Heading North

The Hudson Valley RBERN is heading to Oneonta, NY! We've scheduled the following workshops in collaboration with both DCMO and ONC BOCES. Please click on the links below to register:

Teaching Reading to ELLs: What's Different? Grades K-3
5/10/19, 8:30 AM–11:15 AM

Incorporating Vocabulary Routines for English Language Learners in Grades 3-8
5/10/19, 12:15 PM–3:00 PM

Partner Events

From the Long Island Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network:

Unlocking English Language Learners’ Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible
5/2/19, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM, WSB Conference Center, 31 Lee Ave, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798
Please view the workshop flyer here for more details.

Supporting Students with Interrupted/Inconsistent Formal Education (SIFE)
5/3/19, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM, WSB Conference Center, 31 Lee Ave, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798
Please view the workshop flyer here for more details.

Workshops and Resources

Hopefully you have been able to enjoy the nicer weather and longer days.

The following new HV RBERN workshops have been scheduled. Please click on the links below to view more details and to register:

Questioning and Discussion Techniques for ELLs (and All Students) AM SESSION
5/24/19, 8:30 AM–11:30 AM, Rockland BOCES

Questioning and Discussion Techniques for ELLs (and All Students) PM SESSION
5/24/19, 12:00 PM–2:30 PM, Rockland BOCES

NYS Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan—What Educators of ELLs Need to Know
6/18/19, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, Rockland BOCES

The following workshops still have seats available:

Strategies for Teaching Assistants Who Support ELLs (1/2 DAY in AM)
4/26/19, 8:30 AM–11:30 AM

Part 154 Overview and Walkthrough Tools
5/9/19, 4:00 PM–7:00 PM, Rockland BOCES

To view all of the HV RBERN's current workshops in MLP, please click here.  

Partner Events

From NYS TESOL: 
Webinar 
4/30/19, 3:00 PM–5:00 PM

This month's webinar will discuss:

• Understanding literacy as a set of social practices, rather than skills

• Disciplinary aspects of academic literacy: genre and register

• The role of reading in academic writing

• Strategies for supporting academic literacy

Click here to register.

From New York Capital Area Languages (NYCAL) Test Consortium:
The NYCAL consortium will hold all Checkpoint A and Checkpoint B exams on the "traditional" exam LOTE day, Monday, June 24th. The Checkpoint A exams will be held in the morning and the Checkpoint B exams will be held in the afternoon.

New York Capital Area Languages (NYCAL) Test Consortium is a group of language teachers and administrators from around New York State who sought to fill the void that was created when New York State-developed Regents and Proficiency Exams were discontinued. The consortium began as a small group of schools from the Capital Region and has grown to over 35 participating schools. All participants contribute to the annual creation of the Checkpoint A and B exams for French, German, and Spanish.

For more information on NYCAL, visit their website here.

Resources

From NYSED:

The Multilingual Literacy SIFE Screener (MLS) is a free resource designed to support districts and schools in the identification of Students with Inconsistent/Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE). Visit the website here for more information about MLS. Effective April 22, 2019, new changes have been made to the MLS website, mls.slalab.org. For more information, please see the MLS Quicksheet and User Manual. Please contact User Services for help at MLS.email.server@gmail.com.

The Multilingual Learner/English Language Learner Graduation Rate Improvement and Dropout Prevention Planning Tool was released, which provides research-informed effective practices and strategies, protocols, and templates for use by districts and schools as they dive into MLL/ELL data. It's designed to jump start a district’s or school’s study, reflection, and planning to improve policies, programs, and instructional practices geared toward improvement in MLL/ELL graduation rates. In addition, the planning tool includes embedded links to helpful resources. 

HV RBERN Update

We hope that NYSESLAT Speaking tests are going smoothly for everyone. If you have any ELL testing-related questions, please contact us!

You may be interested in some of our upcoming professional development opportunities:

There are still seats available for the following workshop (two sessions) at Rockland BOCES. Please click on the links below for more information and to register:

Questioning and Discussion Techniques for ELLs (and All Students) AM SESSION
8:30 AM–11:30 AM

Questioning and Discussion Techniques for ELLs (and All Students) PM SESSION
12:00 PM–2:30 PM

Due to popular demand, we've scheduled another session of Tech Toolkit for Supporting ELLs - AM "Learn" and PM "Apply" sessions. PLEASE NOTE: In order to sign up for the PM "Apply" workshop you must attend the AM "Learn" workshop. Please click on the links below:

Tech Toolkit for Supporting ELLs - AM "Learn" Session
7/2/19, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, Orange-Ulster BOCES

Tech Toolkit for Supporting ELLs - PM "Apply" Session
7/2/19, 1:00 PM–3:00 PM, Orange-Ulster BOCES
 
Reminder:

ELL/MLL Exit Criteria
An ELL/MLL, including an ELL/MLL with a disability, can only exit ELL/MLL status when he or she no longer meets the definition of an ELL/MLL in accordance with CR section 154-2.2(f) and meets the criteria set forth in CR section 154-2.3(m). Currently, the criteria includes: (1) scoring at the proficient/commanding level on the NYSESLAT [section 154-2.3(m)(1)(i)]; or (2) scoring at the advanced/expanding level on the NYSESLAT while in the same school year, also achieving proficiency on the NYS grade 3-8 ELA Assessment (score of 3 or 4) or scoring 65% or higher on the English Regents Exam [section 154-2.3(m)(1)(ii)]. Note: Students who exit ELL status still receive 2 years of support and accommodations.

Therefore, the expanding with a proficient/passing exam score is applicable only when a student achieves expanding on the Spring 2019 NYSESLAT andreceives a 3 or 4 on the Spring 2019 gr 3-8 ELA test or a 65% or greater on the English Regents in January 2019, June 2019, or August 2019.

See Guidance, page 18.

We'd like to share the following information from our partners:

From NYSED:

State Education Department Proposes Changes to Enhance Teacher Preparation Programs to Better Serve English Language Learners
Please click here to view the full press release from April 8, 2019.

Office of Early Learning is releasing a series of videos that illustrate quality early learning instruction and instructional environments
For an introduction to the entire video series, please visit: https://vimeo.com/317575562. Please retain this link to the home page, as NYSED videos are continually uploaded: https://vimeo.com/mainnysed.

There are openings for teachers in SUNY Oneonta’s fully online Bilingual Education Extension program
Tuition support is available to accepted candidates through a grant from the New York State Education Department’s Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages. Click here for more information. Questions may be directed to Program Coordinator Dr. Gwen Frank at Gwen.Frank@oneonta.edu. 

From Clarkson University:
TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Info Session
Thursday, April 18, 2019, 4:00 PM–5:30 PM
Clarkson University Capital Region Campus, 80 Nott Ter, Schenectady, NY 12308
Learn more about Clarkson’s new TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) programs. Click here for more information and to sign up.

From NYS TESOL:
Call for Submissions: 2019 NYS TESOL Student Projects Contest
Deadline: May 31, 2019
To view more details and to submit online, please click here.

Scholarship Opportunity:
Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators (ADASA) Scholarship
The deadline for the scholarship application submission has been extended until Wednesday April 17, 2019.  Last year, ADASA awarded 10 graduating high school seniors with scholarships of $ 2,500 each. The scholarship honors the achievement of Dominican American high school graduating seniors with scholarships, including undocumented students. 

Community News and Volunteer Opportunity: 
You may be interested in news about how a small community is supporting families learning to speak English. Click here for more information.

Enjoy the longer days and nice weather.