Our monthly information sessions include professional learning for district leaders of multilingual learner programs as well as timely information with clock hours provided! Sign up here on pdEnroller.
Our last session on February 1 focused on Inclusionary Practices. Slides and recording now available! The next session will focus on Braided Funding and will be held on:
2023-24 Info Session Dates & Topics: Apr. 4: Long-Term ELs, May 2: Program Evaluation, & June 6: Using Assessment.
For previous resources please go to the Multilingual Education Webinars and Newsletters page.
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This week, districts received a notification sent by OSPI through EGMS to review an amendment request. This notice was prompted by the upload of SY 22-23 carryover, as well as the distribution of reallocated Title III funds.
Every district with a Title III grant (including consortia members) is receiving about $32 per student in carryover funds. In addition, districts with 50 or more newly arrived immigrants and an increase of over 20% in their newcomer population are receiving additional carryover funds to support newcomer services.
To access these funds, follow the steps in the Overall Justification section of the Overview tab in the Consolidated Grant Application. Please complete this review as soon as possible. Carryover and the reallocated funds may be used for allowable Title III activities and must be spent by August 31, 2024. Please reach out to Shannon.Martin@k12.wa.us if you have any questions.
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LLRNs are professional learning communities of school and district language learning leaders in each Educational Service District (ESD) who meet regularly to engage in professional learning, collaboration, and program improvement planning. Click on the pdEnroller links below for a full list of dates and to register for a LLRN.
Region Program Supervisor: Lindsey Maehlum
Region Program Supervisor: Katie Sperling
Region Program Supervisor: Virginia Morales
Region Program Supervisor: Shannon Martin
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The English Learner Progress metric on the State Report Card was showing incorrect information for Kindergarten students and some other English learner groups. It has now been updated so the group includes only students with two consecutive years of data plus those students who met standard in their first year. The English Learner Progress metric within WSIF that is currently available for preview by districts within the Tableau Secure Server application was calculated correctly so the Report Card data should now align with those measures.
OSPI has also updated the Multilingual Learner Expected Progress chart to reflect the new exit criteria for 2024. It also includes a brief explanation of the chart.
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WIDA Professional Learning Opportunities
Expanding Reading Instruction with Multilingual Learners
This workshop provides educators with ideas for expanding current approaches to teaching reading. Participate will learn ways to engage multilingual learners in interactions that support reading development and explore materials and resources to support classroom implementation.
Bringing Language into Focus: Expectations, Functions & Features
In this workshop, participants will engage in a deeper exploration of Language Expectations, Functions, and Features in the WIDA ELD Standards Framework. Participants will learn about use of mentor texts to make language visible to students and explore materials and resources to support classroom implementation.
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Nominate an Expert Educator for the WIDA Fellows Program!
WIDA is pleased to announce that nominations for the next cohort of WIDA Fellows are now open through March 31, 2024. Twenty WIDA Fellows will be selected to participate in a growing professional learning community of instructional experts and educational leaders. To learn more about the program, benefits and nomination process, visit the WIDA Fellows webpage.
ACCESS Test Preparation for Students
Below are some quick updates to help you prepare for testing and have a smooth testing season.
Important Dates
January 29 - Opening day of the testing window. The window will close on March 22.
February 24 - The first day districts have the authority to decide if students enrolling in Washington schools will take both the screener and the annual test before the end of the test window or if they will only do the screener. Students arriving on or before February 23 must take both if they are determined eligible for program.
March 29 - Deadline to ship completed test materials to DRC.
Training
Test administrators are required to complete annual training for the test they administer. In general, test administrators need to complete trainings in the WIDA Secure Portal. In the Secure Portal, trainings are organized by the test and test version individuals will administer. If a TA is only administering WIDA Kindergarten ACCESS, then they would only need to complete that training. However, if they are also administering WIDA Alternate ACCESS, then that would be an additional training that they will need to complete.
For the WIDA Online ACCESS there is a state-developed refresher training. The refresher training is available to TAs who will be administering the Online ACCESS and have completed either (or both) the WIDA Secure Portal training for Online ACCESS for the 2023 test administration or the WIDA Screener. If someone completed the Refresher training for 2023 and did not complete screener training after July 1, 2024, then they will need to complete the WIDA Secure Portal training for the annual test this year. As a reminder, districts can choose to allow the refresher training for their test administrators. The refresher training is not required.
Materials
Only District Assessment Coordinators (DACs) can make additional materials orders in WIDA AMS. When ordering additional materials, DACs must select “District Level Additional Materials” as the school in the dropdown menu. Choosing any other school in the dropdown menu will result in a canceled order. OSPI can only approve orders for District Level Additional Materials.
OSPI must approve each additional material order. To help streamline this process, please ensure that you have a plan to collect requests for materials only two or three times throughout the testing window. This will ensure that OSPI staff can review the orders in a timely manner for approval.
Testing Incidents
Any situation that includes a request to invalidate, regenerate or move a test to a different SSID must be requested through ARMS. These situations should be rare, but when they occur, they will need to go through ARMS. Assessment staff will plan to review ARMS requests daily; however, if volume is high there may be a delay in resolving issues.
Resources
The WIDA Secure Portal offers a number of webinars to support testing activities through the year. The following webinars may be most helpful at this time of year as you prepare for testing to begin.
Contact Us
As we gear up for testing, this is a reminder that OSPI is here to help things run smoothly. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask your questions or clarify understanding. We are here to support you and are eager to hear from you. Some useful contacts are below.
wida@datarecognitioncorp.com – DRC’s help desk can support any questions about WIDA-AMS and how it works.
help@wida.us – WIDA’s help desk can support questions about WIDA Secure Portal access.
ELPAssessments@k12.wa.us – OSPI can support questions about state policy and provide support when DACs have questions.
The Zoom at Noon: Lunch with Leslie
Lunch with Leslie is an opportunity on Mondays at noon for districts to hear updates from the OSPI Assessment Team, ask questions about WIDA assessments, or find out how other districts are approaching testing processes.
Monday, February 26 | 12:00 pm | Zoom Link
Upcoming Professional Learning
HL & Less-Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL) Educator PLC: Planning with Purpose: In this monthly PLC, heritage language educators and educators teaching LCTLs in all contexts will collaborate across the state to plan and reflect on units of study. In October, November, and December we will be working on identity/ autobiography-based units.
Tuesday, February 27 | 3:00-4:30 PM | Zoom
Dual Language Webinar Series: Developing Strong DL Programs: In this webinar series we will explore how to develop strong, sustainable dual language programs. Each session will explore one of the steps in planning a new dual language program or strengthening an existing one. Our next session will focus on aligning curriculum and resources in both languages.
Tuesday, March 5 | 3:00-4:00 PM | Zoom
Dual Language “Lunch with Leaders” PLC: Join your colleagues for this PLC to discuss problems of practice in developing and leading strong dual language programs.
Tuesday, March 12 | 12:00-1:00 PM | Zoom
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Contest- Escribo en Español
The Spanish Resource Center has launched the 26th edition of the “Escribo en Español” contest. The contest includes two different categories (drawing and writing) and is intended for students from primary and secondary educational centers in the state of Washington.
Submissions are due by April 19, 2024.
Please see flyers for more information.
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CAL's Heritage Language Focus Groups
What makes K-12 public school Heritage Language Programs in the U.S. successful? CAL is recruiting teachers, administrators, and families from successful K-12 public school heritage language programs in the U.S. to participate in online focus groups. We want to know what makes your program succeed. Click the button below to complete the interest form! Let your voice be heard! Click here to learn more about joining the online focus groups.
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These professional learning opportunities are shared for your information but do not constitute an endorsement by OSPI of any specific organizations.
Climate Science: Voices of Hope
3-Day Immersion Class "OCDE Project GLAD®” Unit
STEM Clock Hours: 18 | Cost $575.00
Come to this BRAND-NEW 3-day class offering and leave with NTC Project GLAD® unit including science investigations and all the materials to teach this unit designed for 4th - 8th grade classrooms.
PSESD - Renton, WA | February 27-29, 2024 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM | More information and registration! Registration ends February 23, 2024!
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Scaffolding Learning through Language Webinar Series
This webinar series provides educators with a fresh look at how to engage multilingual learners in rigorous content area learning with a balance of challenge and support. The purpose of the workshop is to encourage educators to consider classroom practices that move multilingual learning forward and upward together within the content of meaningful experiences where learning is mediated through language. Participants will explore how rigorous, well-sequenced curriculum contributes to rich classroom interactions that mediate learning and move students toward independent success. Topics that educators will explore are:
- valuing students’ resources for learning
- developing a strong community of learners
- engaging students in rigorous curriculum
Three 90-minute virtual sessions | Registration Fee $350 4.5 PD hours - certificate provided March 5-7, 2024: 2:00pm-3:30pm US Central Time
Space is limited so register early! The registration for each available date will close once capacity has been reached.
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2024 WABE Annual Conference
The Washington Association for Bilingual Education Annual Conference is coming soon! Keynote speakers include Dr. Jim Cummins, Dr. Kathy Escamilla, and Dr. Carol Salva. There is also a Pre-Conference Workshop with Carol Salva and a School Visit to the Spokane Newcomer Center.
April 18-20, 2024 | Davenport Grand Hotel, Spokane, WA | For more information and registration click here!
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Secondary Dual Language and Immersion:
Achieving the Promise of Continuation Programs
As dual language and immersion (DLI) programs transition into secondary schools, teachers and administrators are often faced with unique challenges that are less frequently addressed in general DLI literature, research, and professional development programs. During this five-day institute specifically designed for the secondary (middle and high school) dual language and immersion context, participants will explore the what, how, and why of secondary continuation programs. In particular, the group will consider program structure, curriculum and assessment perspectives, and instructional practices that are necessary to ensure that DLI students continue toward high levels of bilingualism and biliteracy. Throughout this institute, participants will engage in constructive conversation, connect research to personal experiences, and apply new ideas directly to their teaching context.
July 29 - August 2, 2024 Register Here
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1 Year Competency Based ELL Endorsement Program
WSU is offering a statewide 1-year (8 credit) competency-based ELL endorsement program. Classes will take place on Zoom. The course is designed for working teachers. The program begins in June. Registration ends in April. Click here for more information. There will also be an info session on March 21st. The program is open to educators at any position
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 Kristin Percy Calaff, Ph.D. – Executive Director of Multilingual & Migrant Education | 564-999-3144
Virginia Morales– Supporting ESD 121 (King) & 189 | Assistant Director of Multilingual Education | 564-669-1179
Shannon Martin– Supporting ESD 113, 114, & 121 (Pierce) | Multilingual Education Program Supervisor | 360-269-5232
Katie Sperling– Supporting ESD 101 & 171 | Multilingual Education Program Supervisor | 360 -701-5064
Lindsey Maehlum– Supporting ESD 105, 112, & 123 | Multilingual Education Program Supervisor
Ema Shirk– Supporting Heritage and Dual Language Programs | Dual Language Program Supervisor | 564-200-3167
Teresa Mendoza-Casby– Supporting Dual Language Programs | Dual Language Program Supervisor | 564-999-0610
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