English Learners Advisory Committee (ELAC) Minutes

Park School

Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Staff in Attendance:

Myriame Steep, Instructional Specialist, Rose Sanchez, Spanish Home School Coordinator, Lynn Siu, Chinese Home School Coordinator, and Yolanda Rodriguez, Special Projects Assistant/ELAC Secretary

Meeting was called to order at 8:21 a.m.

Mrs. Steep requested parents to review minutes from the January 3, 2017 meeting. After minutes were reviewed, she requested votes to approve them. They were approved by unanimous decision.

PEP- what would parents like to add to the information they have received so far from the classes?

What future topics can be presented to reach to more parents?What can be improved?The second set of PEP classes will focus totally on technology. We will be teaching parents how to go online to use the internet and practice word processing.We will be inquiring if parent English classes will be resuming if that is the case we will not be continuing PEP.

Developmental Assets on January 24th-report from parents who attended? Alma Lopez attended. The topics that were discussed were motivation/encouragement, positive talk, tools for getting out of negative situations.

Parents inquired about Gateway parent classes at Alhambra High. Parents were referred to Lily Lam, Park Intervention Advisor.

Language Census Report for our current school year. You can see allthe current languages and cultures at Park. Review our language needs for Park School.What would parents like to see more of at Park for your English learner students?We can compile a wish list from parents regarding their EL students. Perhaps parents would like programs such as afterschool tutoring.

Current ELD Programs=English 3D, Designated ELD and Integrated ELD

English 3D-for our long term language learners grades for 6 years in the US. For 6-8th graders. Real world texts that start at 740 Lexile scoring (books readability) which is about a 3rd/4th grade reading level. They know how to speak conversation English. The focus is on academic vocabulary. To learn a vocabulary word, students need to use it correctly in context at least 20 times to know the word. These students can carry a conversation in English. Academic vocabulary is the focus, the words that they need for school. Consists of a lot of repetition. Continual exposure to the words. Lexile-name of reading level. Your students should be taking home books to read at home attheir reading level. Many teachers have Raz-Kids accounts with leveled reading books to read independently. Ask your teacher for information about logging in at home.

ELD: Designated-30 minutes a day at their level, California has standards that are given to teachers regarding. Integrated ELD-they can take pieces of standards and teach it with the content like Math or Science. Building in the ELD standards into the school day with supports like GLAD (picture based and color coding) strategies.

ELD Standards- Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways- being able to work with people around you, Collaborative-working in a group or with a partner, Interpretive-being able to take in information and Productive-using the information

Part II: Learning How English Works, Structuring, Cohesive Texts-makes sense from beginning to end, and able to read in a way that makes sense, Expanding and Enriching Ideas-take an idea and give more to it, Connecting and Condensing ideas-taking a big idea and explaining it in a more simple form

ELD Levels: Emerging-if the child is here in the states for 1-2 years;Expanding-getting a little better, years 3-4 could have a conversation, Bridging-years 4-5 can work as a native English speaker

Mrs. Steep presented the English Learner Parent Academy Series flyer and mentioned that we will be having Learning Walks on March 6th and 7th. She asked if parents were interested to please call Ms. Rose or Ms. Lynn.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:14 a.m. Respectfully submitted by: Yolanda Rodriguez