Advocacy in Action
Ohio TESOL Advocacy Liaison, Dana Weber
Welcome to the Ohio TESOL Advocacy Page. Our mission is to champion the TESOL profession at the local, state, and federal levels. We strive to improve employment conditions and uphold the language rights and culture of all individuals. This page is designed to provide you with resources, updates, and opportunities to help you achieve your advocacy goals.
While advocacy for multilingual learners of English can happen at the building and district level, state level and federal level, there are many things you can do locally in your setting that will get your students and families off to a great start. As you are beginning a fresh new school year, consider some of the basic steps you can take to advocate for your families at the local level:
Department of Education and Workforce: Language Usage Survey
- Ensure the 7 required questions are uploaded in the district registration system for all new students in the district.
- Onboard any new staff charged with flagging LUS questions for students who need screened.
- Determine date of entry to US schools from new students from other districts & states for appropriate EMIS coding (EL status & Immigrant status)
- Prioritize SSID creation for kindergarten students who may be potential learners of English to ensure they receive the allowable leveling of supports on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment.
- Prioritize SSID creation for potential learners of English for whom program placement is critical.
- Add identified EL students from a non-ELPA21 states to screening list (ELPA21 states: Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska, Louisiana, Oregon, West Virginia, Arkansas. Alt-OELPA assessments from Connecticut and Arizona).
- Screen students and send home the Parent notification in a language they can understand.
- Review district EL handbook and language access plans for any updates for the new academic year.
- Onboard any new staff to district protocols for translations and securing interpreters.
- Create building lists of all students who need home communications in another language to be housed in each building in case of emergencies
- Determine language development services to be provided.
- Create schedules and notify teachers of the domain proficiency levels of multilingual learners of English.
- Begin planning graduation pathways for high school students new to the country.
- Review and implement your district monitoring plan for students who exited EL status within the last two years.
The Ohio English Learner Cost Study
In 2022, the WestEd Cost study assessed the costs of implementing English learner programs in Ohio’s schools. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive description of the costs required to support English learners in achieving successful learning outcomes and meeting the state’s goals for improvement in English language proficiency.
Ohio English Learner Cost Study Monthly Updates
Dana Weber, the Ohio TESOL Advocacy Liaison for 2024, will present findings and recommendations from the 2022 Ohio English Learner Cost Study Updates.
April 2024
2024 Hispanic Legislative Visit Day
At the 2024 Hispanic Legislative Visit Day, Board Members Dana Weber and Maria Kobayashi, Ohio TESOL VP2, delivered a joint presentation. Check out their presentation below.
February 2024
Ohio TESOL heard the concerns with the complications of FASFA completion in the new application process for students from mixed status homes. We took action and added our organization to the attached statement being sent to the US Department of Education.
Link to Previous Policy Statements
In the meantime, please join our advocacy group on Facebook!
Need to contact Ohio TESOL about an advocacy-related issue:
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