ESOL in the Florida Department of Education Order Instructions: Based on what you read, in a word-processed document, analyze your school’s ESOL program procedures pertaining to that area of the META Consent Decree.
List some things that you believe your school is doing successfully and some areas of improvement.
Meta Consent Decree- I chose Monitoring Issues. Write my paper based on this article
MONITORING ISSUES
A. The Florida Department of Education shall regularly monitor local school districts to ensure compliance with the provisions of this agreement pursuant to federal and state law and regulations including Section 229.565, Florida Statutes (Educational Evaluation Procedures) and Section 228.2001, Florida Statutes (Florida Educational Equity Act).
B. For purposes of such monitoring, limited English proficient students are to be defined as those eligible in accordance with identification and assessment as specified in this agreement.
C. Monitoring shall include periodic review of (1) program compliance, (2) equal access under the Florida Educational Equity Act, and (3) review of program effectiveness.
D. Sufficient specific staff of the Florida Department of Education shall be assigned responsibility for monitoring in accordance with this agreement. The Department may also arrange for persons who are not regular employees of the Department to assist in monitoring activities.
E. All state documents making findings with respect to compliance with the requirements of this section shall be retained in Tallahassee and the applicable school district in accordance with state law.
F. Program Compliance Monitoring
The Florida Department of Education shall specifically incorporate monitoring school districts for compliance with the programmatic requirements for LEP students as set forth in this agreement. Such monitoring shall be in conjunction with the comprehensive monitoring system of the Division of Public Schools.
1. This monitoring shall specifically determine compliance with the following issues:
a. identification and assessment as specified in this document, including:
(1) conduct of the home language survey,
(2) national origin self-identification,
(3) assessment of aural/oral language proficiency;
(4) assessment of English language reading and writing proficiency,
(5) use of approved district developed or adapted test procedures,
(6) functioning of LEP committees
(7) application of reclassification procedures, and
(8) post-reclassification monitoring procedures;
b. provision of basic ESOL instruction, ESOL and home language instructional strategies in basic subject areas, ESOL instruction in basic subject areas, and home language instruction in basic subject areas, and implementation in accordance with the approved plan for services to LEP students;
c. employment of qualified personnel as designated in Section IV; and
d. establishment and functioning of Parent of LEP students involvement as designated in this agreement.
2. Periodic compliance monitoring shall be on the same time schedule as that for the comprehensive monitoring system of the Division of Public Schools.
3. Each district shall retain on file documentation to verify compliance with items in this agreement.
4. The report of each program compliance monitoring shall include recommendations and corrective actions in accordance with the findings and shall be delivered to school districts in a timely manner and filed as a public record.
5. The Florida Department of Education shall issue an annual report summarizing the results of these compliance reviews, identifying patterns of noncompliance, and recommending remedial actions as appropriate. District failure to undertake necessary compliance action in a timely manner shall invoke the procedures and sanctions set forth in section 229. 565(4), Florida Statutes.
6. Monitoring of applicable criteria shall be planned and undertaken with appropriate consultation and participation of councils representing parents of LEP students. The district shall be responsible for making a copy of the monitoring report available to the respective council(s) representing parents of LEP students.
G. Equal Access
1. Periodic review of local district compliance with the Florida Educational Equity Act shall incorporate a review of district compliance with this agreement in regard to equal access to categorical programming for eligible national origin minority students and LEP students.
2. Such reviews shall be conducted in accordance with Rule 6A-19.010, FAC, and shall ascertain and document compliance, or shall require corrective actions.
3. In addition to the requirements of Rule 6A-19.010, FAC, the Florida Department of Education shall conduct a data review of all school districts within a three year period in order to ascertain any major deviance from expected data patterns. Where deviations are noted, the district shall be informed and shall be required to address the issue and report action taken.
H. Complaints
Any interested person or organization may file a complaint with the Florida Department of Education alleging violations by a school district of the terms of this agreement. The written complaint shall be specific as to the alleged violation. The Florida Department of Education shall have 60 days after the receipt of the complaint in which to investigate the allegations and report findings to the district and complainant. Any violations shall have corrective action specified. This complaint process is independent of the individual’s rights under state and federal law.
ESOL in the Florida Department of Education Sample Answer
ESOL
The Consent Decree is the framework of the State of Florida for compliance with a number of state and federal regulations and jurisprudence with regard to the teaching of English language learner students (Florida Department of Education, 2016). One particular area of the META Consent Decree chosen is Monitoring Issues which is under Section V. Analyzing the school’s ESOL program procedures pertaining to Monitoring Issues, it is determined that the school is doing successfully in the following areas:
- The school has properly complied with the employment of essential qualified human resources/staff including educators as stipulated in Section Five;
- The school is in compliance with the provision of fundamental ESOL education, home language and ESOL instructional approaches in the fundamental subject areas, ESOL teaching in the fundamental subject areas, and home language teaching in fundamental subject areas, as well as execution according to the accepted and permitted plan for services to LEP learners (Florida Department of Education, 2016).
- Furthermore, the school uses an approved adapted or district developed test procedures, assesses proficiency in English language reading and writing, and assesses English oral/aural language proficiency;
- The school has properly complied with the Florida Educational Equity Act as regards equal access.
However, there are some areas in which the school needs to improve on. These areas of improvement include the following:
- The school is not in proper compliance with the establishment and functioning of LEP students involvement. Improvement can be affected by the school through the establishment of Parent of LEP students participation in accordance with the agreement.
- The school has not carried out home language survey satisfactorily. For improvement, the school should carry out the home language survey and collect every student’s national origin data and retain that data (Florida Department of Education, 2016).
On the whole, the school district abides by the agreement conditions – the requirements of Monitoring Issues – and the achievement of students in this school is greatly improved owing to the implementation of guidelines.
ESOL in the Florida Department of Education References
Florida Department of Education. (2016). Consent Decree. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/academics/eng-language-learners/consent-decree.stml
