ELL Parents' Voice: Affirming Equity in Education

Training Description:

The increase in the number of English Language Learners (ELL), specifically school age immigrant children, has created a challenge for educators confronted with developing effective cross-cultural strategies to involve parents from diverse backgrounds.

The main goal of this presentation is to address the perceived barriers preventing the increase of ELL parental involvement: communication, school/parent perceptions, and current practices, by using the "strengths perspective model" as a guiding tool for culturally responsive parental interaction.

Through interactive activities and viewing video clips, educators will be able to:

• Describe the main components of the “strengths perspective model” and its application in the school setting.
• Identify key cultural and linguistic factors that can enhance parental participation.
• Develop culturally and linguistically appropriate strategies to facilitate parental advocacy.

Identification of Staff for Training

Teams that include district administrators; school principals; mainstream teachers PreK-12; ESL, ELL, bilingual instructors or directors; speech and language pathologists; psychologists; social workers; and school counselors

Format

Length of Time: Minimum 2 hours session
Additional time may be requested to cover specific issues more deeply.