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ELRISE! Year One Reflection

July 20, 2021 by Ashley Aguirre

As part of state support for enacting the visionary 2017 CA English Learner Roadmap policy, the legislature and California Department of Education funded two Educator Workforce Incentive Grants, of which EL RISE! (English Learner Roadmap Implementation for Systemic Excellence) is one.

This post takes a look at the learnings from our first year of implementation.

ELRISE! Implementation Goals

Increase educator knowledge of the CA English Learner Roadmap.
Build skills and strategies for implementing evidence-based practices.
Support development of a shared vision and priorities for local planning.
Promote design and sustainability of research-based language acquisition programs, including dual language programs.
Develop local policies and LEA systems focused on EL needs.
Strengthen COE capacity to support LEAs for English learner success

Professional Development during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Like many sectors in Education, those coordinating Professional Development/Learning opportunities were faced with the challenge of having to adapt to a virtual setting. This challenge forced our design team to think of new approaches to professional development. What we found was that not only did our First Year design meet our learning goals, but it also provided an important support network among the County Offices of Education leads who are part of EL RISE! and provided those in attendance with a valuable network of peers who were ready to connect and discuss how they could overcome the challenges of the pandemic together, in particular addressing the challenges faced by English learners. As Districts start to reopen and we approach Year Two of ELRISE!, our Design Team has taken some learnings into consideration:

Learnings

The virtual setting created new opportunities for better accessibility and equity. As a result, we have looked to continue and build on our virtual professional development offerings and transition as appropriate to a Hybrid model for Year Two. This will ensure we can continue to provide support for those with a preference for virtual attendance.
There is an additional need for professional development/learning around Programs and Services for Long Term English learners (LTELs) and meeting the unique needs of Newcomers. For Year Two, we have expanded our offerings to include these crucial areas of need that were identified during our Year One sessions.

Year One Impact & Participation

Building on existing relationships Californians Together had with several county offices really helped spur engagement. Twenty counties signed our letter promising to be part of the grant and in Year One, all of those counties participated even with the challenges of a virtual setting. In total, EL RISE! serviced 547 Districts and Organizations from September, 2020-June, 2021. Below is a summary of participation based in the number of professional development sessions and participants: Below is a summary of participation:

Summary of Year One Resources

What Year One participants had to say

"This training and the abundant resources have been one of the best professional learning sessions I have attended in many years! Thank you!"

"I am excited to try these new things in our classroom and school in order to continue to build those important connections with our families."

"These were some fantastic resources on how to explicitly make the incredibly crucial ideas reflected in the Roadmap principles come to life."

"I am leaving today's training feeling really inspired."

"Presenters were some of the best I've ever had! Thank you for your expertise and obvious thoughtful creation of material and preparation!"

"Thank you for all the tools and resources! I am so excited to do this work and have a community of practice to lean on."

Looking Ahead to Year Two

New Offerings

Creating Conditions for Dual Language Learners to Thrive in Early Education
Developing and Strengthening Programs and Services to meet the Needs of LTELs
Elementary Coaching to Enact the English Learner Roadmap
English Learner Master Plan Institute: Designing Local Policy aligned to the CA EL Roadmap
Integrated and Designated ELD Strand for Secondary teachers
Meeting the Unique Needs of Newcomers in the Classroom
Fall Webinar: Preparing to Lead Integrated and Designated ELD

Want to participate?

For more information about ELRISE! professional learning opportunities contact

Dr. Margarita Gonzalez-Amador, Project Administrator

Victoria Weiss, Project Specialist

info@elroadmap.org

More About ELRISE!

There are three main agencies leading the work of EL RISE!: Californians Together , Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL), and Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL). Under CaliforniansTogether’s leadership, these three agencies have formed a Design Team to design research-based professional learning and to ensure coherence across the professional learning efforts for multiple roles and across the state. In addition, all three play a role in delivering professional learning opportunities and technical assistance to the field as part of this grant - drawing upon many years of designing demonstration projects, providing professional learning and technical assistance to the field of English Learner education, and creating tools and resources for implementation of research-based practices.

Visit the ELRISE! homepage here

Job Opening: Fund Developer

July 13, 2021 by Erika Menjivar

Position: Fund Developer

Long Beach, CA [Another location in California is negotiable]

Exempt, Half-Time, Regular Position

Organizational Background:

Californians Together is a statewide advocacy coalition with the goal of better educating 1.2 million English learners by improving California's schools and promoting equitable educational policy.Position Summary:In the role of Fund Developer, you are directly responsible for identifying and qualifying various funding sources,including writing of grant proposals in implementation of the strategic plan, philanthropic partnerships, individual and major gifts. You will plan, coordinate and implement development plans to meet fund development and budgetary goals. Current overall annual fundraising goal is approximately $1 million,including grants, contracts and individual and corporate donors. Activities will also include research, drafting, proofreading, submitting, and tracking proposals; managing the grants calendar; and support of reporting requirements. Reports to the Executive Director. The position is a half-time, exempt position with potential full-time employment in the future.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Participate with the Executive Director, Board of Directors and staff to lead the organization’s development strategies and continue to chart the organization’s course in fund development
Oversee the launch and execution, with the Executive Director & Board of Directors, of currently funded grants
Identify new potential government and private funding opportunities through publications, website subscriptions, the internet, and other resources that relate to Californians Together programs
Attend necessary bidders’ conferences and grant workshops as needed;Interact with and respond to questions from foundation representatives, and participate in relevant discussions and meetings
Design long-term strategies for consistent foundation support. Develop and maintain funding calendar
Correspond with funders about grant opportunities; apply for new funding.
Proposal writing and editing –Develop and write compelling proposals in response to foundation, and government RFPs; Review and edit proposals written by staff
Ensure that philanthropy and fund development are carried out in keeping with the organization’s values, mission, vision and plans
Oversee performance measures, monitor results and help the Executive Director and Board of Directors evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s fund development program
Maintain and organize electronic foundation filing system and integrate with development database
Ability to manage donor relationships through periods of engagement and growth, ensuring that donor and volunteer interests are in alignment with organization priorities
Create, manage and direct the funding/revenue base while focusing on a comprehensive fund development plan to enhance the short-and long-term diversified funding base
Develop a balanced funding mix of donor sources and solicitation programs tailored to the needs of the organization that will enable it to attract, retain and motivate donors and fundraising volunteers
Provide oversight of all of the organization’s fund development activities and monitor adequacy of such activities through coordination with the Executive Director, the Board and the finance committee
Prepare and maintain monthly funding chart listing active grants, pending grants, and potential grants;Prepare monthly reports including activities, research, contacts made, inquiry letters submitted, proposals funded, and a running account of monies raised
Produce fundraising reports for senior management and Board of Directors
Partner with the Business Director to assure sound fiscal operation of the development function including timely, accurate and comprehensive development of charitable contributions income and expense budgets, reporting, monitoring and implementation
Assure design and maintenance of donor and prospect records, gift management systems, and informational reports. Keep donor base engaged and informed
Assure design and implementation of acknowledgment, stewardship and recognition programs with feedback and necessary check off systems
Execute all other reasonable duties as assigned by the Executive Director

Qualifications:

B.A. preferred; or 5 -7 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience
Passion, imagination, vision, leadership, and integrity
A demonstrated ability to plan and operate strategically, to build public support, to develop and strengthen fund diversity to include grants, contracts and donations
Strong organizational skills and accountability toward goals
A minimum of five years of grant writing and fundraising experience
Significant experience in and a successful track record of major gift and annual fund fundraising

Personal Characteristics:

Commitment to the mission and work of Californians Together with the credibility and persuasiveness to secure support from others
A self-starter who is confident enough to express opinions, to forge ahead when appropriate and hold back when necessary, with a sensitivity to the feelings and opinions of others
Highly self-motivated with the ability to work independently
Ability to work with diverse people, build and maintain strong working relationships with both internal and external partners
Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to develop and follow a prioritized plan of work, set and keep deadlines and work on multiple projects concurrently
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to listen well
An energetic person who is emotionally mature and dependable; a collegial individual with a sense of humor.
Ability to exercise sound, independent judgment
Ability to contribute to a high functioning team environment
Patient, personable and approachable
Must be a team player who is inclusive, flexible, creative, energetic and fair-minded
Passion for improving the educational experiences and outcomes for dual language/English learners

Compensation:

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Includes full health, dental and vision benefits, holidays, vacation and sick days. Office closes between Christmas Eve and New Year’s.

To Apply:

Please send cover letter, resume and (2) grant writing samples to:

Human Resources

hr@caltog.org

The California State Seal of Biliteracy: Summary for the 2019-20 School Year

July 6, 2021 by Ashley Aguirre

Even during the closures of the pandemic, families and educators were able to recognize students for their years of academic achievements. In California, 414,193 students who entered high school in 2016 earned their high school diplomas in 2020; and 51,229 of those students graduated with a State Seal of Biliteracy, a distinction that recognizes proficiency in English and one or more other languages.

Overall, 65,622 students received the State Seal of Biliteracy in 2020, higher than any previous school year (this total includes the 51,229 recipients who entered high school in 2016 and all other recipients who graduated in 2020 but entered high school in another year). Of these Seal of Biliteracy recipients, nearly half (47 percent) were current or former English learners.

Mastering fluency in one of the 41 different languages represented, including American Sign Language, is a tremendous accomplishment for any student. Speaking two or more languages has proven cognitive, social and economic benefits. Bilingual students have the ability to retain and manipulate varying pieces of information, do better academically in English and their home language, have better college going and completion rates, are preferred by employers and for language heritage students maintain strong connections to their family members, language and culture. These students are our future bilingual teachers, doctors, government employees, and artists. We celebrate all students who achieve proficiency in two or more languages, especially students who walked into their classrooms not knowing one word of English.

The State Seal of Biliteracy

In 2008, Californians Together spearheaded a campaign aimed at statewide adoption of a Seal of Biliteracy. Four years later in 2012, the State of California officially adopted its State Seal of Biliteracy. Thus far, 340 school districts have adopted the State Seal of Biliteracy and encourage students to become proficient in two or more languages.

California’s adoption of the State Seal of Biliteracy was a remarkable triumph considering the previous 18 years of English-only instruction. That triumph was made possible by changing public and political attitudes toward multilingual education. The passage of Proposition 58 in 2016, which repealed restrictions on bilingual education, demonstrated the evolution and demand for access to multilingual programs in California. Proposition 58 paved the way for the development and adoption of a new statewide English Learner policy, The English Learner Roadmap. The EL Roadmap adopted in 2017 is a policy that supports and guides districts and schools to offer comprehensive assets-based programs including those leading to biliteracy.

Additionally, in May 2018, the California Department of Education launched Global California 2030. The initiative’s purpose is to equip students with world language skills that will enable them to more fully engage with and better appreciate the rich and diverse mixture of cultures, heritages, and languages in California. This initiative calls for more than tripling the number of students earning the Seal of Biliteracy, to 150,000 graduates by 2030.

Opportunity to Expand Access

There is a need to support and encourage more students to qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy. Moreover, there is still room for improvement in ensuring that all students have equitable access to opportunities that allow them to achieve this goal. For example, 63 percent of Seal of Biliteracy recipients who entered high school in 2016 were socio-economically disadvantaged, compared to 67 percent of all graduates and 69 percent of students who entered high school in 2016 (2020 four-year graduation cohort students).

The table below provides a breakdown by ethnicity for all students who entered high school in 2016 (2020 four-year graduation cohort student):

Ethnicity	% of Seal of Biliteracy Recipients	% of Graduates	% of Cohort Students
Latino	58.8%	52.7%	54.1%
Asian	17.9%	10.1%	9.2%
White	16.8%	24.1%	23.1%
Filipino	2.3%	3.2%	2.9%
African American	1.2%	5.2%	5.7%
Pacific Islander	0.3%	0.6%	0.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native	0.2%	0.5%	0.5%

The table shows the promise that the Seal of Biliteracy has provided to Latino and Asian students, while also highlighting opportunities to increase access to Filipino, African American, Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students.

Number of School Districts Offering the State Seal of Biliteracy

Out of the 420 school districts in California eligible to offer the Seal of Biliteracy, 340 are participating (a slight increase from 321 in 2018). It is hoped that the remaining 80 districts will adopt the Seal of Biliteracy and provide access for all students across the entire State of California.

Conclusion and Recommendations

California is moving toward multilingualism for all students. The rapid increase in the number of local educational agencies adopting the Seal of Biliteracy and the number of students qualifying for that designation is heartening. The state adoption of the EL Roadmap and Global California 2030 provides the framework for further work in elevating multilingual programs and supports the vision of a multilingual state with benefits to students and the state as a whole.

Below are recommendations to continue to support expanding access to the Seal of Biliteracy:

Support 100% of California’s school districts to adopt the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Have up-to-date lists of county offices, districts, and charter schools that have adopted the Seal of Biliteracy.
Track and report the demographics of students who receive the Seal of Biliteracy.
Expand resources for districts, schools, and classrooms to fully implement the English Learner Roadmap including multilingual programs leading to eligibility for the Seal of Biliteracy.
Keep the focus on Global California 2030’s goals by widely reporting on the status of goal attainment annually.
Publishing and distributing informational materials for students in the lower grades to motivate them to develop proficiency in English and another language leading to state recognition with the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Develop a multilingual communications campaign to reach parents of English learners to learn about the State Seal of Biliteracy and the importance and benefits of enrolling their children in multilingual programs to qualify for this recognition.

1 https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/dqcensus/CohRate.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=state&year=2019-20

2 https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/ssbeldata201920.xlsx

Job Opening: Communications Manager

July 15, 2020 by Erika Menjivar

Position: Communications Manager, Non-Profit

Long Beach, CA

Exempt, Full-Time, Regular Position

Download

Organizational Background:

Californians Together is a statewide advocacy coalition with the goal of better educating 1.2 million English learners by improving California's schools and promoting equitable educational policy.

Position Summary:

The Communications Manager is the sole communications staffer within Californians Together and reports directly to the Executive Director. The Communications Manager is responsible for implementing all communications activities and is heavily focused on developing content. The essential duties for this position include creating different types of high-quality content; translating research and policy content into easy-to-understand versions for different audiences; developing and implementing the organization’s communications plan, brand and narrative; and collaborating with the organization’s staff to support organizational-wide communications efforts. Responsible for developing work products with a special emphasis on key initiatives and organization wide programs.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Content Development:

Translate research and policy papers into briefs, executive summaries and other accessible written formats to share with a broad audience
Write monthly newsletter to highlight organizational news, updates and milestones
Manage organizational website and social media accounts to keep content updated and strategically aligned with organization’s goals and priorities
Manage the production of photo and video shoots, usage and distribution of photo and video story content for general Californians Together work and specific to social media campaign for Spanish speaking parents
Build communication/advocacy campaigns, including:
- Work with colleagues to vet stories
- Conduct interviews with coalition members, educators and parents and others, and write their stories
- Promote stories on organizational platforms and share with partners to disseminate
- Build a bank of freelance photographers to capture visuals from multiple locations across the state
- Build a list of education journalists, reporters and editors
Draft white papers with support from senior staff
Additional duties as assigned

Organizational Communications:

Develop and implement a comprehensive communications program with specific strategies and action plans to effectively communicate with and influence internal and external stakeholders
Drive ongoing brand integration and updates, including narrative and design consistency, and clarity across the organization
Update brand and style guidelines and train staff on how to use them when they develop their own materials; and to share with outside consultants on related projects
Brief staff, leadership and board on communications efforts
Create high-quality printed and digital materials per the communications plan
Manage media opportunities, including responding to reporters, writing talking points and writing and pitching op-eds
Develop and monitor communication measurements and analytics to gauge effectiveness and interest level of key audiences.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3 years of experience in a communications capacity, and relevant experience including a mix of the following qualifications

Commitment to the mission and work of Californians Together with the credibility and persuasiveness to secure support from others
Bachelor’s degree preferably in journalism, public relations, communications, public policy, marketing or related field required.
Bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish.
Experience with strategic communications practices and techniques and/or minimum three years communications experience in education, non-profit, government or related field required.
Exceptional written and verbal communications skills with a strong focus on creating high-quality content such as briefs, executive summaries, press and social media announcements and other organizational documents
Ability to present and defend ideas and recommendations
Excellent organizational abilities
Ability to design and implement communications ideas
Experience in editorial work including the planning, development and distribution of communications materials in multiple formats also required.
Experience with digital communications, including websites, newsletters and social media
Experience with policy and research
Experience with data storytelling
Collaborative leadership; Able to contribute to a high functioning team environment
Graphic design skills preferred

Equal Employment Opportunity: Californians Together is an equal opportunity employer, welcomes a diverse pool of applicants, and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. Californians Together policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, military service, legally protected medical condition, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions: This is a full-time, forty-hour per week position, though additional hours and evenings may be necessary to attend events and functions. Work will include long periods of sitting and standing and driving, so reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license is required. Time will be spent on the phone and sitting in front of a computer. Some lifting up to 15 pounds may be required. Limited physical effort required. Hearing, repetitive hand motions, sitting, talking, typing.

Compensation:

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Includes full health, dental and vision benefits, holidays, vacation and sick days. Office closes between Christmas Eve and New Year’s.

To Apply:

Please send cover letter and resume to:

Erika Menjivar

Office Manager

Erika@californianstogether.org

Congratulations to our Fearless Leader: Shelly Spiegel-Coleman!

May 28, 2020 by Claudia Vizcarra

Two new Communities of Practice before school ends!

May 27, 2020 by Claudia Vizcarra

This session will provide school, district, and community leaders the opportunity to share best practices, resources, and lessons learned for coordinating successful DELAC and ELAC Committee Meetings in virtual settings. A space will be created for participants to engage in a small group breakout session to share local practices, ask questions, and identify needs to facilitate the active engagement of parents and families when schools are closed.

Join us for a collaborative discussion about centering English learners in school reopening planning. Currently, local school districts are pivoting to planning for the upcoming school year. During this session, examples will be shared of how educators can ensure that reopening conversations and plans are equity-focused and prioritize the needs of English learners. Attendees will learn from lessons gathered and information shared through our Communities of Practice series and educator survey and from educators engaged in reopening planning conversations in their schools and districts. Breakout sessions will also provide all attendees with an opportunity to share how they are continuing the focus on serving English learners in their own context.