Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson Honors Latino Heritage Month (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today honored Latino Heritage Month with a celebration at the California Department of Education (CDE) headquarters building.Torlakson recognized the many contributions of Latinos to California’s economy, society, government, entertainment, business, culture, and public education system and stated he is “Latino de Corazon”—Latino at heart. California has nearly 15 million Latinos in the state population.

Of the more than 6.2 million students in California public schools, 53 percent are Latinos and 1.4 million are English Learners.

“This is a terrific day to recognize the outstanding accomplishments that Latinos have achieved, and continue to achieve, throughout every part of California life. Latinos have added so much to the rich cultural diversity that makes California such a great and dynamic place to live,” Torlakson said.

Source: Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson Honors Latino Heritage Month

Unfair to compare district test scores to other district’s – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

In a wide-ranging review of recent state standards test results, a Travis Unified official noted it was unfair to compare the Fairfield district’s comparatively laudable scores with numbers from other districts with higher percentages of English learners, poor students and foster youth.

During the district’s once-monthly governing board meeting Tuesday, Sue Brothers, assistant superintendent for educational services, noted Travis’s demographic count — 2,900 students tested in grades three to eight and 11 — included 32 percent of “unduplicated” students, whereas neighboring Vacaville Unified’s percentage of English learners, poor students and foster youth who were tested was greater than 40 percent.

She appeared to suggest such differences may affect test scores, as can parent education level, including whether or not a father or mother, or both, graduated from college or earned a post-graduate degree.

Source: Unfair to compare district test scores to other district’s – The Reporter

 

Former English learner spearheads new system for tracking students | EdSource

By Theresa Harrington

When Pedro Martinez arrived at La Joya Middle School in Visalia, Liz Serrato knew she had to reach him.

“I want to challenge you,” she told him when he said he preferred learning with other Spanish-speaking students. She urged him to take up the trumpet, which helped him meet new classmates.

Martinez came from Michoacán, Mexico – the same part of Mexico where Serrato spent her childhood. Feeling a connection to him because of their shared Mexican heritage, Serrato knew all too well what he and other English learners face. She was 15 when she came to the United States.

Now she’s on a mission to help spread her methods for teaching English learners and closely monitoring their progress throughout the Visalia Unified School District.

Source: Former English learner spearheads new system for tracking students | EdSource

BUSD adds preschool, family literacy programs – Benicia Herald

By Elizabeth Warnmont

The Benicia Unified School District (BUSD) received new state funding for a full-day preschool at Mary Farmar Elementary School beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and will continue to offer subsidized full day, morning and afternoon preschool and a school age (transitional Kindergarten through fifth grade) program at Robert Semple School, as well as school age programs at Joe Henderson, Matthew Turner and Mary Farmar elementary schools.

The BUSD adult education department also received funding this year from the Solano Adult Education Block Grant Consortia and will continue to offer GED, basic education and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, in partnership with the Benicia Public Library.

The adult ed program hosted three family literacy “reading nights” at Mary Farmar and Robert Semple schools and the library this year, hosting over 150 participants at each session. The family literacy events, designed to bridge the school/home connection, are free to all residents through the Solano Adult Education program, in partnership with the BUSD.

Source: BUSD adds preschool, family literacy programs

State board to choose school improvement metrics | EdSource

By John Fensterwald

The State Board of Education on Wednesday is planning to choose a handful of statewide metrics to measure student performance as part of its creation of a new school accountability system.

The board will approve the new system in September and begin using it in the fall of 2017. It will replace the Academic Performance Index, the single-number score, based solely on standardized test scores, that the board suspended two years ago. The board is also designing the new system to satisfy federal accountability requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

State board staff are recommending that the board initially choose five metrics to identify which schools and districts need assistance and which demand more intensive intervention.

Source: State board to choose school improvement metrics | EdSource

Parent info sessions set for B. Gale Wilson bilingual immersion program – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

The Spanish-English Dual Immersion Program at B. Gale Wilson will host parent informational sessions in February.

This is a program for kindergartners through eighth-graders where children are taught in both English and Spanish and leave the program as bilingual, biliterate young adults. The program includes lessons in math, science and social studies.

via Parent info sessions set for B. Gale Wilson bilingual immersion program.

New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners | EdSource

By Delia Pompa

The Every Student Succeeds Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law last month, includes important policies that recognize the needs and diversity of English learners in an effort to close the ongoing achievement gap between them and other students. The bill, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also crucially maintains accountability for improving academic achievement of English learners – a hallmark of the last reauthorization, known as the No Child Left Behind Act.

Given the new law’s overall thrust of reducing federal authority in education, however, ensuring that the needs of English learners are met will be complicated by the fact that education agencies in 50 states and the District of Columbia will be interpreting the new mandates and perhaps implementing them differently.

The law has many strengths with respect to the nation’s approximately 5 million English learners in K-12 classrooms. The most far-reaching change requires that states include English language proficiency in their accountability frameworks under Title I, the provision that governs accountability for all low-income students.

via New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners | EdSource.

California prepares to adopt materials for new English learner approach | EdSource

By Theresa Harrington

The State Board of Education is set to adopt a new set of instructional materials and textbooks for kindergarten through 8th grade on Wednesday that incorporates what education officials describe as a pathbreaking approach to more effectively teaching English learners.

In January 2014, the state board adopted a set of recommended textbooks for math aligned with the Common Core, but it has taken nearly two additional years to come up with its list of Common Core-aligned recommended textbooks and other instructional materials in English language arts. This is in part because it has integrated English language development – which teaches English learners to speak and read English – into the English Language Arts framework that was adopted last year.

via California prepares to adopt materials for new English learner approach | EdSource.

Ed. Dept. Project to Focus on Newly Arrived English-Language Learners – Education Week

By Corey Mitchell

The U.S. Education Department is developing a tool kit specifically for educators who work with immigrant English-learners who are new to the country, said Libia Gil, the head of the U.S. Department of Educations office of English-language acquisition.

The upcoming how-to guide will mark the latest federal effort to provide an equitable education for ELLs, the largest-growing segment of the United States public school population. The document could be released as early as December, Gil said.

via Ed. Department Project to Focus on Newly Arrived English-Language Learners – Learning the Language – Education Week.

Number of issues top Vacaville agenda – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

When they meet tonight, Vacaville Unified leaders face a busy agenda, from learning results of a public opinion survey of district facility needs to authorizing nearly $140,000 for computer upgrades, among several other things.

Trustees meet at 7 p.m. in the Educational Services Center, 401 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville.

Trustees will hold a public hearing, then likely pass several resolutions to approve two pieces of land for street widenings and one easement of nearly 31,000 square feet to the city for a water detention basin on parts of property at the Elementary School No. 2 site in the Rice-McMurtry area.

 

via Number of issues top Vacaville agenda – The Reporter.

Dixon Students reclassified to Engligh Proficient – Dixon Tribune | Facebook

Brianna Boyd, Editor

Cameras flashed and proud families, teachers, principals and peers applauded Wednesday as 71 Dixon Unified students were recognized for accomplishing a significant feat in their education. These students, who range from third grade to high school, all attend Dixon’s elementary, middle and high schools, and have been reclassified from English language learners to English language proficient. They can now participate and perform successfully in all academic subjects in school without English language development support.

via Timeline Photos – The Dixon Tribune | Facebook.

California’s long-running school achievement debate reaches climactic point – Dan Walters – The Sacramento Bee

By Dan Walters

Years – even decades – of intense academic and political debate over closing the stubbornly wide “achievement gap” that separates Latino and black students from their white and Asian classmates are reaching a climactic point.

This week, the State Board of Education is poised to approve hotly contested regulations to guide the expenditure of billions of extra dollars aimed at improving the educations of poor and “English learner” students.

via Dan Walters: California’s long-running school achievement debate reaches climactic point – Dan Walters – The Sacramento Bee.

Dan Walters: Powerful factions go to war over direction of California schools – Sacramento Bee

By Dan Walters

The powerful political forces that have been skirmishing for years over the direction of California’s public schools appear to be headed for a multi-front political and legal war next year.

It pits the education establishment – led and mostly financed by the California Teachers Association – against a loose coalition of civil rights activists and business-backed school reform groups.

via Dan Walters: Powerful factions go to war over direction of California schools – Dan Walters – The Sacramento Bee#mi_rss=Dan%20Walters.

Public Comment on First English Framework – Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

SACRAMENTO—California is taking another step forward in implementing the Common Core for English language arts by gathering public comment on a new framework, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

The English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (ELA/ELD Framework) will provide guidance for implementing the new Common Core State Standards and California’s new English Language Development Standards. Addressing both English language arts and English language development, the ELA/ELD Framework will help ensure that California’s students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and careers. The ELA/ELD Framework will help teachers, publishers, and other educators design instructional materials, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning.

via Public Comment on First English Framework – Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education).

EdSource Today: ACLU sues state over English-language instruction

By 

Civil rights groups sued the state Department of Education and the Board of Education on Wednesday, saying they are failing in their obligation to require school districts to provide 20,318 English learners with the language instruction they are entitled to by law.

The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU of Southern California and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, cites figures provided by 251 districts showing that one out of every 50 English learner students is not receiving any English language services – a figure the plaintiffs say is conservative. Even though the state is aware of the deficiency, it hasn’t taken any action to correct the situation, the lawsuit said. A quarter, or about 1.4 million, of California’s roughly 6.2 million students are designated as English learners, according to the Department of Education.

via ACLU sues state over English-language instruction – by Kathryn Baron.

Vallejo Times-Herald: Vallejo lauds students gaining English fluency

By Lanz Christian Bañes/Times-Herald staff writer/

More than 400 Vallejo students reached English proficiency this year — a fact celebrated Friday by the Vallejo City Unified School District.

“Thank you for everything you did to prepare for this year,” said Steffan Manor Elementary School Principal Lucius McKelvy as he handed his students certificates marking their achievement.

via Vallejo lauds students gaining English fluency.

EdSource Today: State toughens regs for interns teaching English learners

By 

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing will now require non-credentialed Teach For America teachers and other intern teachers to receive more training in how to teach English learners and to get weekly on-the-job mentoring and supervision.

The Commission’s unanimous vote last week followed two hours of public testimony and debate among commissioners over 14 separate recommendations aimed at improving the rigor and preparation of interns to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to teach the state’s 1.4 million English learners.

via State toughens regs for interns teaching English learners – by Kathryn Baron.

SCOE’s Facebook Wall: SCOE’s second English Language Professional Development workshop (photos)

On March 7, SCOE’s second English Language Professional Development workshop focused on Common Core and English Language Development (ELD) and its implications for English Learner (EL) students. Title III Professional Development Goals, EL Support Strategies, EL Monitoring, and Coaching for ELD were an intricate part of this workshop. Dr. Adria Klein is professor emeritus now at California State University, San Bernardino, and visiting professor at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. She has worked extensively with groups instrumental in creating the new common core standards for EL Students.

via On March 7, SCOE’s second English Language Professional Development workshop foc….

SCOE’s Facebook Wall: Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for Professional Development Strategies for English Learners (EL)

Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for Professional Development Strategies for English Learners (EL) on Tuesday, February 12. Topics include student writing, student engagement, language objectives, and language objective writing. This workshop is for grade 7-12 classroom teachers and EL support staff. Registration closes Tuesday, January 29.

via Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for Professional Development Strategies for….

The Educated Guess: ACLU warns it will sue state over 20,00 unserved English learners

John Festerwald

The American Civil Liberties Union of California and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center threatened yesterday to sue the state within 30 days if it doesn’t ensure that school districts provide more than 20,000 students with limited English proficiency the services to which they’re legally entitled.

In a letter sent to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and State Board of Education President Michael Kirst, the ACLU charged the state with a “long-standing abdication of its responsibility” and gave the state a month to indicate how it would notify districts that aren’t following the law and track the services they should be offering.

via ACLU warns it will sue state over 20,00 unserved English learners – by John Fensterwald.