Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
English Learner Advisory Committee
(ELAC)
Rights and Responsibilities
Presented by
Academic Office
Multilingual Literacy Department
English Learner Advisory Committee Training
2012-2013
Serna Center
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
What Is an ELAC?
English Learner Advisory Committee
A meeting where parents/guardians of English
Learners meet to advise the principal and school
staff on programs and services for English learners.
It exists at every school that has twenty-one (21) or
more English learners.
Minimum of 4 meetings per year.
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Components of an Effective ELAC
Formation
Composition Requirements
Elections
Major Function/Tasks
Training
Supporting Documents
Legal References
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Formation
Each California public school, grades kindergarten
through 12, with 21 or more English learners must
form an English Learner Advisory Committee
(ELAC).
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Composition Requirements
The percentage of parents of English learners on
the committee must be at least the same as that of
English learners at the school.
Example:

Susan B. Anthony School (65% EL)


8 members ELAC
How many will need to be EL Parents? 5
In SCUSD we want to ensure that 51% or more of
our ELAC members are English learner parents.
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Elections
Requirements for ELAC elections include:
 Parent/guardian members of English learners elect
parent members to serve on school committee or
subcommittee.

The parents/guardians are provided the opportunity to
vote for committee members.

Each school committee shall have the opportunity to
elect at least one member to the District English
Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC).
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Major Function/Tasks
The committee advises and assists the school as follows:
The ELAC advises the school principal and staff on:

The school's program for English learners.
The ELAC advises the School Site Council on:

The development of the Single School Plan for Student Achievement.
The ELAC assists in the following:


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The school's needs assessment.
The school's annual language census (R-30 LC Report).
Efforts to make parents aware of the importance of regular school
attendance.
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Major Function/Tasks:
School Needs Assessments
Study school student achievement data
Study school existing programs
Study budget and Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA)or School
Development Improvement Plan (SDIP)
Social, cultural, and English language need of the EL students
Other
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Major Function/Tasks:
Annual Language Census
The school's annual language census (R-30 LC Report):

It is an annual data collection administered in March that collects
the following data elements:

number of English learner (EL) students (formerly known as limited
English-proficient [LEP]) and fluent English-proficient (FEP) students
in California public schools (kindergarten through grade twelve) by
grade and primary language other than English;

number of EL students enrolled in specific instructional settings or
services by type of setting or service;


number of students reclassified from EL to FEP from the prior year;
and the number of staff 9providing instructional services to EL students
Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Major Function/Tasks:
Importance of School Attendance
School Attendance Improvement Strategies
Selected school attendance practices identified as having a
positive effect in encouraging students to regularly attend school.


For elementary school, all day.
For secondary school all their high school classes.
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Training
The school shall provide for all ELAC members:
Appropriate training and materials to assist each member
carry out his or her legally required advisory responsibilities.
Training planned in full consultation with ELAC members.

Economic Impact Aid-Limited English Proficient and/or district funds may be
used to cover costs of training and attendance of ELAC members and costs
associated with child care, translation services, meals, and other reasonable
expenses.).
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
ELAC Handbook
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Bylaws
While bylaws are not required, they are recommended.
Some items to cover:



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


Membership composition
Election procedures
Officers
Whether delegation of ELAC duties is an option
Number of meetings
Parliamentary procedures
Topics to cover
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Agendas
Officers or general membership must assist in developing
the agendas.
Each meeting’s agenda must be developed from three
sources:



ELAC members’ selected items
School staff and district selected items
State required items
Copies of agendas must be kept on file at school and sent to
Multilingual Literacy Department (make sure agendas indicate
elections, training, and completion of required ELAC duties).
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Minutes
Minutes must be taken at each meeting (ELAC
Secretary usually does this).
School is responsible for providing translators at
each meeting and translating minutes into languages
represented.
Copies of minutes must be kept on file at school
and sent to Multilingual Literacy Department (make
sure minutes indicate elections, training, and completion of
required ELAC duties).
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
DELAC Duties
The DELAC must effectively advise the governing
board on at least the following:








district plan for English learners
district-wide needs assessment
setting district goals for English learner education
district plan to meet teacher and aide requirements
language census
written parent notification of initial enrollment
district’s reclassification process
written notifications sent home to parents/guardians
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Supporting Documents
ELAC Handbook
R-30 Census Report Information
Attendance Information & Strategies
Single Plan for Student Achievement, (SPSA) or
School Development Improvement Plan, (SDIP)
Economic Impact Aid, (EIA-LEP) Budget
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Other Possible ELAC or DELAC Topics


Uniform Complaint Procedures
High School Graduation
University Entrance (U.C./C.S./AG) Requirements

Adult School Opportunities for
Parents



Testing (CELDT, STAR,
CAHSEE, S.A.T.)
Requirements


Immigration/citizenship
Grading (Report Card) System

GATE, Honors, Advanced
Placement Courses

Interventions, Tutoring and
Counseling Services


Promotion/Retention
Parent Involvement and
Volunteering
Extra-curricular Activities
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
American School System
Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Relationship to Other Committees
DELAC representatives serve as links between school and district.
It is recommended that the School Site Council (SSC) include
representation by parents of English Learners.
The SSC is required to seek input from the ELAC about
programs/services for ELs funded by the EIA-LEP budget as outlined in
the Single Plan for Student Achievement or School Development
Improvement Plan
The ELAC may delegate duties to SSC only after ELAC is formed and
trained on rights and responsibilities. The SSC must accept, be trained, and
then carry out all ELAC duties.
School facilitates interaction or communications among committees.
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Legal References
California Education Code, sections 35147(c),
52176(b), 62002.5, and 64001(a)
California Code of
Regulations, Title 5, Section 11308
(b) and (d)
20 United States Code Section 6312(g)(4)
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Review
Formation
Composition Requirements
Elections
Major Function
Tasks
Training
Legal References
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Academic Office: We are a collaborative team that supports student learning.
Questions
or
Comments?
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