INTRODUCTION TO ELAC for ELAC ADVISORS TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A FUNCTIONING ENGLISH LEARNER ADVISORY COMMITTEE Introduction to ELAC for ELAC Advisors

1. ELAC is a Legal Requirement. Each California public school, grades K-12, with 21 or more English Learners must form an English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC).

2. The Purpose of ELAC The purpose of the ELAC is to advise the principal, and staff on programs and services for EL students and to advise the School Site Council (SSC) on the development of the Single School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). In order to advise (review and comment) responsibly, committee members must become knowledgeable about the mandated tasks. ELAC gives parents of English Learners a voice in the education of their children.

3. Mandated Responsibilities of the ELAC Advise the principal and staff on the school’s program for English Learners. Advise the principal and staff on the school’s efforts to make parents aware of the importance of regular school attendance. Advise the SSC on the development of the Single School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). Review the school’s annual language census. Conduct a site English Learner Needs Assessment.

4. ELAC Composition Requirements Percentage of parents/guardians of English Learners on the ELAC must be at least the same as that of English Learners in the school. ELAC is not restricted to parents/guardians of EL students. Other ELAC members can be parents of non ELs, school staff, and /or community members as long as the criteria above is maintained.

5.Election of ELAC Members An informational meeting is held to explain the purpose and function of ELAC. Nominations are accepted for ELAC members and ballots are sent home. Only parents/guardians of ELs are allowed to vote. ELAC members are elected for a two-year term. DELAC Bylaws specify that the verified DELAC Representative must be a parent/guardian of an EL, RFEP, or an IFEP student currently enrolled on site to have voting rights in the DELAC election.

6. Membership of ELAC ELAC members may include: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, DELAC Representative and Alternate and Parent Representative(s). The ELAC advisor acts as a coach, facilitator, and trainer for the ELAC and as a liaison with site staff. Site Administrator and school staff provide support.

7. Training of ELAC Members The site ELAC advisor provides appropriate training and materials to assist each ELAC member to carry out his/her required responsibilities. The school is responsible for having materials translated into languages represented, if available through the Translation Department. The Office of Language Acquisition provides training and materials throughout the year to assist ELAC advisors.

8. ELAC’s Mandated Responsibilities May Be Delegated After proper election and training of ELAC members, officers may vote to continue as a functional ELAC or to delegate the ELAC’s legal responsibilities to the SSC for two years from date of election (document in ELAC minutes). If the SSC accepts (document in SSC minutes), its members must be trained to fulfill the mandated responsibilities of ELAC. SSC minutes then must document that the mandated tasks are fulfilled.

9. ELAC Meetings Schedule regular meetings for ELAC members. Four meetings per school year at a minimum. Meeting agendas must include the mandated tasks. Agendas may also contain DELAC report, SSC report, parent education presentation, guest speakers, student showcase, committee events, etc. Minutes must include the mandated tasks, the advice given and the response received from the school site. All ELAC meetings are open to the public. Only elected committee members have the right to vote on agenda topics. Post the agenda at least 72 hours in advance (legal requirement). Publicize meetings at least 2 weeks in advance: flyer, newsletter, phone tree, marquee, ELAC bulletin board. Provide translation and childcare services, if needed.

10. ELAC Record Keeping Nomination and election records Membership lists Training records Evidence of all meetings (notices, agendas, sign-ins, minutes) Documentation that demonstrates how each of the mandated tasks were addressed and performed. Documentation of advice given and response received from the school site.