• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
CONTACT DONATE

Californians Together

Championing the Success of English Learners

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Mission and Focus
    • Our Coalition
    • Our Board
    • Our Staff
  • Areas of Focus
    • English Learner Roadmap
      • Teacher Toolkits
      • English Learner Roadmap Resource Hub
    • Multiple Pathways
    • Alas y Voz Campaign
    • Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students
    • English Learner Leadership & Legacy Initiative
    • Common Core
    • LCFF/LCAP
    • Local Control Funding Formula
    • Long Term English Learners
  • Advocacy
    • Legislative Updates
  • Events
    • EL RISE!
  • Media
    • Blog
    • Media Coverage
    • Webinars & Videos
    • Newsletters
    • Press Releases
  • Publications
    • The Latest
    • Biliteracy
    • Common Core
    • English Learner Road Map
    • ESSA
    • LCFF
    • LTEL
    • SIRS
    • teachers
  • Store
    • Cart
    • My account

Blog

PARA INICIAR ESTE AÑO ESCOLAR EN OTOÑO, DEBEMOS MIRAR HACIA ATRÁS

November 2, 2020 by Ashley Aguirre

Un mensaje de Martha Hernández 

La reacción estadounidense a la repentina interrupción de clases en las escuelas públicas a causa de la pandemia Covid-19 desde marzo a junio varió considerablemente a través del país. De la noche a la mañana, los alumnos tuvieron que cambiar su modo de aprendizaje cotidiano, uno cambiando de clases dentro de su escuela, a lecciones a distancia usando algún aparato tecnológico en sus hogares.

Una reciente encuesta nos ha brindado información sobre las limitaciones de aquella reacción tan repentina a esta emergencia, y revela lecciones claves para la reapertura de clases- sean virtuales, híbridas, o presenciales-este otoño.  Durante los últimos meses, Californians Together, una organización que defiende los derechos de estudiantes aprendices del inglés (también conocidos como alumnos bilingües emergentes), encuestó a más de 650* educadores pedagogos sobre la enseñanza a distancia esta pasada primavera, centrándose particularmente en cómo sirvieron a las necesidades educativas de los aprendices del inglés. Los resultados fueron alarmantes. Sólo el 17 por ciento de los encuestados afirmaron que 75 por ciento de sus alumnos aprendices del inglés pudieron participar regularmente en las clases a distancia cada semana. Sin embargo, más de la mitad de los encuestados indicaron que la gran mayoría de sus aprendices del inglés no participaron en las clases semanalmente. Esto podría deberse, al menos en parte, al hecho de que las familias de estos alumnos tienen una probabilidad desproporcionada de ser marginados por la existente brecha digital y la falta de conectividad confiable al Internet (la red). Un tercio de los encuestados verificaron que sus distritos escolares tampoco aseguraron que cada uno de los aprendices del inglés tuviera acceso al Internet el pasado semestre para poder participar en clases virtuales durante la clausura.

*N=595 de los 650 encuestados respondieron

Nuestros líderes locales y estatales deben reconocer estas desigualdades tecnológicas y remediarlas mientras se preparan para lanzar y mejorar la educación pública este año escolar. Casi la mitad de los estudiantes en el estado de California hablan un idioma en sus hogares que no es inglés. Ya sea que decidan abrir las escuelas con instrucción presencial, continúen con el aprendizaje a distancia, o elaboren alguna mezcla híbrida de estos dos métodos, más que nunca los líderes deben priorizar las necesidades de los estudiantes aprendices del inglés. Aquí presentamos 10 sugerencias de cómo las escuelas pueden asistir a los aprendices del inglés de una manera más efectiva durante este período:

 

  1. Asegurar acceso a diario de la instrucción interactiva. Esto debe provenir directamente de sus maestro/as, ya sea de manera virtual o en persona. No cabe duda de que las interacciones consistentes en vivo son particularmente críticas para los aprendices del inglés. Los estudiantes aprenden más sobre el idioma cuando participan en conversaciones con sus maestros/as y sus compañeros. Además, la interacción ayuda a construir relaciones, promueve el desarrollo social y emocional, fomenta la participación de los alumnos, y aumenta el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes.
  2. Incluir el desarrollo de relaciones como parte del plan escolar. Esta pasada primavera, las escuelas pudieron sacar más provecho del aprendizaje a distancia por el hecho de que los maestros/as ya habían establecido las relaciones personales con sus alumnos durante los dos primeros tercios del año escolar. Desafortunadamente, no tendrán esa ventaja este año escolar. Las escuelas se verán obligadas a lanzar la instrucción académica inmediatamente en el esfuerzo por compensar el tiempo perdido. Sin embargo, los estudiantes pueden aprender mucho más si los maestros y las maestras dedican más tiempo para su desarrollo social y emocional, y se enfocan en relaciones comunales de la clase desde el principio del año escolar.
  3. Mantener un currículo completo y vigoroso. Del mismo modo, las escuelas deben resistir cualquier programa de estudio que reduzca las experiencias académicas de los aprendices del inglés. Al contrario, estos alumnos necesitan acceso al currículo presentado de una manera completa y con todas las materias: matemáticas, lectoescritura, ciencias, estudios sociales, música, artes y más. Con clases y experiencias atractivas e interesantes, los estudiantes seguirán fascinados y aprenderán más. Pero, si se limitan a ejercicios diarios de matemáticas y lecturas con formato correctivo y obligado, bien pueden estancarse y no avanzar.
  4. Conservar los servicios para el desarrollo de idioma. Los líderes educativos también deben asegurarse de que los aprendices del inglés tengan acceso a los servicios de instrucción del idioma inglés requeridos bajo las leyes estatales y federales. Esta instrucción puede tomar varias formas bajo diferentes diseños de aprendizaje, pero las escuelas deben priorizar los servicios de instrucción de idioma para los aprendices del inglés tan pronto las condiciones de salud pública permitan la escolarización en persona. Es preciso que en California la instrucción para el aprendizaje a distancia también incluye el requisito para el desarrollo del inglés, específicamente a través de la instrucción sobre el idioma, tanto como integrado en todas las asignaturas académicas.
  5. Proporcionar acceso a los recursos y dispositivos. Este año, el personal escolar debe construir sus modelos de instrucción tomando en cuenta que los aprendices de inglés quedaron en gran medida fuera del aprendizaje a distancia a fines del año escolar pasado. Este personal debe hacer esfuerzos especiales para asegurar que cada niño tenga un dispositivo disponible y acceso a los medios del Internet que necesita para participar en la instrucción a distancia. Además, los aprendices del inglés deben ser los primeros en regresar a la instrucción presencial, y también a las oportunidades de aprendizaje extendidas cuando esto sea posible.
  6. Mantener lista de asistencia. Como parte de sus esfuerzos para hacer que la instrucción del nuevo año escolar sea la más equitativa posible, el personal escolar debe realizar un seguimiento meticuloso de la asistencia de los alumnos, no importa el formato de enseñanza. Esto les ayudará a identificar problemas dónde existen brechas digitales, o falta de comprensión tecnológica de parte de las familias, que pueda impedir que los aprendices del inglés accedan la instrucción. Los distritos de California están obligados a desarrollar un Plan de Asistencia de Continuidad y Aprendizaje para asegurar un seguimiento de la asistencia individual de todos los estudiantes.
  7. Involucrar y comunicarse con las familias. Por supuesto, todo lo anterior será más difícil, incluso imposible, si las escuelas no se comunican bien con las familias de los estudiantes aprendices del inglés. La comunicación eficaz con los padres de familia es sólo el primer paso necesario para que las familias se involucren de una manera significativa. Casi el 60 por ciento de los maestros y los administradores que respondieron a nuestra encuesta reconocieron el hecho de que no ofrecieron oportunidades para que las familias adquieran las estrategias necesarias para apoyar el aprendizaje a distancia en casa. Este tipo de comunicación entre el personal escolar y los padres de familia es fundamental para poder apoyar a los aprendices del inglés al iniciar este año escolar, especialmente si las escuelas lanzan un aprendizaje nuevo de formato híbrido o continúan los cursos en línea.
  8. Apoyar a los educadores con los recursos para una nueva era de enseñanza. La administración de los distritos escolares y los líderes gubernamentales deben reconocer que los educadores necesitarán herramientas técnicas, adiestramiento profesional, y tiempo suficiente para prepararse para el comienzo de este año escolar. Como respuesta en la encuesta a la pregunta sobre cuál tema es el más crítico para el desarrollo profesional en relación a los aprendices del inglés, la mayoría de los encuestados seleccionó los “Procedimientos para este año escolar”, más que ninguna otra opción. Para llenar esta necesidad, los gobernantes a niveles estatales y nacionales deben proporcionar tiempo y financiamiento para el desarrollo profesional de docentes que se enfoca en estrategias para el desarrollo lingüístico y académico de los aprendices del inglés, particularmente en modelos de aprendizaje en línea o híbridos.
  9. Darles a los educadores más tiempo. Mientras tanto, dado el conjunto único de cambios que se les pedirá a los maestros y las maestras que implementen, la administración debe darles más tiempo para planificar, prepararse y colaborar antes y durante el año escolar.
  10. Ofrecer orientación desde los niveles más altos. Los líderes federales y estatales deben proporcionar a funcionarios de centros educativos a nivel local más orientación sobre cada uno de estos elementos: el acceso diario a la instrucción virtual, un enfoque integrado y centrado del niño y su aprendizaje, apoyos continuos para el desarrollo del idioma, priorización equitativa para los estudiantes que perdieron instrucción durante el pasado semestre escolar, seguimiento sobre su asistencia a clase, el compromiso e involucramiento familiar, y los soportes para los docentes.

Nada de esto será fácil, pero tampoco es opcional. Las escuelas ya han comenzado las clases para este semestre de otoño. No importa que forma de “reapertura” tomen las escuelas, son imprescindibles lo siguiente: la planificación- bastante tiempo para la preparación de cursos, adecuados recursos educativos, y la apropiada comunicación para que los educadores (líderes y maestros/as) impartan una educación equitativa a sus educandos.

Martha Hernández es directora ejecutiva de Californians Together, una coalición de 22 organizaciones de derechos humanos, profesionales y civiles que abogan por mejorar la política y la práctica de los aprendices de inglés. 

Traducción por Anaida Colon-Muniz, Ed.D. 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Home-Latest

Analysis: Educators Say Distance Learning Failed Most English Learners Last Spring. Here’s 10 Ways to More Effectively Serve ELs as Schools Reopen for Virtual and Blended Learning

September 14, 2020 by Erika Menjivar

By Martha Hernandez, Californians Together Executive Director

American schools’ responses to COVID-19’s sudden interruption to public education varied considerably across the nation as students went from daily classroom learning to stay-at-home orders nearly overnight. Now, a new survey reveals the limits of that patchwork response to the emergency — and indicates key lessons for schools’ reopening this fall.

BARTLETT, ILLINOIS - MAY 01: Seven-year-old Hamza Haqqani, a 2nd grade student at Al-Huda Academy, uses a computer to participate in an E-learning class with his teacher and classmates while at his home on May 01, 2020 in Bartlett, Illinois. Al-Huda Academy, an Islam based private school that teaches pre-school through the 6th grade students, has had to adopt an E-learning program to finish the school year after all schools in the state were forced to cancel classes in an attempt to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.  (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Over the past several months, Californians Together, an English-learner advocacy organization, asked more than 650 educators to provide details about their schools’ distance learning plans, focusing particularly on how they served English learners. The results were sobering. Martha Hernandez discusses a 10-point road map for how Local, state leaders, and schools can address inequities as they prepare to relaunch public education in the fall.

Read the Full Piece Here

Filed Under: Blog, Home-Latest, Media Coverage Tagged With: COVID, COVID-19, Distance Learning, English Learners

School Closure and English Learners

September 1, 2020 by Erika Menjivar

SCHOOL CLOSURE AND ENGLISH LEARNERS:

A Review of COVID-19 Operations Written Reports

2020.09.01 School Closure and Distance Learning - Californians Together

COVID-19 hit California like a bolt from the blue. No one could have predicted the size and scope of the threat it posed until it was too late, and public institutions—especially schools—were largely left scrambling to sketch hasty plans to continue their operations. But as California approaches half a year of lockdowns, school closures, and economic restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to cease treating it as a crisis to be coped with and begin treating it as a situation to be managed.

Better mid- and long-term planning begins with an assessment of the chaotic spring. How well did schools respond in the moment? What worked well, what was left out then—and how can schools do better in the upcoming school year?

To help answer these questions, Californians Together launched a collaborative review process of 79 California school districts’ COVID-19 Operations Written Reports. This brief offers a window into local districts’ decision-making and can serve as a guide for future improvement.

READ THE FULL POLICY BRIEF
DOWNLOAD THE SLIDE DECK

SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter:

Read @caltog's NEW policy brief: “School Closures and English Learners: A Review of COVID-19 Operations Written Reports”. What worked well, what was left out then—and how can schools do better in the upcoming school year? https://bit.ly/2DmwC4K

Facebook:

NEW! Policy Brief from @CaliforniansTogether: School Closures and English Learners: A Review of COVID-19 Operations Written Reports. How well did schools respond in the moment? What worked well, what was left out then—and how can schools do better in the upcoming school year? To help answer these questions, @CaliforniansTogether launched a collaborative review process of 79 California school districts’ COVID-19 Operations Written Reports. These documents offer a window into local districts’ thinking and can serve as a guide for future improvement. https://bit.ly/2DmwC4K

Filed Under: Blog, Home-Latest, PDF of Documents, Policy Briefs and Position Papers

Supporting English Learners in Learning Continuity Plans

August 27, 2020 by Erika Menjivar

As school districts kick off the 2020-21 school year and address the challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, equity must be front and center. Equity in this context means that reopening plans consider the needs of the most vulnerable students and have explicit strategies and investments to ensure that opportunity and achievement gaps are not exacerbated. Given some of the gaps in access to education that have been documented from the spring closures, Californians Together recommends that districts ensure that the needs of English learners are addressed in their Learning Continuity and Attendance Plans. 

Districts have an opportunity to describe their plans for school reopenings and how they will address the needs of our most vulnerable students through the development of their Learning Continuity and Attendance Plans (LCPs), which must be adopted by September 30th. To ensure that the needs of English learners are addressed in their LCP, we encourage districts to provide a clear description and definition of the following factors. 

  1. Designated and Integrated instruction in English language development (ELD). Education Code 43503(b)(5) clearly states that distance learning shall include “Designated and integrated instruction in English language development pursuant to Section 11300 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations for English learners, including assessment of English language proficiency, support to access curriculum, the ability to reclassify as fully English proficient, and, as applicable, support for dual language learning.” LCPs must provide a clear description of how designated and integrated ELD instruction will be delivered within distance learning.
  2. Daily live interaction and synchronous learning time that all students will receive. Education Code 43503(a)(6) clearly states that distance learning shall include “Daily live interaction with certificated employees and peers for purposes of instruction, progress monitoring, and maintaining school connectedness.”  School districts should clearly define what daily live interaction will entail and incorporate expectations for synchronous learning, including the time and frequency expectations for every student, grade level, and the format. In addition, districts should describe any modifications for English learners, students with disabilities, homeless students, foster youth, and socio-economically disadvantaged students.
  3. Support that will be provided to parents and families. This support should be focused on opportunities to learn strategies to help enhance the education of their children at home. In addition, this should also include opportunities for authentic engagement that informs and has an impact on district and school decision-making. All of these support opportunities must be differentiated to ensure the engagement of families whose primary home language is other than English. 
  4. Social-Emotional Supports. Providing students with access to social-emotional supports is critical during this time of crisis. Moreover, districts should detail strategies to ensure that such supports are accessible to all students and that SEL is incorporated within instruction.
  5. Alignment and articulation between early childhood education and early elementary education, with supports for dual language learners and their multilingual families. The first five years are a critical window of opportunity for brain, language, and bilingual development. Therefore support for dual language learners and their multilingual families must start from the earliest years possible (i.e. infant/toddler programs, and preschool). Early childhood education should continue to be included within the planning process and aligned with elementary education so that students have a smooth transition into elementary education. This is of particular importance to dual language learners that can be supported in the development of both their home language and English language as early as possible.

To support districts in incorporating these factors within their LCP’s our EL RISE! Initiative (made possible with the support of an Educator Workforce Investment Grant [EWIG] to Californians Together from the California Department of Education) developed two tools aligned to the English Learner Roadmap. 

  • EL RISE! Reflection and Planning Tool for Administrators provides recommended actions organized by section of the EL Roadmap.
  • EL RISE! Learning Continuity Plans Opportunities for addressing English Learner Needs provides recommended actions organized by section of the LCP template. 

We encourage all districts, schools, teachers, and community members to review the recommendations in these resources and to continue to do what they can to close opportunity gaps for English learners. 

——————————————————————————————————————————-

For wide dissemination of the tools and the report, here are social media posts for each of the five factors:

Districts must ensure that time for integrated and designated English Language Development is provided within distance learning. @CalTog through EL RISE! has guidance to help districts develop their Learning Continuity Plans with English learners at heart. https://bit.ly/32Cwq9Y

Students deserve daily live instruction and interaction with teachers. For ELs, these interactions are integral to language development. @CalTog through EL RISE! has guidance to help districts develop their Learning Continuity Plans with ELs at heart. https://bit.ly/32Cwq9Y

During distance learning, families need help to support their children’s education at home. Supports must be available in families’ home languages. @CalTog through EL RISE! has guidance to help districts develop Learning Continuity Plans with ELs at heart. https://bit.ly/32Cwq9Y

Social-emotional supports are important for students during distance learning. These must be accessible to ELs and incorporated within instruction. @CalTog through EL RISE! has guidance to help districts develop Learning Continuity Plans with ELs at heart. https://bit.ly/32Cwq9Y

During distance learning, early childhood education for dual language learners must be incorporated. Articulation between ECE and elementary education is critical. @CalTog through EL RISE! has guidance to help districts develop Learning Continuity Plans. https://bit.ly/32Cwq9Y

Filed Under: Blog, Home-Latest Tagged With: Continuity Plans, EL RISE, English Learners, LCP

Engaging in Advocacy for the 2021 Mathematics Framework Revision

July 21, 2020 by Erika Menjivar

California’s over 1.1 million English learners (ELs) deserve access to the full curriculum so that they are prepared for success in not just English language arts, but also in math, science, social studies, the arts, and all other subjects. It is all of these subjects combined that make learning relevant and support language development. 

Unfortunately, we know all too well that access to rigorous coursework is still lacking for many ELs. When looking at achievement in Math, only 12.6% of ELs met or exceeded math standards in 2019. It is for these reasons that Californians Together has partnered with Education Trust-West to lead an advocacy effort focused on informing the 2021 Mathematics Framework revision. 

Math Framework Timeline and Goals

The Mathematics Framework is currently being drafted by the Mathematics Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFCC), which will continue meeting until December 2020. From then, the Framework will go to the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) in January 2021, for approval for an initial 60-day public review period. Moreover, thanks to the English learner roadmap and the new English Language Development (ELD) standards, California has an opportunity to better integrate strategies for ELs and ELD standards into teaching and learning in all subjects. This makes this the right time to engage in this process!

Central to this effort is to ensure that decision-makers hear from the perspectives of our diverse coalition partners in order to:

  • Uplift the need for equity to be a driving force in the framework development process, content, and implementation process (i.e. curriculum/instructional materials); and
  • Improve equitable access to standards-aligned, high-quality curriculum and instruction for English learners.

Our Progress

Over the past three months Californians Together and The Education Trust-West have been joined by ten other education organizations that signed on to one or both of the coalition letters for the May IQC Meeting and June Mathematics CFCC Meeting. In addition, during the June 24-25 Mathematics CFCC meeting, we were joined by six individuals in providing public comment in support of Equity and ELs. 

“Ed Trust-West is proud to be working in partnership with CalTog and many other organizations to ensure that California’s revised math framework is grounded in equity and provides a clear instructional, research-based blueprint for serving diverse learners. Educators throughout the state are looking for clear guidance on how to implement the math  standards in culturally relevant and engaging ways, including for students of color, students who are gaining proficiency in English, and those learning in multilingual settings. It is imperative that educators, advocates, students, and families, all have a voice in the framework revision process and we welcome additional organizations to join our coalition.” Rachel Ruffalo, Director of Educator Engagement at Education Trust-West 

Based on our review of the chapters discussed at the June meeting, it is clear that there is a need to ensure that examples and strategies discussed consider the needs of our diverse learners, including a clear integration of ELD standards and strategies within the Mathematics standards. However, we found much of the discussions of the committee promising as there was a focus on expanding cultural relevance and ensuring that the purpose of learning math was expanding to understanding our world and solving complex problems.

Looking Ahead: How To Help

As we look ahead to the remaining Math CFCC meetings, including the one coming up on August 5-6th, we need your help. 

You can help by doing one or all of the following:

  • Review draft chapters and provide feedback to be included in our coalition letter before each meeting.
  • Sign-on to our coalition letters or submit your own before each meeting.
  • Provide public comment during the Mathematics CFCC meetings that highlight our key messages.

If you are interested in supporting this effort or just want to stay updated, email Manuel Buenrostro at manuel@californianstogether.org.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: EL, ELD Standards, Framework, LTEL, Math, Mathematic Framework

Join the Cal Tog Team!

July 15, 2020 by Erika Menjivar

We're hiring w bull horn

This is a very exciting time for us.

We are thrilled to have received generous support from our funders to continue expanding our work.

We are looking for a candidate who share our passion and dedication to grow high quality biliteracy and dual language/English learner programs and services from pre-school to 12th grade.

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER 

View Job Description
Download

Filed Under: Blog, Home-Latest, Job Positions

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 7
  • Go to Next Page »

© 2021 · Californians Together
525 E. 7th Street, Suite C203
Long Beach, CA 90813