Title III Plan Revisions and Budget

ESSA SECTION 3115(c)(2)
Describe how the eligible entity will provide effective professional development to classroom teachers,
principals and other school leaders, administrators, and other school or community-based
organizational personnel.

Research-based professional development designed to support the specific language acquisition needs and
academic progress of English Learners is provided to teachers, administrators, and bilingual assistants. Topics
include:

• Adopted Curriculum in all content areas
• Lesson Planning
• CCSS and ELD Standards
• Lesson objectives and language objectives
• Designated and Integrated ELD
• Identification of English learners and state assessments: Initial ELPAC, Alternate ELPAC, and
• Summative ELPAC
• EL progress monitoring and comprehensive program analysis and needs assessment
• Reclassification procedures and monitoring
• Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and data team protocols
• Language acquisition and additional supports for EL students with disabilities
• AVID strategies in all content areas
• Districtwide screeners and benchmark assessments: NWEA, IXL
• Conceptual understanding of Mathematics

Professional development to support English learners is provided to administrators, teachers, and the New Teacher Support program staff. Administrators continue to provide ongoing professional development to
teachers at site level meetings. Additionally, professional development is provided during structured district training days. This work is supported by the district Special Programs Department and Curriculum and Instruction Department.

Bilingual assistants, approximately two for each site, provide additional small group or one-on-one support to EL students within the classroom. Site bilingual assistants also work a portion of their day with parents to both increase parent participation and assist with translation and communication. The regular salaries of staff members are not funded with Title III.

Ongoing professional development for bilingual assistants is provided to the bilingual assistants to support parent outreach, student engagement, and English learner program components such as the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC).

Based on data analysis and needs assessment, there is an achievement gap between the performance of the EL student group and other student groups. As a result of these discrepancies, school sites are implementing data teams and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at school sites to build sustainable structures in which teachers can analyze student progress and data. Additional training has been provided to administrators in the area of PLCs through Solution Tree. This process is assisting the district with systems of equity, creation of formative assessments, data and program analysis, and alignment of intervention programs.

Title III funded supplemental professional development for teachers includes ELD integrated and designated strategies that enhance and promote the student’s use of language. The additional training increases the knowledge of teachers in language acquisition and student engagement. Discussions of these additional strategies include targeted interventions for EL students which are infused in the collaborative conversations within data teams, noted above. Student achievement is analyzed and targeted interventions for re-teaching and/or strategies to address scaffolding are put in place by the classroom teachers.

District analysis also demonstrates a need to address the reclassification rates of Long-term English Learners (LTELs). Therefore, supplemental training for Long-term English Learners will be implemented in the
2020-2021 school year. Training will include EL Shadowing, beginning with the training of Vice Principals at Sundown, Del Sur, and Joe Walker since these sites demonstrate a lower level of reclassification rate and increased LTEL students. Targeted supports from administrators will be in place for the middle school staff to infuse strategies and scaffolds to support academic achievement in content areas, specifically vocabulary, for ELs. Supports will be monitored by the administrator to ensure implementation over time, and grade level
teams will continue to meet in collaborative learning groups.

ESSA SECTION 3116(b)(1)

Describe the effective programs and activities, including language instruction educational programs, proposed to be developed, implemented, and administered under the subgrant that will help English learners increase their English language proficiency and meet the challenging State academic standards.

 The District has approximately 600 English Learners (6.3%), of which most of the students speak Spanish as their primary language. Other languages spoken in the district include Korean, Arabic, Mandarin, Tagalog, Italian, Russian, and others. Ongoing consultation with families of English Learners takes place during ELAC and DELAC meetings as well as at the Superintendent’s Advisory, which includes a DELAC representative. Programs and services are discussed at these sessions and stakeholders have opportunities to provide feedback and suggestions.

Parent input is reviewed during the revision process of the LCAP and the Federal Addendum/Title III Plan to assist in meeting the specific needs of English Learners. Additionally, needs identified through the ongoing program monitoring system and needs assessment, are topics of discussion with stakeholders. A systematic layering of services and actions are provided, which are funded first with LCFF Base Grant, Supplemental Grant (equitable services addressing unduplicated student groups), and additional services funded with Title III.

To strategically increase English language proficiency and academic success of English learners, the District will continue to implement programs and services outlined in the EL Master Plan and the LCAP/Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan. The programs and services outlined in the District Master Plan describe the framework of instruction and supports for English Learners. The Comprehensive English Learner program includes Structured English Immersion, English Language Development both Integrated and Designated, in conjunction with the ELD/ELA Standards. The District, as described in the Title III Professional Development section, is in the process of implementing Professional Learning Communities/data teams, across school sites to support planning, development of assessments both formative and summative, analysis of student results, lesson planning, strategic interventions and engagement strategies, and system alignment. Additionally, school sites work with their site leadership team to align practices through the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support model and/or continuous improvement model.

Some of the additional supports funded with Supplemental Grant to provide access and equitable services include bilingual assistants within the classroom to facilitate on-the-spot language support in content areas, routine online screening assessments on NWEA to provide data for targeted intervention, and online support for newcomers through access to Rosetta Stone. Parent outreach includes a parent English Literacy Program, which involves access to Rosetta Stone and collaborative group lessons.

The District is committed to providing additional supports for English Learners to further enhance programs and opportunities to increase ELD and mastery of the State Standards. Supplemental activities and services funded with Title III for the 2020-2021 school year will include:

• Tutoring Services - Additional language acquisition and content intervention support through tutoring services. Staff involved may include both classified and/or certificated. Services, specific to language acquisition and content curriculum support, will assist students with individualized instruction beyond the school day. The need for this Action is noted in the annual needs assessment and is an activity suggested by parent stakeholders at DELAC meetings. Classified and/or certificated staff providing tutoring services are funded with Title III Funds.
• Latino Literacy - Cultural and/or literacy groups, such as Latino Literacy, are in place at elementary school sites. The program is supported with dual language books for parents to take home and read with their children. This additional program builds family literacy opportunities and exposes students to both their primary language and English. Additional outcomes for this action include families building a network of support at the school site and increased parent participation. Parent groups meet weekly September through May and have been in place for several years. Qualitative stakeholder input demonstrates that this program continues to be a valuable service. The district bilingual assistants are funded with Supplemental Grant Funding. Program components, such as dual language books and supplies for parents are funded with Title III Funds.
•  ELLevation Software - To assist with progress monitoring, program implementation, and data analysis the district uses the ELLevation software program. This program will assist ongoing progress monitoring at school sites by administrators and teachers, monitor reclassification of students, and continue to monitor comprehensive progress on a variety of assessments and benchmarks. The software will directly impact the analysis used by leadership teams/data teams and build systems of support developed through the continuous improvement model.
• Rosetta Stone - Supplemental support for English learners, which may include LTELs and newcomers, includes the use of the Rosetta Stone program. For students in grades 6 through 8 the traditional Rosetta Stone language program will be offered. Students in the lower elementary grades may be offered language supports using the elementary Rosetta Stone program, which supports academic and content-based language. Additional technology such as headsets are purchased for student use on this program.
• English Literacy Parent Support Program - Approximately 50 parents participate in the English Literacy Classes, which are provided by a district bilingual assistant. This program utilizes the Rosetta Stone program in conjunction with collaborative group work to learn English. Program outcomes have included increased involvement and advocacy for parents at the school site. Additionally, parents learning English have formed a network of support and gained confidence in assisting their children with school work. The district bilingual assistant running this program is funded with Supplemental Grant Funding. Program components such as licenses for Rosetta Stone and parent supplies are funded with Title III funds.
• Supplemental Professional Development - Additional professional development to support language acquisition is funded with Title III. Professional development may include trainings from Kagan and/or CABE, which provides supplemental language acquisition strategies to increase student achievement and engagement enhancing the use of language domains. Title III funds will be used for registration fees and extra duty salaries and benefits for staff, if applicable. Additionally, administrators may participate in supplemental workshops that support the implementation of the EL Roadmap.
• Parent Engagement - If available during the 20-21 school year, parents will have the opportunity to participate in workshops hosted by the California Association of Bilingual Education. Registration fees will be funded with Title III funds.
• Newcomer Kits - Several new students to the country have enrolled. Languages of newcomers vary with most Spanish speakers. Other students speak Arabic, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Armenian, and other languages. Distance learning challenges for students with lower English language proficiency may need foundational reading materials such as flashcards, dual language dictionaries, and whiteboards.
• Teaching Materials/Supplies - Site bilingual assistants and teachers working with EL students may need additional supplies while working on a hybrid and/or distance learning platform. Materials may include flashcards, dictionaries, thesauruses, and whiteboards.

ESSA SECTION 3116(b)(2)(A-B)
Describe how the eligible entity will ensure that elementary schools and secondary schools receiving funds under Subpart 1 assist English learners in:

1. Achieving English proficiency based on the State’s English language proficiency assessment under Section 1111(b)(2)(G), consistent with the State’s long-term goals, as described in Section 1111(c)(4)(A)(ii); and
2. Meeting the changing State academic standards.

Site administrators, in conjunction with stakeholders, complete the annual Needs Assessment for English Learners. Data reviewed includes the California state assessment (SBAC) results and the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC) results. Additionally, other program monitoring pieces are included in the needs assessment, such as attendance rates, suspension rates, tutoring, ELD program monitoring, and any other unique services provided at the school site. The needs assessment is shared with both the ELAC and the School Site Council during the revision process of the School Plan for Student Achievement. The intention is to analyze the results and determine areas of inequity in order to address student needs. Achievement gaps are addressed and discussion includes a determination of need and the development of a plan, which will lead to mastery of the state standards and/or ELD standards. School sites indicate supports within the SPSA and goals are reviewed by the Site Council. The District monitors the implementation of services noted within the SPSA as well as completion of the needs assessment.

Additional professional development is provided according to the unique needs of the school site, specifically if new teachers are working at the site, and additional professional development may be planned. Supplemental professional development may be funded with Title III Funds. Site administrators are expected to monitor delivery of both Integrated and Designated ELD, and teachers turn in schedules indicating times in which Designated ELD is in place during the school day. Monitoring includes site walk-throughs as well as teacher observations by site administrators.

Continual progress monitoring takes place at a minimum quarterly for EL students and RFEP students at each site. Parent/teacher conferences are held as needed throughout the school year. The ELLevation software system will assist in ongoing achievement monitoring since the system will track benchmark data from NWEA as well as annual assessments, ELPAC and SBAC. If monitoring indicates an RFEP student is not meeting academic standards, a parent/teacher conference is scheduled for that student.

The District also monitors EL student progress through analysis of data on the Illuminate system to review state assessment results and through the completion of a district wide EL needs assessment. The Director of Special Programs visits campuses and classrooms regularly and works specifically with site administrators on collection of data and monitoring of the annual Needs Assessment. An additional layer of monitoring includes the Director of Special Programs meeting annually with both site administrators to address assessment results, review reclassification criteria, discuss unique site needs for professional development or progress monitoring, and identification of EL students in special education.