2019

Champions Senator Jackson and Assemblywoman Arroyo Were Instrumental in the Latino Education Advocacy Directors Coalition’s Multilingual Learner Commission Bill Becoming Law

Friday, December 20, 2019

For Immediate Release

New York, NY – The Latino Education Advocacy Directors (LEAD) Coalition launched a statewide campaign in February of this year to push for an increased investment from New York State in its Multilingual Learners (MLL), to ensure that their academic needs are met. MLLs refers to students who speak and understand other languages and are learning English.

Currently, multilingual students fall staggeringly behind their English-speaking peers, in academic achievement, and even more so when it comes to graduation rates. In 2017, the four-year MLL dropout rate was higher than the four- year graduation rate.

The campaign led by the LEAD Coalition, called “Invest in Our Future,” outlined the challenges and a series of recommendations aimed at closing the achievement gap among this high need student population. Included in these recommendations was a bill that would create a Commission for the Educational Advancement of Multilingual Learners (S4031/A8211).

Sponsors, Senator Robert Jackson (SD 31) and Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo (AD 84) were instrumental in the passing of this bill and believe it is is needed for the advancement and success of many New York students.

On December 12th, Governor Cuomo signed this bill into law, which will create a Commission meant to inform the New York State Department of Education, the legislature, and the Governor on how to close the achievement gap between MLLs and their native English-speaking peers.

We are proud to have worked with these amazing legislators who prioritize the interests of the communities they serve.

"Hispanic Federation is deeply grateful for the Multilingual Learner Commission being signed into reality. The information and recommendations that will be written by this commission of experts will help New York State better support students who have been habitually undeserved. Senator Jackson, Assemblywoman Arroyo, and Governor Cuomo were integral parts in this bill’s success" said Frankie Miranda, President of the Hispanic Federation. "Understanding the true need of multilingual learners and how New York can ensure these students' needs are met, will be invaluable and is a great step forward in closing the achievement gap."

"The Latino Education Advocacy Leaders (LEAD) Coalition was created to improve Latinx educational outcomes. This Multilingual Learner Commission will help the most vulnerable group of Latinx students, as well as all diverse multilingual learners across the state” said Diana E. Cruz, Director of Education Policy of Hispanic Federation. “Senator Jackson and Assemblywoman Arroyo are true champions of immigrants and multilingual learners and for that we are thankful. We hope to continue our work together along with the Commission, legislators and the Governor to implement recommendations that ensure our multilingual students will thrive and reach their potential."

"Zone 126 is pleased that the educational needs of multilingual learners are going to be addressed through the work of this commission and thank everyone who helped make it happen,” said Anthony Lopez, Executive Director of Zone 126.

"Congratulations to state leadership for passing this landmark legislation to advance the achievement of the New York State's multilingual learners. The establishment of a commission to evaluate policies, practices, and investments in the state's multilingual learners (MLLs) is a first step in ensuring that more MLLs graduate from high school and are prepared for postsecondary success,” said Marissa Muñoz, Northeast Director for Young Invincibles and former Education Policy Director at Hispanic Federation.

“We commend the Governor for signing legislation to establish the Multilingual Learner (MLL) Commission—an essential step towards closing education gaps and providing New York’s multilingual students with the supports they need to thrive,” said Kim Sykes, Director of Education Policy at the New York Immigrant Coalition. “Across the state, our students speak over 200 languages and the MLLs population has grown over twenty percent in the past decade. We know that when immigrant New Yorkers get the resources they need, our communities are stronger and more equitable. We look forward to working with the Commission to boost the graduation rates and support the educational attainment of multilingual learners across New York and know the Commission’s inclusion of New York’s diverse immigrant communities is critical to its success.”

Senator Jackson, said, “As a longtime parent advocate with roots in the immigrant-majority neighborhood of Washington Heights, I was proud to introduce this bill and I’m even more proud that the governor has signed it into law. Multilingual learners in our public schools deserve to be fully supported among their English-dominant peers. This commission will help us create learning environments that unlock the potential of students in New York who come from all over the world. I thank Assembly member Arroyo for her leadership on this issue in the Assembly and look forward to reading and implementing the commission’s recommendations soon!”

“The graduation rate for English Language Learners has seen some gains over the years but remains disturbingly low and in need of focused attention. The Governor clearly understands these dynamics and his signing of this legislation into law is a monumental step forward in improving the education of all our children,” stated Assemblywoman Carmen E. Arroyo, member of the Assembly Education Committee. She added, “I am proud to have collaborated on this new law with State Senator Robert Jackson, a life-long advocate and leader on improving the education of our children. His leadership in the State Senate on this major education issue will lead to a better life for countless students.”

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Education Policy Recommendations

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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

2019 New York State Education Policy Priorities

About the LEAD Coalition

The Latino Educational Advocacy Directors (LEAD) Coalition is a statewide coalition created to ensure the needs of Latino students in the New York State public school system are being met. LEAD works to increase the educational outcomes of Latino children and youth and to improve their access to a high-quality public education from pre-school to postsecondary levels. The goal is to narrow the achievement gap of Latino students so that their academic outcomes ultimately equal other, higher performing student populations across the state. The coalition is unified in support of a reform agenda that will enhance New York City and New York State’s P-16 public education system, creating a strong college and career access and success pipeline to improve the outcomes of Latino students.

P-12 Education

ALLOCATE $110 MILLION IN FUNDING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Earmark Foundation Aid Funding for 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)

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

• Ensure ESSA parent dashboard is released in 2019 and includes translations in multiple languages and user-friendly features

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 New York 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 Pre-K 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 implementing and sustaining integrated classrooms in Pre-K

•   Fund the professional development of bilingual early childhood staff, via training institutes and opportunities that put them on a pathway to career ladders and certification, so that they have the skills and knowledge to better support MLLs

FULLY RESTORE FOUNDATION AID FUNDING

Allocate $1.4 Billion in Foundation Aid Based on a Three-year Phase-in of the $4.2 Billion Owed

•   New York legislators should enact a commitment to fund the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, beginning with allocating $1.4 billion in Foundation Aid for 2018-2019. The coalition seeks more transparency in district reporting and the allocation of items to meet specific needs. In addition, the coalition supports increased engagement of parents in the budgeting process.

INCREASE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

Increase Number of College Counselors and Access to Postsecondary Readiness Training

•   Invest in funding to create and pilot a college counseling program, that will pay for the training of school counselors in college and career readiness

•   Provide funding to allow for more college counselors to access professional development related to college and career readiness, starting in districts in greatest need

Better Support Community-based Organizations (CBOs) in Providing Postsecondary Support

•   Create a database of services statewide, by district, for schools to tap into resources

•   Provide grant funding for CBOs to receive additional grants for supporting postsecondary readiness

•   Increase the number of proven and promising college access programs and practices such as Student Success Centers and College Access Research and Action (CARA)

Increase Parent Knowledge on the College Going Process

•   Increase partnership capacity with Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) in order to better address the needs of parents, including those of immigrant youth

•   Utilize HESC and community-based organizations via funded train-the-trainer models to lead and increase college application and financial aid workshops

•   Provide training to counselors and staff to effectively educate students and parents on financial awareness and the college going process. Ensure that the training is inclusive of the needs of mixed status, undocumented, first-generation and newly arrived students

Increased Data Sharing with Institutions of Higher Education

•   Continue to seek transparent data sharing with institutions of higher education to better inform curriculum and practices

Higher Education

SUPPORT THE DREAM ACT

The New York State DREAM Act would help ease the cost of higher education for immigrants in New York State. Passing this bill would allow undocumented students seeking to attend an institution of higher education access to state financial aid. Under the proposal, these students would be eligible for general awards, performance-based awards, and the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). The legislation would also help immigrant families prepare for the costs of higher education by allowing an individual with a taxpayer identification number to open a New York State 529 family tuition account under the NYS College Savings Program.

ALLOW UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW YORK STATE EXCELSIOR SCHOLARSHIP AND THE PART-TIME SCHOLARSHIP (PTS) AWARD PROGRAM

This would grant college financial aid to students, regardless of immigration status without inquiring about legal status nor requiring that they first qualify for TAP, EOP or HEOP. The effective date would be immediate and would apply to undergraduate admissions to a public institution of higher education for a term or semester beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year.

RESTORE OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM FUNDING

Opportunity Program Funding has been proven to increase retention and graduation rates, especially for first generation college bound students. Many of these students are low-income students of color that need additional academic and financial supports and services to graduate college. These programs include the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Liberty Partnerships, Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). Opportunity programs at the community college level include the Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) and College Discovery programs.


Latino Education Advocacy Coalition Launches New Statewide Campaign Focusing on the Needs of Multilingual Learners, the Students with Lowest Graduation Rate in NYS

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

For Immediate Release

As part of the iniative they released a new report: Investing in Our Future: A Multilingual Learner Policy Agenda for New York State outlining priority recommendations aimed at closing the alarming achievement gap among multilingual students

New York, NY – The Latino Education Advocacy Directors (LEAD) Coalition launched a new statewide campaign today to push for an increased investment from New York State in its multilingual learners )MLL), to ensure that their academic needs are met. MLLs are students who speak or understand a language other than English and speak or understand little or no English.

Currently multilingual students lag staggeringly behind their peers, in academic achieve, and even more so when it comes to graduation rates. In 2017, the four-year MLL dropout rate superseded the four- year graduation rate.

The campaign called “Invest in Our Future, kicked off officially on Tuesday with the release of an eye opening report called: Investing in our Future: A Multilingual Learner Policy Agenda for NYS, that outlines the challenges and a series of recommendations aimed at closing the achievement gap among this high need student population.

The Latino Educational Advocacy Directors (LEAD) coalition consists of leading educational advocacy organizations from across the state committed to improving Latino academic outcomes and opportunities in New York State.

According to the new report findings, multilingual Learners in New York State continue to fall behind in graduation rates compared to other students due to lack of adequate focus on needed resources and funding. For example, the population of MLLs across New York State has grown nearly 20% over the last ten years. Yet, the supply of certified Bilingual Education and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers has not grown accordingly. This inadequate attention has translated into a staggering dropout rate of 30%, that surpasses their graduation rate of 27%.

“We cannot afford to ignore the needs of New York State’s multilingual learners (MLLs) any longer,” said José Calderón, President of the Hispanic Federation (HF). “As this report shows, the failure of our state to provide adequate resources and supports for our MLLs has created a full fledge educational crisis, where the MLL four-year dropout rate is actually higher than the MLL four-year graduation rate.” This is simply unacceptable and requires immediate action on the part of our state leadership. Together, we must act with bold purpose to provide the funding and appropriate resources our MLLs need to succeed academically. I applaud the work of the LEAD Coalition in elevating this issue and providing the necessary recommendations and advocacy to spur change across the state, so that all students receive a quality education that puts them on the pathway to postsecondary success.”

The report calls for immediate action from New York State Legislators and sets a series of recommendations to close the achievement gap. The coalition understands that the educational success of MLLs will will require a collective effort, reliable funding and high quality monitoring.

The report outlines six main priority recommendations to close the MLL achievement gap that include:

  • Fund a Targeted Initiative to Increase Graduation Rates for MLLs
    Increase the Number of Certified ESOL and BE Teachers in General and Special Education

  • Grow Investment in Academic Supports and Parent Engagement for MLLs

  • Increase Socio-Emotional Supports Provided to MLLs

  • Form a New York State Commission to Advance the Achievement of MLLs

  • Earmark a Minimum of $85 Million annually for MLLs over a Three Years Phase in of the Total

    $4.1 million Owed in Foundation Aid

Carmen Diaz-Malvido, Chief Executive Officer, ASPIRA of New York said: “ASPIRA of New York continues to advocate on behalf of English Language Learners to protect and ensure access to quality education. We seek a collaborative, active partnership with the New York State Legislative Leadership to fund long overdue New York State Education Department projects and polices meant to increase achievement opportunities and ensure equitable resource allocations for Multilingual Learners. Achievement and graduation rates of Multilingual Learners have declined significantly due to lack of investment, it is time to take action and engage in leveling the playing field for all New York City youth.”

Nancy Villarreal de Adler, Executive Director, New York State Association for Bilingual Education (NYSABE) said: “Education without appropriate supports for those in need is NOT equitable. Appropriate supports cannot be provided without targeted funding. Therefore, as we advocate for equity in education for New York State’s multilingual learners, we urge our elected officials to prioritize the urgent educational needs of these students and ensure appropriate funding to sustain their academic and socio-emotional success. It is a moral obligation.”

Joe Luft, Executive Director of Internationals Network said: “Multilingual learners bring many and varied assets to schools in New York State. As the leader of an organization supporting public secondary schools in New York State serving thousands of MLLs, I see MLLs' strengths as well as the challenges that they face. To build on students’ strengths while supporting them in meeting these challenges, New York State must provide the resources to ensure that there are enough well-prepared, dedicated educators who can work in alliance with community organizations to meet MLL's needs. With proper resources and supports, MLLs can and do reach their full potential. New York State will benefit from their success.”

Maria Bautista, campaigns director for the Alliance for Quality Education said:

"There is great need among our students, needs that are not met under the current underfunding of the Foundation Aid, which is specifically designed to prioritize high needs schools. The state needs to step up and fully fund the $1.66 billion for 2019-20 that the State Board of Regents determined that is necessary to meet student need, move toward programmatic improvement, and over three years provide the full $4.1 billion that the state currently owes to schools. Black, Brown and students in poverty, many of who are ELLs or MLLs are owed two thirds of the $4.1 billion. We cannot keep losing generations of students because of the state's unwillingness to fund the students' constitutional and moral right to a great education."

Asenhat Gomez, Director of El Puente said: “Multilingual Learners make our schools rich in diversity and culture but unfortunately as a City and State, we have failed to provide the appropriate resources and culturally relevant instruction they deserve. Our multilingual learners are an asset and it is time their backgrounds and experiences inform what they learn in the classrooms in order for them to feel empowered and supporter. Education is in its true form and act of liberation and it can’t be separated from the experiences of the community; therefore the challenges our youth face outside the classroom can’t be ignored, instead our schools need to become hubs where students and families alike can come together, be supported, celebrated and learn from each other. It is the responsibility of the City and State to allocate fair/equitable resources to the education of our multilingual learners and see our youth for what they are: brilliant young people who given the right resources/opportunities and guided by staff that is properly trained will continue to transform NY. El Puente is glad to be a part of the LEAD coalition and to have the opportunity to advocate for and with our youth.”

Created by the Hispanic Federation, the LEAD coalition works to highlight and address the educational needs of Latino students in the following ways: identifying and supporting effective practice; public policy advocacy and research; and the advancement of a shared educational agenda.

As part of the campaign launch, the coalition, the campaign launch the LEAD Coalition also unveiled a new website: latinoleaders.org and a public forum featuring advocates and state education officials on the state of multilingual learners who answered questions from parents attending. The list of education leaders included, Dr. Luis Reyes, Regent, NYS Board of Regents, Angélica Infante-Green, Deputy Commissioner, New York State Education Department, Joe Luft, Executive Director, Internationals Network, Rita Rodriguez, Director, Immigrant Students’ Rights Project, Advocates for Children and Evelyn DeJesus, Vice President for Education United Federation of Teachers (UFT).