Here are the latest updates from the Forum’s education team.
Every Student Succeeds Act
Many representatives of the Latino community willingly engaged with the Forum this summer to discuss data trends on Latino achievement over time and expressed a desire to be part of the decisions that will be part of drafting the state of Illinois’ plan for education. Parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and nonprofit organizations have a stake in ensuring equitable access to high quality education for all students in Illinois.
The Forum in collaboration with DePaul University and Dr. Sonia Soltero brought together about 40 local experts on English Learner education for a workshop about the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA), with the goal of providing commentary and recommendations to the Illinois state plan for education. ESSA, an act passed December 2015, replaces the “No Child Left Behind Act.” Presenters included Dr. Luisiana Melendez from the Erikson Institute, Dr. Margo Gottlieb from WIDA and a Forum Board Member, Dr. Carmen Ayala and the Forum’s Senior Policy Analyst, Dr. Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro. Participants were in attendance representing school districts, university faculty, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
In August, the Forum once again convened nearly 200 people, including national experts, parents, practitioners, local public officials, and staff from community-based organizations to listen to Katy Haycock from the Education Trust and Dr. Libia Gil from the U.S. Department of Education. Couldn’t make it to the event? Catch the entire presentation via CAN TV’s broadcast here.
The events helped shape the Forum’s policy paper on ESSA for Illinois. When the federal government reauthorizes the education statute, each state must draft a plan to reflect how schools will meet federal standards and requirements. Illinois plan is due in March of 2017.
As a result of the Forum’s extensive stakeholder engagement with experts, practitioners, leaders, parents and community, important considerations for English Learners drafted by the Forum have been included in initial drafted plans by the Illinois State Board of Education. Forum staff is also being invited to present to pertinent groups who will have vital influence in the new education law about the education of English Learners.
Abriendo Puertas Training Institute
Facilitators are now ready to engage parents within their respective communities by increasing their knowledge in early childhood development, improving parent engagement within the school system, and fostering parent leadership skills.
The Latino Policy Forum announced its eighth cohort of community organizations in the Abriendo Puertas Curriculum, which trains nonprofit organizations to deliver 10 sessions to parents of children 0-5 years old. Each session is designed to empower parents with the knowledge and tools to prepare their children for kindergarten and future academic success.
Interested in learning more about Abriendo Puertas? Contact Natalie Vesga.
