September 27, 2014
Whittier School
Minneapolis, MN
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• Welcome & Introductions
• Navigating the School System
• Navigating Your Options: Life After High School
• Rights of Undocumented Students

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Federal Department of Education:
- IDEA
- No Child Left Behind
- ELL Regulations
Governor of
Minnesota
Minnesota
Legislature
Minnesota Department of
Education
- District funding
- Enforcement
- Education Regulation
Education Code
- Student & Teacher
Conduct
- State Assessment
- Education Laws
Local School Districts
- School Policies
- Student Discipline
- Almost everything else

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Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education
Superintendent
Associate Superintendents
Office of Student, Family &
Community Engagement
School Principal
Teachers
School
Employees

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Who to Contact
1) Teacher
Issues with your child’s education
2) School
Family
Liaison
3)Principal
4) Assoc.
Superintend ent
1) Principal 2) School
Family
Liaison
Issues with
Discipline
3) Associate
Superintendent
4) Office of
Student, Family &
Community
Engagement
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Who to Contact
1)
Teacher
Issues with
Special
Education
2) School
Family
Liaison
2)
Principal
3) Office of
Student, Family &
Community
Engagement
4) Special
Education
Department
1) Teacher
2) School
Family
Liaison
Issues with
English
Language
Learners
2)
Principal
3)
Multilingual
Departmen t
4) Office of
Student, Family
& Community
Engagement

Office of Student, Family & Community Engagement
• School Family Liaisons
• Resource centers
• Office of Student, Family, and
Community Engagement
• http://osfce.mpls.k12.mn.us/
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• If someone can’t help you, ask who can
• Ask for a supervisor or for different departments
• Ask if they can refer you to someone else who can help
• Keep asking, firmly but respectfully
• Do not stop until you find the best person to talk to
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Solve It Informally
• Develop relationships
• With teachers, specialists, health providers,
• Call staff, ask for help
• Follow-up frequently
• Meet with key players
• Talk about issues
• Negotiate a solution
• Communication skills
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• You disagree with the school’s decision to suspend your child from 5 th grade. What is the first step you should take?
• What should you do if this step doesn’t work?

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• Your child is an English Language Learner (ELL) student. You believe s/he isn’t getting enough support from the school in developing skills in
English. What is the first step you should take to address this?
• What should you do if this step doesn’t work?

Political Action
• Join local and school parent groups
• School Board Voting
• Elect school board members
• Vote on local education measures
• Get Organized
• Organize parent groups
• Advocate for policy changes
• Run for school board!
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Records, Grades, and Transcripts
How do I get my student’s records or transcript?
• Download and submit form to Accounting Office http://studentaccounting.mpls.k12.mn.us/Transcripts

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Core Classes
English (ESL Levels 2-5 count for English credit)
Social Studies 9 th = Geography 11 th = US History
10 th = World History 12 th = Gov/Econ
Math
Science
9 th = Algebra 11 th = Algebra 2/Trig
10 th = Geometry 12 th = Pre calc
9 th = Environmental Science (or Physics/Biology)
10 th = Biology
11 th = Physical Science (1 Sem. Of Chem. & 1 Sem. Of Physics) or
1 st year of Chemistry 11 th
12 th = Physics

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• Graduation Requirements – Elective Classes:
• 2 Fine Art classes (you will have more than 2)
• 2 PE Classes (Fit for Life 1 & 2)
• 2 Health Classes (Health 1 & 2)
Other electives will include Technology classes & PSEO (Post
Secondary Educational Options) & Languages

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Records, Grades, and Transcripts
Credits
4 credits
3 credits
• What does my child need to graduate from high school in Minnesota?
3 credits
3.5 credits
1 credit
7 credits
Subject
English/Language Arts
Mathematics (including algebra, geometry and statistics/probability)
Science (1 credit of biology plus 2 additional credits)
Social Studies (including U.S. history, geography, world history, government/citizenship and economics)
Art
Electives http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=1836

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4 Main Areas
• GPA (the point total of all your letter grades divided by the total number of classes taken)
• Class rank (Your GPA compared to all other students in your grade)
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•
Total number of credits earned
Student’s classes with grades (by year in school)
A’s = 4.0
C’s = 2.0
F’s = 0.0
B’s = 3.0
D’s = 1.0

English 9
Q1- .75
English 10
Q1- .75
(3 credits) (3 credits)
Geography (Civics) World Studies
Q1- .75
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
English 11
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q2- .75
Q4- .75
Q4- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
Algebra
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
Enviro Science
T1- 1.125
T2- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
PE 1
T1- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
(1.5 credits)
(3 credits)
Geom etry
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
Biology
T1- 1.125
T2- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
PE 2
T1- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
(1.5 credits)
(3 credits) (3 credits)
US History
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
Gov't
Q - .75
Q - .75
Econ
Q - .75
Q - .75
(3 credits)
Algebra 2
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
Phys Sci or Chem Physics (4th yr)
Q1- .75
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
Fine Arts - 1
T1- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
(1.5 credits)
English 12
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
Q3- .75
Q4- .75
(3 credits)
Fine Arts - 2
T1- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
(1.5 credits)
This credit check form has all the required classes listed by class name (by subject) through the 12 th grade year.
Health 1
T1- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
(1.5 credits)
Health 2
T1- 1.125
Q1- .75
Q2- .75
(1.5 credits)

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• Find all the core classes by subject you have passed and note them on the credit sheet
• If unsure about meeting the requirements for a core subject, count the total credits for each year in school
• You should have at least 3 credits in each core per completed school year
• Find all of the “F’s” in your core subjects – these will need to be made up

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• ESL classes with a general subject name count as electives NOT as a core subject
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ESL SCIENCE - 1.125 AIB (elective)
ELL ALGEBRA - 1.125 A (core)
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(done for makeup or to get ahead)
• Summer school/online classes do not get a letter grade, student receives credit

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What options do you think are possible for immigrant students after high school?
Do your children have dreams after high school?
Do you have dreams for them?

• There are many options after high school, such as:
• Going to college
• Entering an apprenticeship
• Getting a job
• Going to a technical school or trade school
• Resources to help make decisions:
• Teachers
• School counselors
• Vocational rehabilitation counselors
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Short-term benefits:
• Pick classes you are interested in
• Make your own schedule
• Take morning, afternoon, or evening classes
• You are treated like an adult
• You have more responsibility
• You make appointments with your advisor
• You choose to come to class on time
• Grades are usually not sent to your parents
Long-term benefits:
• College graduates make, on average, $1 million more than high school graduates make
• College-educated individuals have much lower rates of joblessness
• More options of jobs with a college degree
• Those with college degrees are more likely to have better health, exercise more, smoke less, volunteer more, and vote more

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• Different types: trade schools , community colleges , and 4year universities at a state college or private university
Going to college will help graduates make more on average than those with only a high-school diploma

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• Tuition
• Social settings
• Academics
• Size
• Location
• Weigh the costs and benefits
• Reach out to people around you for advice

• What is it?
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• A school where to learn a special skill for a specific job
Skills include: welding, mechanics, cosmetology, computer technology, and more
• Can often get a degree quickly
• Costs
• Vary on the program and the courses taken
• Social
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• All peers are learning the same trade
Can take classes online
• Academics
• Usually smaller classrooms
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• What is it?
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• 2-year program for an Associate Degree
Many students transfer to a 4-year university after completion
• Costs
• Less expensive than a
4-year university
• Social
• Classroom setting
• May not have as many extracurricular activities
• Academics
• Usually open admissions
• Can be full-time or part-time and take as many classes as student chooses

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• What is it?
• 4-year program for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science
Degree
• Costs
• Most expensive option
• Social
• Living in dorms or commuting
• Social clubs and athletic opportunities
• Academics
• Choose a variety of degrees
• Can continue to an advanced degree program after graduation

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Private Public
What is it?
• Privately owned
• Can be religiously based
Costs • Most expensive
• Avg semester cost including room and board - $30,094
Social • Smaller campuses
• Athletics and social organizations
Academics • BA or BS degree
• Usually smaller classes
• 1 on 1 time with professors
State-funded university
• Less expensive
• Avg cost including room and board- $8,893
• Larger campuses
• Athletics and social organizations
BA or BS degree
Size Smaller Larger

• Students need the following to apply to college :
• A completed application to the college
• High school transcript
• ACT or SAT results from
• Letters of recommendation from people who are not family members
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• Accommodations on the SAT and ACT tests for:
• Extended time
• Taking the test in a different room.
• Getting ready:
• Take private classes offered by companies, for a fee
• Buy practice books or check them out from the library
• Join a study group at school
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• There are many ways to get financial help to pay for school:
• Going to school in-state
• Financial aid from the college
• Scholarships from the community
• Merit based, need based, private
• Federal loans (apply using a form called FAFSA)
• Private loans through local banks
• On-campus jobs
• Living at home
• Starting at a community college, then transferring to a 4-year university
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Alexandria Technical College
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Anoka Technical College
Bemidji State University
Central Lakes College
Century College
Dakota County Technical College
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community
College
Hennepin Technical College
Inver Hills Community College
Minneapolis Community and Technical •
College •
Minnesota State College-Southeast •
Minnesota State Community and
Technical College
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• Minnesota West College
Normandale Community College
North Hennepin Community College
Northland College
Northwest Technical College
Ridgewater College
Riverland College
Rochester Community and Technical
College
St. Cloud Technical College
Saint Paul College
South Central College
Southwest Minnesota State University
University of Minnesota, Crookston
University of Minnesota, Morris

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• Financial aid is money that helps pay for college such as scholarships, private loans, government loans, and grants
• Almost all colleges and technical schools have a Financial Aid
Office
• Ask your child’s high school guidance counselor about financial aid options

• A scholarship is money used to pay for college. Many students usually apply and compete for scholarships.
• There are many types of scholarships. Scholarships can be based on athletics, good grades, financial need, cultural backgrounds or ethnicities, and more.
• Talk to your child’s financial aid office, your high school counselor, or use the Internet to find different scholarships.
• The Minnesota Dream Act can help immigrant children pay for college
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Going to college is a great idea for some, but it is n’t the only option.
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Students can enter the workforce or get an apprenticeship , (work experience paid or unpaid that provides skills while actually working).
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For Special Education students:
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J ob goals can be written into the IEP in high school.
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School counselors or vocational rehabilitation counselors can help students plan ahead to learn the skills necessary to get a job.
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Help your child set long-term career goals .
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• Education is a right
• It is protected in the
Minnesota Constitution
• It is a human right
• Education is for all students
• For people of all races and income
• For all countries and languages
• For all children with disabilities

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• Public education for all
• Including all children of school age who live in the district
• Public education must be free
• No fees for school supplies
• No mandatory “donations”
• No fees for special education services

• Immigration status does not matter
• Living in school district is enough
• Immigrants are guaranteed the same education as everyone else
• Undocumented Immigrants:
• Same right to K-12 education
• No fees required
• Includes extra-curricular activities
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• Education must be the same
• Equal quality education for immigrants
• District cannot ask for immigration status
• They do not need it. Parents do not have to provide it
• If asked, parents can say it is not needed and give other forms of information
• i.e. Proof of residency in the district

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• School districts must help ELL students:
• overcome language barriers
• ensure they can participate meaningfully in educational programs ( Lau v. Nichols (1974) )
• School communications should be in the parent’s native language when possible
• Required for special education meetings
• Not required for conferences
• Can always ask for translation/interpretation

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The school can require:
 Birth certificate, BUT foreign certificate must be accepted.
 Proof of residency (a utility bill, a lease, or other information).
 Immunization records.
A school can NOT require the following.
They should not even ask for:
 Proof of citizenship for the parent or child.
 Proof of immigration status for the parent or child.
The school can ask for the following but the parent does not have to provide it:
 Social Security Numbers
 Race
 Ethnicity and National Origin

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• Schools are not immigration enforcers
• Schools cannot share student’s immigration status
• Schools may not inform other agencies about a student’s status

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“…No person in the United
States shall, on the grounds of race, color or national origin…be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving
Federal financial assistance.”

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• School districts may not , on the basis of race, color, or national origin:
• Provide different services, financial aid, or other benefits or provide them in a different manner
• Restrict an individual's enjoyment of an advantage or privilege that is enjoyed by others
• Deny an individual the right to participate in federally assisted programs
• Defeat or substantially impair the objectives of federally assisted programs
• Deny equal access to education because of a student's limited proficiency in English.

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• Excluding students’ participation in school because of their inability to speak and understand English
• Assigning minority students to special education classes because of their lack of English skills
• Designing dead-end track programs for ELL students that are not designed to teach them English
• Not providing school notices to parents whose
English is limited in a language they can understand

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Quiz
1. Should you or your child ever be asked about your immigration status at your child’s school?
• NO.
2. What section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that schools may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin?
• Title VI.
3. What did Plyer v. Doe determine?
• Schools are not immigration enforcers, cannot share student’s immigration status, and may not inform other agencies about a student’s status.

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