Monthly Happenings: May
Updates from IDOE's English Learner (EL) Team
Thank you, Indiana EL educators!
In this month's newsletter, you'll find IDOE updates, including upcoming Annual EL Directors' Meetings dates, information on the release of WIDA ACCESS scores, upcoming summer PD opportunities, and much more. Take a look and pass along!
IDOE EL NEWS AND UPDATES
RECAP: April EL Leadership Meeting
Next EL Leadership Meeting: Grants Focus on June 14
SAVE THE DATES: Virtual EL Directors' Meetings - Wednesday, August 10 & Thursday, August 11
The first day of the Annual EL Directors' Meetings serves to give new directors an intensive overview of the various components of EL programming - from grants to compliance to assessment and more - and receive answers to any questions. The second day of the Meetings, which welcome all EL directors both new and returning, covers on a wide variety of timely EL topics and issues as we enter the school year. More details on timing and content will be forthcoming.
English Learner Plan Walk-through Video
A walk-through video was recorded to support LEAs in completing their EL Plan, and is now and can be found on the Title Grant Pre-App Moodle course. To enroll, go to the IDOE Moodle page, scroll to the bottom, click "Title Grants", and choose the course from the menu. Pre-Applications are due Friday, July 1.
Next EL Office Hours - Secondary ELs - Wednesday, May 18
The final Office Hours from the IDOE EL team this school year will be held on Wednesday, May 18, from 3 to 4 p.m. ET. The focus topic will be Secondary English Learners, and will draw on content covered in the IDOE Secondary EL Toolkit, such as enrollment, scheduling, providing EL services, and more. For details on how to join the meeting, please see our Indiana EL PD Opportunities Calendar. No registration is required.
Last month's EL Office Hours, held on Wednesday, April 27, focused on Schoolwide Programming for ELs. School Town of Speedway presented methods on how they've built an inclusive school community for multilingual learners. The slides from this session, including Speedway's presentation, can be found in the Indiana English Learners Community Moodle.
Do you have questions for this month's Office Hours session, or do you have topics you'd like to discuss in the upcoming academic year? Please share your ideas using the Office Hours Jotform.
UPDATE: Certificate of Multilingual Proficiency (CoMP)
GRANTS
REMINDER: NESP Deadlines
- Wednesday, June 1, 2022 - Cash Request Deadline: All approved NESP funding must be requested by Wednesday, June 1. Funds not requested by this date will be forfeited. To claim remaining funds, complete and submit the Cash Request Form received with grant approval.
- Thursday, September 15, 2022 - Amendment Deadline: Amendments may be completed within the approved application file and submitted via this Jotform: 2021-2022 NESP Amendment Submission.
- Friday, September 30, 2022 - Encumbrance Deadline: This is the date in which all NESP-funded activities have taken place and/or materials, equipment, or technology have been ordered.
More information on the grant can be found on the IDOE NESP webpage. Allocation and application information on the 2022-2023 NESP grant are forthcoming.
REMINDER: Title III Deadlines
- Thursday, September 15, 2022 - Amendment Deadline: Amendments for both grants are submitted by attaching a completed Budget Amendment Form, which was sent with grant approval, to an IDOE EL specialist.
- Friday, September 30, 2022 - Encumbrance Deadline: This is the date in which all Title III funded activities have taken place and/or materials, equipment, or technology have been ordered.
- Thursday, December 15, 2022 - Reimbursement Request Deadline: Requests for reimbursement are submitted via the Reimbursement Form sent along with application approval. While the deadline to submit is not until December, if you have expenditures ready to be reimbursed, it is encouraged to submit them in a timely manner.
More information on the grant can be found on the IDOE Title III webpage. Allocation and application information on the 2022-2024 Title III grant are forthcoming.
WIDA UPDATES
Initial 2022 WIDA ACCESS Results are Here!
It's time to start exploring the data! 2022 WIDA ACCESS initial results (online reports and data files) became available in WIDA AMS on Friday, April 29. Both district and school-level users have access to reporting.
Please note the following:
- Student-level data corrections made by corporations and schools during pre-reporting data validation are reflected in initial reporting.
- Overall composite scale scores and proficiency levels for students with special education exempt accommodations are not reflected in DRC reporting, but instead will be calculated and disseminated by IDOE in July.
- Completed student test booklets shipped after Monday, March 7, were not included in initial reporting.
2022 WIDA ACCESS printed reports are scheduled to arrive in corporations on Monday, May 16. Printed reports are part of the initial results release and mirror the online reports available in WIDA-AMS. Contact DRC Customer Support at (866) 276-7735 for assistance with accessing reports.
WIDA ACCESS Scoring and Reporting Resources
WIDA provides a number of tools to support educators in understanding and communicating ACCESS results. Visit WIDA’s ACCESS for ELLs Scores and Reports and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Scores and Reports webpages for scoring and reporting information and resources, including:
- ACCESS Interpretive Guide for Score Reports
- Alternate ACCESS Interpretive Guide for Score Reports
- ACCESS Parent Letter (available in 49 languages)
- ACCESS: Understanding Your Child’s Scores flyer (available in 16 languages)
- Alternate ACCESS: Understanding Your Child’s Scores flyer (available in 16 languages)
WIDA ACCESS Results - Strategic Actions
- Analyze Data from Multiple Angles: It is important to collaboratively look at data broadly - such as how your caseload, grade level, or school performed collectively, as well as narrowly, down to individual language domain scores. Viewing data along multiple years allows for educators to view students' language acquisition trajectories and growth trends. Professional learning communities are a great venue for this work.
- Revisit Student Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) and Instructional Planning: After looking at data, adjust student ILPs accordingly to align with their language and academic needs. Identify language domains for students that need additional attention, and design instruction to provide opportunities for focus in those areas.
- Prepare for Communication with Parents: It's essential for parents to have an understanding of their child's progress in learning English, and their ensuing services and supports. Having parent meetings to review ACCESS scores while also discussing what that means for the ILP and EL services, opens up a two-way dialogue with EL families. WIDA's translated resources linked above are useful here!
- Celebrate Growth and Exiting with Students: Showing significant growth and especially exiting EL status is cause for celebration! Ensure students are aware of their results and what it means for them, and give kudos to students where it is due!
SAVE THE DATES: Upcoming WIDA Sessions in the Learning Lab
Join the IDOE EL team this summer in the Learning Lab for two sessions surrounding EL proficiency data and instruction. Dates, times, titles, and descriptions are below:
Understanding and Planning with WIDA ACCESS Scores
- Attendees will take a guided tour through a WIDA ACCESS score report to understand its components. The session will focus on actionable steps for utilizing scores to plan programming and instruction.
- WHEN: Wednesday, June 8, from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
The WIDA Standards: Developing Language through Content
- Attendees will receive a high level overview of the 2020 Edition of the WIDA English Language Development Standards and their purpose. Methods on how to leverage and implement the Standards to improve outcomes for ELs will be covered toward the end of the session.
- WHEN: Thursday, July 14, from 11:30 a.m. to noon ET
Both sessions will be held within the Indiana Learning Lab. Indiana educators are able to create a free Learning Lab account by visiting the LINK Portal or the Indiana Learning Lab website. Use your school email to log in. Registration for both sessions will become available soon.
RECAP: IDOE WIDA Standards Rollout Level II Workshop
Thank you to all who participated in the WIDA Standards Rollout: Level II session on Wednesday, April 20. It was wonderful to have so many new participants! This session was based off of the Initial Implementation phase of the IDOE WIDA Standards Rollout Plan, and focused on understanding the Proficiency Level Descriptors as well as amplifying Key Language Uses in all grade levels and subject areas.
All slides, notes, and resources from both Level I and Level II sessions can be found in the Indiana English Learner Community Moodle page. Access and enroll by scrolling to the bottom of the IDOE Moodle site, clicking "Teaching and Learning", and choose the Community tile. Stay tuned for updates on year two of the IDOE WIDA Standards Rollout!
REMINDER: Free On-Demand PD - WIDA eLearning Modules
- Home Languages in the Classroom
- Leading for Equity: Classroom Walkthrough
- Classroom Educators: Engaging Newcomer Multilingual Learners
- Social Studies: Engaging Multilingual Learners through Inquiry
- Developing Language for Learning in Mathematics
- School Improvement Planning for Multilingual Learners
- The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach
The WIDA eLearning modules are self-paced and vary in length. See this flyer for the module details and how to get started. These courses are located in the Professional Learning tab after you log in to your WIDA Secure Portal.
UPCOMING PD & RESOURCES
Registration Now Open: Annual WIDA Conference in Louisville, KY
Dual Language Corner
Recursos para maestros: Fin de curso
While El Día del Niño has already passed, these free resources shared by Aprende con May are available for dual language educators to celebrate the end of the school year with students.
Dual Language Summer Institute at IU Bloomington, Monday, June 6 through Friday, 10
Come join dual language educators and experts from across the U.S. and choose from a selection of the following sessions to attend (in-person Monday, June 6 through Thursday, June 9, and asynchronous virtually on Friday, June 10):
- Spanish in the U.S.: Myths and realities
- Dual language programs in the U.S. and their importance for Spanish and social justice
- Language attitudes and ideologies
- Curriculum planning and instructional strategies
- Helping students become more proficient in the partner language
- Cross-linguistic transfer and academic language development
- Lesson demonstrations and networking
The registration deadline is Monday, May 30. If you have questions or would like to enroll, contact Vesna Dimitrieska at vdimitri@indiana.edu or call 812-856-8021.