruitment Consortium (IDRC) is pleased to offer support to the Migrant Education Program by providing heat safety bags to assist families and youth in staying safe during these hot and dry conditions. These bags are designed to help mitigate the effects of extreme heat. For ordering details, please access the information here.

In addition to the heat safety bags, IDRC is providing several valuable resources to further support your efforts in heat safety. These include the Heat Illness Toolkit, Heat Safety Training Toolkit for Workers, iSOSY Heat Stress Activities/Resources, and a Hydration Flier. We encourage you to share these resources widely to ensure that everyone has the information they need to stay safe and hydrated.

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Upcoming Events, Training and Conference Opportunities

1. Register Now: OSU's Fall 2024 Teaching Early Literacy from a Multilingual Perspective PD Course We are excited to share that registration is now open for the Fall 2024 edition of the OSU Professional Development for Educators online course, “Teaching Early Literacy from a Multilingual Perspective.” Scheduled to run from September 30 to December 6, this course offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of early literacy instruction in multilingual settings. As registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, we encourage you to sign up soon to secure your place in this valuable professional development program. For more details, please refer to this flyer, and feel free to pass this information along to any colleagues who may also be interested.  Back to top

2. August 2024 ELPA Informational Webinar Scheduled

The August 2024 English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Informational Webinar is now available for registration. This optional webinar provides an overview of updates regarding ELPA testing and related policy.

The webinar will be held over Zoom. Register at the following links:

Morning session: August 22, 11:00-12:00
Afternoon session: August 23, 3:00-4:00

Information shared in this webinar will also be made available asynchronously. Webinar slides and a compiled Q&A will be posted after the second session. Note that the morning and afternoon sessions are identical; there is no need to register for both.

Please contact Ben Wolcott, ELPA Specialist, with any questions or concerns.

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3. Linguistic Justice for Black, Indigenous, and Queer Languaging

ACTFL invites you to a Town Hall Discussion exploring the language ideologies and practices of Black, Indigenous, and Queer speech communities.

Register here.

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4. New MEP Graduation Specialists Orientation 

Make an Impact: Send Us Your Newsletter Ideas!

If you have content or stories you’d like featured in our newsletter, we want to hear from you! Whether it’s an article, event, or an inspiring story, your contributions add depth to our discussions. Please send your submissions and ideas to Estephany Membreno, Administrative Specialist, and you may see your content in an upcoming publication. Section photo from Pixabay. Back to top

Our Team

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.