English Learners
Fair School Funding
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Education Law Center Attorney David Lapp’s March 7, 2014 testimony at the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s hearing highlights significant demographic disparities when comparing brick-and-mortar charter schools as a whole in Philadelphia to the School District of Philadelphia schools.
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Strong public schools are important for creating a successful future for both individuals and whole communities. Formula proposals or state budgets affecting education funding should be evaluated based on the following ten criteria. Any proposal or budget that fails to meet these criteria will not serve the interests of all students, especially disadvantaged students, and should not be adopted.
English Learners
Equal Access
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This fact sheet addresses the rights of linguistically and culturally diverse parents and caregivers (defined by law as limited English proficient or “LEP”) who seek to enroll a child in school. A person is legally considered “limited English proficient” if the person’s primary language or languages are not English, and they do not read, speak, write, or understand English well. LEP individuals have the right to interpretation and translated documents in this process.
Learn more here.
Please note – this document is available in Spanish.
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Federal civil rights laws require schools to provide free language services for multilingual parents or caregivers whose first language is not English. This form and checklist includes questions the parent or caregiver can ask about the types of language services available and when the school can provide language services. By asking these questions, the parent or caregiver will learn about the process to request language services and the point of contact at the school responsible for providing interpretation and/or translation.
This self-advocacy tool is available for general education in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Nepali.
This self-advocacy tool is available for special education in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Nepali.
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COVID-19 school closures have had an impact on English learners. ELC compiled this resource of 5 important things for Vietnamese speakers and their families to know.
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COVID-19 school closures have had an impact on English learners. ELC compiled this resource of 5 important things for Mandarin speakers and their families to know.
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COVID-19 school closures have had an impact on English learners. ELC compiled this resource of 5 important things for Arabic speakers and their families to know.
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COVID-19 school closures have had an impact on English learners. ELC compiled this resource of 5 important things for Spanish speakers and their families to know.
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COVID-19 school closures have had an impact on English learners. ELC compiled this resource of 5 important things for Nepali speakers and their families to know.
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COVID-19 school closures have had an impact on English learners. ELC compiled this resource of 5 important things for English learners and their families to know.
Please note — this document is available in:
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Testimony: Meeting Needs of English Learners and Limited English Proficient Families in Philadelphia
For a meeting of the Student Achievement and Support Committee of the Philadelphia school board, ELC provided an overview of the rights of English learners and limited-English-proficient parents, followed by a discussion of our understanding of the particular needs and concerns of ELs and LEP families in schools across the District.
ELC’s recommendations focus on three key areas: 1) prompt enrollment and access to language assistance for families; 2) quality ESL instruction; and 3) equal access and opportunities (for example, to special education services or to selective high schools).
Read our testimony.
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ELC was invited to provide testimony in October 2018 regarding the high school selection process to the Student Achievement and Supports Committee of the Board of Education for the School District of Philadelphia. Staff Attorney Kristina Moon provided written and oral testimony describing concerns from families and advocates about the district’s failure to implement the LeGare consent decree that requires the district provide equal opportunity for students with disabilities and English Learners to attend special admission high schools. ELC also called upon the Board to consider changes to the selective admission criteria that could allow students from neighborhood schools with less resources a more equitable chance to attend selective high schools. Additionally, ELC urged the Board to consider whether charter schools are equitably serving all students when reviewing applications for renewal or expansion. Read the full testimony here:
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Education Law Center Staff Attorney Kristina Moon presented testimony on March 16, 2017 to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission on how the city’s schools can better meet the needs of students learning English, parents with limited English proficiency, and immigrant families.
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This testimony was presented in January, 2017 at a town hall meeting hosted by Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym and the School District of Philadelphia. It raises a number of issues related to the educational needs of immigrant students, students learning English, and their families.
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A summary of the Education Law Center’s 2014 recommendations to improve educational outcomes for English learners (ELs).
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This fact sheet provides an outline of the rights of English learners (ELs) and/or families of students with limited English proficiency.
Please note – this document is available in Spanish and Chinese.
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Education Law Center Attorney David Lapp’s March 7, 2014 testimony at the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s hearing highlights significant demographic disparities when comparing brick-and-mortar charter schools as a whole in Philadelphia to the School District of Philadelphia schools.
English Learners
School to Prison Pipeline
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This fact sheet describes the process for determining if your child, as an English learner (EL), is appropriately and legally placed in an Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY) program and, if not, how to return your child to an appropriate placement in your local school district.
To learn more, click here.
Please note – this document is available in Spanish.
To learn more about general rights applicable to all students who may be placed in AEDY, see our Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth fact sheet.
You may also be interested in our guide on Alternative Education for Students with Disabilities.