EL Update

1st Year Exemption from ELA sections on state assessments - attended US schools (excluding Puerto Rico) for less than 12 months, marked EL in MSDS, has valid WIDA Screener score or valid WIDA score within OEAA
May 11th - EL Program Evaluation Work Session Spring 2026 - need time to work with your team on Comprehensive High School Experience? This session will be an overview of the process and facilitated work time with Casey and Laura Otten, 9am - 12pm, anyone is welcome to register, $0. Click for the link to see all of MDE's statewide EL Program work session dates / locales
EL Connect 26/27 - tentative dates are Sept. 29th, Jan 26th, April 27th, AM and PM sessions available, registration coming soon

BBC article - The lost languages of ancient humans: Listen to stone-age chat
Fact Sheet - Native Language Assessments for K-12 English Learners
Opportunity - The Grand Rapids Red Project is offering to install and partner with locations across the county who would be interested in hosting a refurbished newspaper box that would be filled with Narcan and other life saving items to prevent overdoses info@redproject.org
Latest immigration update from USAHello

WIDA Access window Jan. 26th - April 3rd
All secure materials must be shipped back to DRC by April 7th
Have paper booklets / materials with secure barcodes that cannot be returned? Use the Materials Accountability Form in AMS to mark them
25/26 List of Important Dates available now
Online WIDA ACCESS for ELLs Checklist
Paper/Pencil WIDA ACCESS for ELLS Checklist

May 6th - MABE Pre-Conferences - register here
May 15th - Building Better Writers with author Natalia Heckman, Muskegon ISD CTC Campus, $130/person (includes lunch and book), 8am - 3pm, registration link
MEAP Utility Assistance for households or call 616-929-1640
Adulting 101 - free virtual series on topics like Informed Renter, Roadmap to a Smart Used Car Purchase, The Realities of Animal Care, and more - click for more information
June 23rd - Talk Read Talk Write - Kent ISD Service Area Educators along with a few additional districts / schools can register now, registration will open to all closer to the event, $0 registration and participants are eligible to receive a $125 stipend for attending
June 24th - ¡Toma la palabra! - Kent ISD Service Area Educators in districts / schools with immersion, dual language, or bilingual programs can register now, registration will open to all closer to event, $0 registration and participants are eligible to receive a $125 stipend for attending
July 22nd & 23rd - ML Summit in Livonia, register here
NEW – English Learner Requirements (with citations)

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