What kind of services and programs does the school have to help my child learn English and all the other subjects he/she is studying?
How well is my child learning English and do you have an educational plan for him/her?
What activities do you use in class to encourage him to practice his English with his/her peers?
Will my child’s progress reports and other communication items be available in Spanish? Will we go over his/her academic as well as social development progress during our parent-teacher conferences?
How can I request special accommodations, such as extended time during high-stakes assessments, for my MLL student?
How long do you think it will take my child to transition to a mainstream classroom?
Will my child be on track to graduate from high school and apply to college? If not, what else does he/she need to do to graduate?
How are you helping my child prepare for courses that determine if he/she will earn a high school diploma?
How many exams will my child take this year and what will they be used for? How do I request copies of my child’s exam results in Spanish?
How can I support my child’s learning English at home?
What flexible volunteer opportunities do you have for parents to get involved in this school?
10 Tips for Parents of MLL Students
As a parent of an MLL student, these tips will help you to better understand your rights and your options to make sure both you and your child receive available support.
It is possible that the school will offer online courses to your child. If they do, you should make the completion of these online courses a priority. This will help them catch up or advance academically.
If you do not speak English, you have the right to have a translator present during a parent-teacher conference. You can have a friend or neighbor present to translate during parent-teacher conferences. You can also request that the school provide a translator. It is best to have someone other than your child serve as the translator. You also have the right to have translated materials sent home.
During conversations with teachers, you will learn about your child’s academic performance and behavior in class. Your child’s teacher will share their expectations for your child. Make sure that you ask how you can support their learning at home. Also share your child’s family background and other information that will help the teacher know more about his strengths and challenges.
When speaking with teachers, learn about resources that the school provides to overcome academic challenges. If your child is doing well, make sure that you ask about programs for students that excel. Help the teacher to know more about your child’s academic experiences in their native country. Use the Teacher Communicator tool to improve dialogue with your child’s teacher.
You should learn how the United States school system works because it might be different than in your native country. Find out about workshops, parent meetings where you can learn more.
If possible, it is important to have a computer, a printer, and Internet access at home. Investing in these tools will help your child to be successful in school. But monitor your child while he is using them to ensure safe use of social media.
Schools are required to help children who don’t speak English to learn English in the same way they are required to teach the same curriculum as they teach to other students.
Students who are learning English might be able to take advanced courses in their native language. Ask the school what might be available.
If your school does not offer many services in Spanish, find out if the school district offers more. Also ask if they have an English Language Learner or Bilingual Liaison available.
If you are caring for a child that has not been in school regularly for some time, such as an unaccompanied minor or a foster child, ask their school for ways to help them beyond learning English. They may need more than one year to catch up to the other students in their grade, as well as counseling and other supports. Some younger students may benefit from repeating a grade to give them more time.
Addressing New York State’s Certified Bilingual Teacher Shortage
Since 1990, New York State has reported a teacher shortage for certified bilingual teachers. It, along with Texas, are the only two states that have faced a shortage for the last quarter of a century. The shortage is so dire, that in serve its multilingual learners, schools are placing teachers that are not certified to teach bilingual education in bilingual classrooms, jeopardizing the quality of education multilingual learners receive.
According to a 2017 report by the New York State School Boards Association, over 10% of teachers in bilingual education classrooms in NYS, excluding New York City (NYC), were not certified. In fact, in regions such as the Genesee-Finger Lakes area, uncertified bilingual education teachers in bilingual classroom settings were as high as 25%
Note: The years listed are the start of the school year. Teacher types include ESL, bilingual education, and dual-language education. Each MLL indicates that the percentage of the State’s proposed teacher shortage areas may not exceed the automatic designated limit of five percent of all unduplicated full-time equivalent (FTE) elementary and secondary teaching positions in the State.
Education Policy Recommendations
Earmark Foundation Aid Funding to Multilingual Learners- Minimum $85 million
• Sustain this allocation for each year for the next three years
Increase the Number of Certified English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Bilingual Education (BE) Teachers in General and in Special Education Settings- $7 million
• $1.54 Million, doubling the current allocation, to address the shortage of bilingual education teachers in general
and in special education settings to expand the Clinically Rich Intensive Teacher Institute (CRI-TI) and increase the number of participating CRI-TI institutions in regions of greatest need
• Allocate new funding to provide a pay increase as a monetary incentive for teachers to become certified to teach multilingual students
Fund a Targeted Initiative to Increase Graduation Rates for Multilingual Learners- $3 million
• Provide new funding to support performance and portfolio-based assessments
• Provide funding for out-of-schools time academic supports for high school MLLs
• Provide funding for the creation of a statewide online multilingual credit recovery system for MLLs
Provide Additional Academic Supports for Multilingual Learners- $5 million
• Allocate new funding to districts via grants for extended school-based learning, including afterschool and summer academies, and targeted programming for MLLs performing below grade level
• Provide new targeted supports for Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)
• Provide additional funding to districts to increase the number of CTE programs for all students including MLLs
Increase Parent Information and Outreach in Home Languages- $1 million
• Provide additional supports to districts to develop more robust materials and transparent outreach processes that inform parents about school issues, resources, and updates in home languages
Increase Socio-Emotional Supports of Multilingual Learners- $5 million
• Pilot a school-based mental health initiative in schools with high MLL populations
• Increase professional development opportunities for counselors and social workers working with MLLs and their families
• Increase the number of bilingual social workers and counselors in schools with larger MLL populations
Form a NY State Commission to Advance the Achievement of Multilingual Learners- $200,000
• The group would develop a best practices report, working backwards from a statement of full equity and high expectations, demonstrating a full commitment to multilingualism as an asset.
• The commission will include experts and practitioners, including NYS Regents and NYSED leaders.
Increase Investment in Early Childhood to Meet the Needs of Multilingual Learners- $3.8 million
• Provide funding to support the expansion of integrated classrooms and provide guidance and oversight in rolling out and sustaining integrated classrooms
• Fund the professional development of bilingual early childhood staff, via training institutes and other opportunities that also put them on a pathway to career ladders and certification, so that they have the skills and knowledge to better support MLLs
