Multilingual Monthly: May 2024

Multilingual Monthly: May 2024

In this Issue

Upcoming Live Events for NYC Public School Staff

Opportunity to Attend Multilingual NYC Educator Conference

Opportunity for Schools to Apply for the Dream Squads Initiative

Guidance on Bilingual and ENL Instruction During the Summer

Share Opportunity to Work as Immigrant Ambassadors

The NYC Extended Certification Programs Application for the 2024–25 School Year is Now Open

Upcoming Lighthouse Collaborative Visits

Resources to Support You with Teaching and Learning for Your Newly Arrived MLs/ELLs

Bookmark our Resource Sites!

Access Classroom Lessons on TeachHub

Upcoming Live Events for NYC Public School Staff

Review our events below or explore our SharePoint calendar!

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

INSTRUCTION

Opportunity to Attend Multilingual NYC Educator Conference

You and your staff are invited to attend the Multilingual NYC Educator Conference on June 11 at the Jay Suites Midtown East (515 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022). This conference is an opportunity to celebrate National Immigrant Heritage Month and connect with educators and advocates across the city who support multilingual and immigrant students. Participants will learn about the intersectionality of multilingual and immigrant identities, explore resources, and develop strategies to utilize over the summer and in preparation for the upcoming school year. Participants will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of topics related to serving multilingual and immigrant students.

Please share this information with your staff. Interested participants should register by June 3. Continuing Teaching and Leader Education (CTLE) credit is available.

For questions, email DML@schools.nyc.gov.

Opportunity for Schools to Apply for the Dream Squads Initiative

The DOE invites middle and high schools with large populations of immigrants and multilingual learners to join Dream Squads, an optional year-long initiative consisting of professional learning, ongoing coaching, school-based workshops, and cross-school networking to build a welcoming school environment for multilingual, immigrant, and undocumented students and families.

To participate in Dream Squads, schools must form a team of three or more diverse educators to serve as members of their school’s Dream Squad, and all participants must engage in a six-part professional learning series to design, implement, and sustain a welcoming school plan. Sessions will be a mix of virtual and in-person, with virtual sessions taking place from 2:00–4:00 p.m. and in-person from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. from September 25October 30. Please note that schools accepted to the Dream Squad program must:   

  • Ensure participation of a minimum of three people who can commit to all sessions; and   
  • Commit to creating and implementing a school plan for supporting multilingual and immigrant students and their families.     

Please review the Dream Squads Overview, for the full schedule and expectations. To express your school’s interest in participating, complete this application by May 29. As a reminder, the DOE does not ask about or track student immigration status.

Note that additional funding for this program is contingent on funding availability; the program calendar is subject to budget approval and availability. Those who apply and are accepted should be prepared to implement their Dream Squad initiatives without additional funding.

For questions, email DML@schools.nyc.gov.

Guidance on Bilingual and ENL Instruction During the Summer

According to NYSED’s Summer School Handbook, all multilingual learners/English language learners (MLs/ELLs) must be provided equal opportunity to participate in summer school programs and instructional support, including instruction targeting language and literacy development and access to grade-level content. This may include small-group instruction or one-to-one support through an integrated English as a New Language (ENL) co-teaching and/or standalone ENL instructional model.

  • For Grades K8:
    • Students enrolled in a bilingual education program during the 2023–24 school year should be offered instruction in bilingual content areas during Summer Rising, in addition to MLs/ELLs receiving the ENL instructional component.
    • Sites should schedule MLs/ELLs with “Entering” or “Emerging” English language proficiency for standalone ENL. ENL teachers who serve ELLs in grades K-8 may utilize the no-cost thematic digital units made available through TeachHub. Teachers may access these lessons by selecting the ENL Standalone Units tile, then selecting the appropriate grade-level folder.
  • Grades 912:
    • High school students enrolled in a bilingual education program during the 2023–24 school year should be offered instruction in bilingual content areas during the summer. To the greatest extent possible, sites serving grades 9–12 should prioritize bilingual content area classes required for graduation when planning summer offerings.
    • All MLs/ELLs in grades 9–12 should be scheduled for summer programming that can increase their language, literacy, and content area learning. Schools should also offer programming that addresses the specific needs of ELL subgroups: newcomers, SIFE, long-term ELLs, and dually designated ELLs.

For more information on hiring ENL teachers to provide standalone and/or integrated ENL instruction, review the guidance on the Multilingual Learners InfoHub page. Receiving summer sites may use the RSMR report in ATS, which includes ML/ELL information, to help with program planning and hiring at your summer site. For support with determining needs for staff with bilingual extensions and certified ENL teachers or for additional questions, contact your ML/ELL director.

Share Opportunity to Work as Immigrant Ambassadors

The Division of Multilingual Learners is looking for awesome young people to work with us as Immigrant Ambassadors next year. Eligible Ambassadors will have the following experiences:

  • Graduates of NYC Public Schools
  • Currently enrolled in a local NYC college or university
  • The program prioritizes college students who have lived experience as an English Language Learner, Multilingual Learner, or immigrant in NYC
  • Must be at least 18 years old by September 1, 2024
  • Must be in good academic standing at their enrolled college or university
  • Must be able to participate in the NYCDOE background clearance process, which requires a SSN

Please share the following opportunity with your networks. Consider high school contacts with recent graduates. All candidates should apply as soon as possible and adhere to the expectations, reporting, and responsibilities set forth by the program. Program implementation is subject to budget approvals. If you have any questions regarding the application process or IAP in general, please feel free to reach out to Lois Jenkins at LJenkins9@schools.nyc.gov.

The NYC Extended Certification Programs Application for the 2024–25 School Year is Now Open

The application for the 2024–25 NYC Extended Certification Programs is now open! These programs offer opportunities for qualified, current NYC Public Schools teachers to work towards an additional certification in Students with Disabilities or a Bilingual Extension. NYC Extended Certification Programs are particularly beneficial to a school with Bilingual Special Education vacancies, as they enable that school’s eligible Special Education teachers to work towards an additional Bilingual Extension, and eligible Bilingual certified teachers to work towards an additional Students with Disabilities certification during the 2024-25 school year!

Please review the information below and take appropriate action:

For more information, refer to the NYC Extended Certification Programs FAQs. For all questions, contact HIRE Connections

Upcoming Lighthouse Collaborative Visits

Led by the Division of Educator Development, the Lighthouse Collaborative is a cross-district instructional improvement initiative designed to help share strategies that support the Chancellor’s second pillar to scale, sustain, and restore what works across schools. For schools welcoming migrant and asylum-seeking students who are multilingual learners, this is an opportunity for NYCPS educators to learn about promising practices to support teaching and learning for multilingual learners through select visits (see school visits with “Supporting Multilingual Learners” in the Instructional Focus Area). Review all upcoming visits by instructional focus area and grade level. For questions, email lighthouse@schools.nyc.gov

Resources to Support You with Teaching and Learning for Your Newly Arrived MLs/ELLs

You can find relevant resources to support newly arrived MLs/ELLs and immigrant students, including newcomer ELLs, on this page on the Multilingual Learners SharePoint. You can also share these resources using this InfoHub document. You are invited to bookmark the page and refer to it periodically to access newly added resources and opportunities. If you have a question about ELL policy, email your ML/ELL Director. If you have questions about ELL instruction, email your ML/ELL Service Administrator.

Bookmark our Resource Sites!

SharePoint site

How to Access it: You can find our SharePoint by clicking this link, or by navigating to the SharePoint application in your browser and searching for Multilingual Learners. You can also sign up for email alerts. Visit this SharePoint page to learn how!

InfoHub

How to Access it: You can find our main Multilingual Learners page by signing into the Employee InfoHub, then searching for “Multilingual Learners.”

Instructional Resources and Professional Learning Google Site

How to Access it: Find the link on our main Multilingual Learners page or bookmark it.

Multilingual and Immigrant Student Support Site

How to Access it: Find the link on our main Multilingual Learners page or bookmark it.

Access Classroom Lessons on TeachHub

View instructional videos to support multilingual learners and English language learners across content areas. Teacher- and student-facing videos are available to bring classroom lessons to life. 

Questions?

Do you have questions about supporting MLs/ELLs? Reach out to your ML/ELL Points on the EduDirectory.

Encourage your colleagues to sign up for this newsletter. Do you no longer want to receive these emails?