Building educators’ capacity

11C) Administering programwide and community supports for multilingual learning

Engage in opportunities for feedback and reflection of your own practice with a coach, instructional leader, master teacher, etc.

Video: English-Language Development with Home Language Support

This video provides considerations for administrators on another approach to a language program. A primarily English language approach, with teaching and interaction primarily happening in English, with support for the home language. An important takeaway to note is that all educators, regardless of their own language background, can support all home languages through strategies that they can incorporate into their teaching.
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Video: Balanced English and Home Language Development

This video highlights key takeaways on a balanced approach towards dual language development, as shared by dual language experts. A critical piece to this approach is ensuring the child receives exposure and opportunity in each language so that they can learn English and still continue to develop their home language as well.
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Video: Being Intentional and Monitoring Program Goals

This video helps administrators develop an understanding of important items to consider as they develop a language program. Dual language experts note the value of engaging with your staff throughout the process, and ensuring that everyone has a common understanding and investment in the program goals.
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Designing Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Programs that Foster Bilingualism: A Guide for PreK/TK Directors

This guide is designed to help administrators who are interested in starting an Early Childhood Education (ECE) dual language/bilingual program for preschoolers and Transitional Kindergarten (TK). This resource provides an overview of key program components, including different models to consider, along with a step-by-step guide that are organized into five focus areas.
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Presentation Slides: Raising Bilingual Children (English)

In this presentation, families are given resources and research regarding raising bilingual children, the benefits of bilingualism on the brain and the Seal of Biliteracy and its pathway to biliteracy. Slides are in English.
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Presentation Slides: Raising Bilingual Children (Spanish)

In this presentation, families are given resources and research regarding raising bilingual children, the benefits of bilingualism on the brain and the Seal of Biliteracy and its pathway to biliteracy. Slides are in Spanish.
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Presentation Slides: EL Roadmap for Families

A presentation designed to be delivered by school staff that introduces families to the EL Roadmap. Included is the opportunity to reflect on how the EL Roadmap is being enacted in your school and a space for reflection on what else could be implemented to best support the roadmap.
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Toolkit: Community and Family Engagement

This toolkit offers many different resources for teachers and administrators who work with Multilingual families. Sections include direction on how to set up family resource backpacks, adult education opportunities, family field trips and mentoring and more.
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Program Guide: Best Practices for Serving English Language Learners and Their Families

This document outlines what teachers, administrators and families can do to support Multilingual Learners in school settings. The guide includes sections on instruction, school and classroom culture, family engagement and policy.
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Resource Guide: FAQ Guide for Program Directors and Administrators

This resource guide offers answers to some of the most common questions that come up about literacy instruction for Multilingual Learners. Assessment, the "science of reading," use of home language(s), and curriculum decisions are some of the topics covered in this guide.
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Toolkit: Implementing the Language Learning Project

This toolkit is the basis for the implementation of Personalized Oral Language(s) Learning (POLL) strategies. It is a highly researched professional development approach for Early Childhood teachers to address the educational needs of Multilingual Learners and their families.
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Website: Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors

This bilingual website provides a toolbox for families and parents with many different links and resources for supporting children in school and home with learning and language.
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Webinar: Engaging ELD Resources to Maximize English Learner Student and Parent Access

This webinar digs deep into the California English Language Roadmap recommendations for English Language Development (ELD). Example components of ELD, like creating access to content, offering the language students are expected to use, and sharing knowledge about how "English works" are shared. Considerations for specific Multilingual Learner typologies and proficiency levels are also reviewed.
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Webinar: Reaching Equity for English Learners

This webinar reviews how California-based school districts can use the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) to focus on equitable instruction for Multilingual Learners and involve multilingual parents and families in district planning and decision-making.
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Website Article: How School Leaders New to Working with ELLs Can Partner with Families – 10 Strategies for Success

This article shares practical tips, along with video explanations and additional links to explore, that administrators can use to support Multilingual Learners and their families.
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Website: Coalition for English Learner Equity Tools and Resources

This website offers many resources and links about Multilingual Learners and their families. It is organized in various topic sections including Students, Classroom, School and Community, District, and State Policy.
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Guide: Strategic Use of Consultants

Consultants can help programs to ensure they are implementing culturally and linguistically responsive practices in their early childhood programs. This resource provides guidance on how to determine the need for consultants, hiring the appropriate consultants, and lists examples of program goals and consultant responsibilities for meeting those goals.
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Guide: Supports for Classroom Language Models

This resource provides extensive guidance on how to select from several classroom language models to ensure that programs reflect the language strengths and needs of the children, staff, and families. This guide discusses several different language models, outlines key considerations for selection, training, and progress monitoring, and provides links to other resources.
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Website Article: Developmental Screening of Children Ages Birth to 5 Who Are DLLs

This resource describes the special considerations programs should make when screening and assessing Multilingual Learners. It is important that programs find screeners and assessments in children’s home languages and find qualified staff, contractors, or volunteers to conduct assessments in multiple languages.
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Guide: The Family Partnership Process – Engaging and Goal-Setting with Families

This resource is an extensive guide on how programs and staff can partner with families to learn about their strengths and experiences and set goals for their children’s learning and development. This guide provides a step-by-step process for gathering information from families, setting goals, and following up on progress for continuous program improvement.
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Self-assessment: DLL Program Assessment User Guide

The Dual Language Learners Program Assessment (DLLPA) helps programs assess their own systems and services for Multilingual Learners (MLs) and their families. Administrators can use this assessment to ensure they are implementing culturally and linguistically responsive practices to support MLs in their programs.
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Website: Desired Results for Children and Families

Programs can refer to this website to obtain more information about the Desired Results (DR) for Children and Families System. The DR system outlines important goals for children and families and includes assessment instruments and surveys that programs can use to improve their program quality and services.
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Online Modules: Dual Language Immersion Planning Guide

This is a series of online professional development modules that support leadership teams to initiate or refine a dual language (DL) program. Each module takes up a different aspect of developing a DL program and offers practical supports and recommendations for implementation.
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Website: Understanding Dual Language Development

The Understanding Dual Language Development section of this website provides information about the definition of dual language development and the several different trajectories of bilingualism. This website helps to build educators’ knowledge of dual language development and Multilingual Learners’ language acquisition.
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Website: English Language Development Foundations

The English Language Development Foundations section of this website describes the typical developmental progression for preschool Multilingual Learners in speaking, listening, writing, and reading. This information helps build educators’ knowledge of dual language development and Multilingual Learners’ language acquisition.
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Website: Guiding Principles of Supporting Dual Language Learners

This resource provides the 10 guiding principles that form the foundation for the recommended practices articulated in the California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 1. These guiding principles contribute to educators’ knowledge of dual language development, including evidence-based instructional strategies, ways to build relationships with Multilingual Learners, and developing partnerships with and engaging families.
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Website: Supporting Dual Language Learners through Family Support

This resource highlights the importance of gathering information about each child’s language and cultural backgrounds from their families, as well as partnering with families to co-create language and learning goals.
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Website Article: Advocacy Tools-Implementing the English Learner Roadmap and Affirming the Rights of English Learners

There are three bilingual, downloadable guides in this article that help inform families and other community members about California’s English Learner Roadmap. These bilingual resources offer explanations and advice on how to best advocate for Multilingual Learners.
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Guidebook: Engaging ELL Families-Twenty Strategies for School Leaders

This document offers clear information and actionable steps for school administrators to take to connect with families of Multilingual Learners.
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Flyer: Identifying English Learners with Disabilities

This flyer offers three evidence-based recommendations on how to recognize when Multilingual Learners may have a learning disability. Additional links are offered to learn more about supporting Multilingual Learners with disabilities.
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Website: Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students

This website offers multiple downloadable guides to support the well-being, rights, and education of immigrant and refugee students in California.
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Overview: English Learner Typologies Chart

This simple chart offers key characteristics for the many student labels – like newcomers, long-term English Learners, and Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) – that are associated with Multilingual Learners. Information about the different implications and needs of these groups of students is offered as well.
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Overview: English Learner Typologies

There are many labels associated with Multilingual Learners (e.g. immigrants, English Learners, and newcomers). This document explains the difference across the terminology and describes the "diversity within" this group of students so that teachers can better understand students as individuals.
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Strategy Overview: Celebrating Bilingualism-Pathways to Biliteracy

This document offers a variety of examples for both classroom and school-wide implementation for a Seal of Biliteracy. Now that a biliteracy seal is available in California and other U.S. states, offering high-quality bilingual materials and structuring opportunities to celebrate bilingualism with students and families can begin as early as PreK.
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Strategy Overview: Budding Bilingual Celebrations

This resource describes the importance of creating a celebration for Multilingual Learners and their families to promote bilingualism. This celebration helps to create an asset-based view of linguistic diversity and establish a site-wide culture that values dual language learning.
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