Dual Language Program Administration and Assessment Strategy Meeting

AP Stage Four Test Performance: Last year, the program celebrated the success of eighth-grade students on the AP Stage Four test.
Statistics: A total of $15$ students attempted the examination, with $12$ students passing, resulting in an $80\%$ pass rate.
Outcome: These students are entering ninth grade with college credit and four high school Spanish credits.
Individual Excellence: One specific student achieved a score of $5$ , which is highlighted as a significant accomplishment for an eighth grader.
Recognition Events: Students who pass the test are invited to an AP breakfast where they are officially recognized and receive cash rewards.

Regulatory Goals: Per Chapter 89, the objective of the program is to maintain a ratio of $50\%$ Emergent Bilingual (EB) students to $50\%$ non-EB students (opt-ins).
Structural Changes: The high projected number of EBs at Dunaway necessitated a transition to a combination of two-way and one-way dual language models to stay close to the fifty-fifty ratio, which is considered the best practice for student development.
Student Counts:
- Current DL enrollment is at $23$ students at one campus.
- Of those, $10$ are opt-ins.
- One student originally marked as an opt-in was moved to the EB side based on a home language survey and a score of $3$ on assessment, bringing the total EB count to $36$ .

Kinder Deal Guidelines: The program is implementing specific guidelines for participating students. While a rough draft was adapted from the junior high model, it is being refined for elementary levels.
Removal/Transfer Policy: There is a policy in place to move students back to general education settings if they fail to meet program standards. Specific triggers for this review include:
- Excessive behaviors.
- Excessive absences: Defined as $10$ or more absences.
- Tardies: Defined as $7$ or more tardies.
Implementation Strategy: These expectations will be shared with all parents at the beginning of September to ensure they are signed and returned without getting lost in initial start-of-year paperwork.
Committee Review: Before any student is removed, a committee will meet with the parents to discuss grades and performance data. Ultimately, the final decision rests with the campus administration.

Logistics: Dual Language (DL) teachers are responsible for coordinating and running the campus Spanish Spelling Bee.
Teacher Roles: Tasks include decorating for the contest and finding a separate coach for the students to ensure the teacher is not overwhelmed with both roles.
Training: A training presentation for DL teachers and coaches will be sent in early September, following updates from Region 10.
Regional Update: The Region 10 Spanish Spelling Bee is tentatively planned for March 2027. Region 10 has recently downsized its staff, which has delayed the finalization of the date and identifying the primary person in charge.
Department Support: The department provides metals for overall winners, ribbons for each grade level, and folders for all participants. The speaker will serve as the official verifier for the contest.

Pre-LAS and LAS Links Training: Scheduled for August 5 from $08:30$ to $10:00$ am in the TLI library.
Required Attendees: Campus Instructional Coaches (CICs) and DL paraprofessionals.
Staffing Names:
- Attendees include Crispin, Ingrid, and a new staff member, Aida Alena Vargado.
- Melissa Rodriguez is also a potential attendee depending on her return status.
Tester Logistics: CICs at non-DL campuses will perform testing for potential EB students to determine ESL service eligibility, whereas campuses with DL paraprofessionals will use them for testing.

Summer Success: Notable training sessions occurred on July 16 and July 27. The session on the 27th focused on "How to talk more, think more, and write more."
Creation Lab: A biliteracy creation lab was held from July 20 through July 23, where teachers developed color-coded resources for their classrooms.
Upcoming Training (Triple D Day - September 28):
- Topics: Dual Language Essentials and Oracy.
- Format: Split sessions (K-2 in the morning and 3-5 in the afternoon, or vice versa).
Upcoming Training (November): Dual Language writing training tailored for Pre-K through 2nd grade and 3rd through 5th grade.

Cross-Campus Planning: Teachers from Wedgeworth and Dunaway have requested time to plan together to share resources, particularly for Spanish-language materials which are harder to find than English ones.
Administrative Concerns: There is a concern that if DL teachers plan separately across campuses, they may fail to collaborate with their General Education (Gen Ed) teams at their home campus.
Proposed Solution: A rotation schedule where specific grade levels (e.g., all 4th-grade DL teachers from both campuses) are pulled for a day to work on PVR (Punto de Vista del Registro), oracy activities, and bridging.

Dunaway Status: Currently full and over capacity (two students over).
Wedgeworth Status: Still has approximately four seats remaining in first-grade DL.
Case Studies:
- A parent is requesting a transfer because they work at WHS.
- Ethan (Kinder) and Lena Doss (2nd grade): The mother wants both in DL; they may move to Wedgeworth to secure spots for both children.

Timing: Planned for the spring, tentatively April 1, to avoid conflict with March 26 (STEM Night) and Spring Break ( $15$ th- $19$ th).
Location: Howard is the preferred site due to its central nature and the opportunity for parents to visit the Junior High campus. Howard's Multicultural Night often aligns with this event.
Parent Committee: The plan is to form a parent committee in December to assist with decorations, informational stations, and supply samples.
Resource Management: An Amazon wishlist is typically used to manage supplies for grade-level activities.

Kindergarten Assessment:
- Reading: All take Spanish NWA (MAP) at Beginning of Year (BOY). Opt-ins take English NWA outside the testing window.
- Math: All take Spanish NWA at BOY. Opt-ins take English NWA outside the window.
- TIA Impact: Only the Spanish reading score contributes to Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) for Kinder reading.
First Grade Assessment:
- Reading: All take Spanish NWA regardless of L1. Opt-ins take English outside the window.
- Math: Students test in their L1 (Dominant Language) at BOY, MOI (Middle of Year), and EOI (End of Year).

Question: Should teachers be the ones to present the new contract guidelines to parents?
Response: There is a suggestion to hold a dedicated DL meeting so teachers are not "in the fire" trying to explain concrete numbers like tardy counts to "heavy hitter" parents during regular sessions.
Question: Will teachers receive ELPS training next week?
Response: Yes, all teachers will undergo ELPS training during the upcoming PD days.
Question: How do we handle a student like Layla who is EB but weighted as an opt-in for grading?
Response: Her language of testing would be English for those specific grading purposes, and a note will be placed in Elevation.