Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez

Martha Zaragoza-Diaz, advocate and lobbyist for CABE & CalTog to retire in December

September 16, 2021 by Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez

We extend our congratulations to Martha Zaragoza–Díaz on her upcoming retirement and thank her for 25 years of advocacy on behalf of our English learners. Martha has been focused on what is best for students and their families. She is not only our hero, but a hero for future generations of ELs! We wish her the best in the next chapter of her life.

“Martha is courageous, dedicated and fearless and we could not have accomplished what we have these past twenty five years without her,” said Martha Hernandez, Executive Director of Californians Together.

She has achieved many important policy and legislative victories for our children and their families while confronting the barriers of hostility and racism from individuals and our education and political systems. Nothing has deterred her from continuing to fight.

“Martha continuously teaches all of us how to raise our voices in front of policy bodies and in the halls of the State Capitol,” said Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, Californians Together’s Strategic Advisor.

Just a few of Martha’s accomplishments:

The passage of over 20 laws establishing the primary language assessment, the State Seal of Biliteracy, definition and services for Long Term English Leaners, El teacher credentialing, content standards alignment to ELD standards, expansion of dual immersion and biliteracy programs and more.
Major budget and policy initiative including the adoption of the English Language Development Standards, revision of Reading First restrictions on bilingual programs, $60 million for supplemental ELD materials, $5 million for the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program.

INDEPENDENT STUDY RIGHTS FOR STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA

August 13, 2021 by Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez

During the 2021-22 school year, parents and guardians can choose to have their children return to school for in-person instruction or enroll in distance learning through “independent study.”

California schools will no longer have to offer a “distance learning” option to students as they did during the 2020-21 school year. Most county offices of education and school districts instead must offer independent study to certain students who need to engage in remote learning, including students whose health would be at risk by returning to school in-person. For decades, independent study was an optional program that California school districts, county offices of education and charter schools could provide to students. However, to accommodate families’ desire for distance learning, the state recently changed the law to expand who can enroll in independent study and improved certain aspects of it for the upcoming school year and into the future.

To help parents, guardians, and children figure out what learning option is best for them, we are publishing a guide that explains their rights to distance learning through independent study for the 2021-22 school year. The guide also includes other information families should know at the beginning of the school year, including certain student privacy rights and information for English learners, students with disabilities, and foster youth.

The know-your-rights guides, as well as short printable versions and a standalone version of the "10 Key Questions" checklist, are available in English and Spanish here: https://youthlaw.org/case/independent-study-rights/ and https://www.myschoolmyrights.com/distance-learning/.

Sincerely,

National Center for Youth Law

ACLU in California

Children Now

Alliance for Children’s Rights

California PTA

Californians Together

Loyola Law School Youth Justice Education Clinic

Parent Institute for Quality Education

Parent Organization Network

Public Advocates Inc.

Californians Together: 2021-22 Budget Update

August 11, 2021 by Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez

The 2021–2022 California State Budget provides an historic investment in our K-12 public education system. The budget invests a total of $123.9 billion overall in K-12 education, the highest level of K-12 education funding in California’s history! This budget also presents unprecedented equity-based investments that are historic not just for the amount, but for how they are being targeted to the highest need students, including English learners. As advocates for English learners, we are excited about the following investments and what they mean for our students:

Increased Equity Focused Investment in the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The budget provides a 5% cost-of-living (COLA) increase to the LCFF base grant. Of further note is the additional $1.1 billion to increase the LCFF concentration grant from 50% to 65% of the base grant, supporting school districts with a high proportion (55% or more) of unduplicated students who are English learners, students from low-income families, and foster youth. School districts receiving these concentration grants will need to demonstrate in their LCAP how these funds are used to increase the number of classified and certificated staff in their schools. It is our hope that districts prioritize recruitment and retention of bilingual staff.

Universal Transitional Kindergarten. The budget includes investments to transition to universal TK over five years. For 2021-22, $300 million will be provided for planning, implementation, and increasing the number of highly qualified early childhood educators. With the goal of increasing access to ALL four year-olds by 2025-26, eligibility will be expanded yearly by two months. To support these additional slots, $600 million will be provided in 2022-23, growing to $2.7 billion in 2025-26. In addition, the Budget includes $130 million for additional access to and increases in reimbursement rates for the California State Preschool Program (CSPP). This gives districts an unprecedented opportunity to expand programs and services for dual language learners—by some estimates, 60 percent of children under age six come from homes where English is not the primary language. This expansion would be supported by the passage of AB 1363 (Rivas), which would establish a definition of dual language learners and a process for their identification. Learn more about AB 1363 here: https://earlyedgecalifornia.org/ab-1363-identifying-supporting-dlls-in-cas-early-learning-system/

Community Schools Expansion. The Budget includes $3 billion for community schools to expand and support the use of this model to all schools in communities with high levels of poverty. Community schools represent a place-based approach to (1) integrate student supports, (2) expand learning time and opportunities, (3) center family and community engagement, and (4) implement collaborative leadership, practice and decision-making. District can build on the expanded learning time investments and expand on the relationships with families that have been established during the pandemic, especially with our multilingual families. This is also a great opportunity for schools and districts to strengthen and establish partnerships with immigrant-serving organizations to better serve our immigrant and refugee students and their families.

Educator Preparation, Retention, and Training. The budget provides a total of $2.9 billion to support educator workforce initiatives. To support and retain current teachers, the budget commits $1.5 billion for professional development training resources for teachers, administrators, and other in-person staff (through the Educator Effectiveness Block Grant). In addition, recruitment is prioritized through investments, including $500 million to support 25,000 teacher credential candidates who commit to teach for four years in a high need subject area and school, $350 million to support teacher residencies and grow your own credentialing programs, and $125 million to support over 5,000 classified employees in becoming credentialed teachers. We hope that these investments keep an eye on recruitment and support for bilingual staff. However, we are disappointed that our $5 million request to renew the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program (BTPDP) was not included, and we will continue to push for additional support for this type of crucial support for our bilingual teachers and staff.

Expanded Learning Time. The budget includes $1.8 billion as part of a multi-year plan to implement expanded-day, full year instruction and enrichment for all elementary school students, with funding expected to increase to $5 billion by 2025-26. School districts will receive this funding based on their number of low-income, English learner, and foster youth students, with guaranteed placement for these students. This is an opportunity to re-engage and accelerate learning for English learners, who have missed out on much needed English Language Development (ELD) instruction during the pandemic.

Additional Notable Investments:

- $547.5 million for the A-G Completion Improvement Grant Program. Funds high schools to increase the number of students completing A-G coursework upon high school graduation, with a special focus on low-income students, English learners, and foster youth. This is an opportunity to focus on secondary English learners and ensure that they are provided with the necessary coursework to be successful after high school graduation.

- $11.6 million for Immigrant Students in Community Colleges. This investment (an increase of $5.8 million) will fund Dreamer Resource Liaisons and student support services for immigrant students, including undocumented students, attending community colleges.

- $10 million for the Dual Language Immersion Grant Program. The California Department of Education will award at least 25 Language Immersion Grants for LEAs to initiate or expand established dual language immersion programs. The grant awards will be up to $380,000 over three years.

- $5 million for California Newcomer Education and Well-Being (CalNew). A highly successful and impactful program run by the Department of Social Services Immigrant Integration Branch that targets additional dollars to school districts serving large numbers of refugee and asylee students. In recent years, the DSS team has also expanded their work to support districts and service providers for the increasing number of unaccompanied minors coming to California. We hope to see continued investments in this important and often overlooked group of students.

- $5 million for Ethnic Studies Support. Will fund professional learning and instructional materials for LEAs on a regional basis, assisting school districts in providing all students, including English learners, with appropriate and relevant historical information.

In addition, there are key language provisions in the budget that have important implications for English learner access and equity. These include:

Independent Study Requirements. Requires school districts to provide an independent study option for students and adds additional requirements to the existing programs. These new requirements include the provision of opportunities for synchronous instruction and live interaction; access to technology, connectivity, and a rigorous curriculum; re-engagement strategies for students not participating in instruction; and tracking of student learning. However, we remain concerned that these requirements are not specific enough and would allow some of the similar equity and access issues that disproportionately impacted English learners to persist.

Flexibility to Grant the State Seal of Biliteracy. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction will have flexibility to grant the State Seal of Biliteracy to students who are on track to graduate in the 2021-22 school year, but are unable to take the required assessments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While we celebrate these historic investments, we know that our work is far from over. With the expanded and new investments, we will continue to advocate to ensure that they effectively serve the students that they are intended for. Meanwhile, we will continue to be involved in conversations about how to best implement new requirements and programs that can have a direct impact on the education of English learners.

References:

2021–2022 California State Budget. Enacted June 28, 2021.
AB 130- Education Omnibus Budget Trailer Bill, Ch. 44, Statutes of 2021. Signed by Governor Newsom on June 28, 2021.
AB 128- Budget Act of 2021, Ch. 21, Statutes of 2021. Signed by Governor Newsom on June 28, 2021.
SB 129- Budget Act of 2021, Ch. 69, Statutes of 2021. Signed by Governor Newsom on June 28, 2021.

ELRISE! Year One Reflection

July 20, 2021 by Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez

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

2021 EL ADVOCACY INSTITUTE

July 13, 2021 by Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez

English Learner Advocacy Institute

November 11-14, 2021

Lodi, CA

Applications are due July 31, 2021.

Awards will be announced on or before August 15, 2021.

Are you passionate about creating a more equitable education system for English learners? We’re looking for mid-career education professionals looking to learn new skills and learn about the legacy of EL advocacy in California.

Californians Together invites applicants to an extraordinary, four-day professional development event for selected leaders and advocates for quality education for English Learners. This is a fully-funded event (materials, meals, lodging), with support available as needed for transportation. Applications will be competitive, as capacity for the award is limited.

The institute will be based on design and materials developed for the English Learner Leadership and Legacy Initiative (ELLLI). ELLLI aims to equip a new generation of EL education leaders with an historical perspective and practical skills to further advocacy and action work at the local, regional and state levels on behalf of ELs and their families. The Institute features some of the state’s top EL authorities.

Institute Format:

You will experience a four-day institute (noon Thursday 11/11 through noon Sunday 11/14)). Participants must commit to attending all four days.

The institute includes presentations, discussions, case studies, film and hands-on activities that will further develop your understanding of the history and current context of EL education in California. The Institute will provide participants with skills in planning and implementing advocacy campaigns, and to connect advocates to a growing community of EL advocates within local regions and across California.

WHERE: The EL Advocacy Institute will take place at the beautiful Wine and Roses Hotel located in the heart of the Central Valley in Lodi, California. Californians Together will be provide on-site accommodations in spacious double-occupancy rooms (single-occupancy upon request). Pool and exercise facilities are available.

WHEN: Attendance is required at all daytime and evening events from noon, Thursday, November 11, through noon, Sunday, November 14, 2021.

The most competitive applicants will have:

Five or more years experience with EL education, in PreK-12 settings, institutes of higher education, or in community or advocacy organizations and...
Some prior engagement in leadership and advocacy for EL education (e.g.school, district, or county level, or non-governmental organization, and engagement in local CABE chapter).

WHAT PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE:

Attendance will be fully-funded for the most qualified individuals selected from among all applicants. Those admitted into the institute will receive all materials, *lodging (single occupancy) and meals during the institute, and be reimbursed for flights, mileage, and/or ground transportation up to $300 each. Those who complete the four days will become ELLLI advocates, joining an expanding ELLLI community, along with veteran EL advocates in our efforts to impact state-wide policy and practice in fostering quality education for English learners.

HOW TO APPLY: caltog.co/3tFsEIH

All applications must be submitted online. No paper applications will be accepted. Application deadline: July 31, 2021

The 2021 EL Advocacy Institute has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Emerging Bilingual Collaborative, a project of the New Venture Fund, which includes: The Sobrato Family Foundation, The Heising-Simons Foundation, Silver Giving, and the California Community Foundation. Additional support for this project has come from the Stuart Foundation, the ABLE fund, and scores of individual donors.

Californians Together is a statewide advocacy coalition of powerful organizations from all segments of the education community including: teachers, administrators, board members, parents and civil rights non-profit groups. Our member organizations come together, united around the goal of better educating the 1.1 million English Learners in California by improving our schools and promoting equitable educational policy.

For more information, visit our website at: californianstogether.org or our ELLLI project page: https://www.californianstogether.org/english-learner-leadership-legacy-initiative/

Questions?

Please contact Ruth Barajas, Project Director, Californians Together ruth@californianstogether.org

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

July 6, 2021 by Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez

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.