The Office of School and Family Partnerships provides support services and programs for international and English Language Learner (ELL) families. Activities include:
- School Level Support for International Families: This is the responsibility of the county’s Bilingual Family & Community Outreach Facilitators who support the day-to-day needs of international families in the schools, including:
- Registration assistance
- Explanation of school programs, policies, and procedures
- Emergency situations including homelessness, child abuse, etc.
- Translation of school-based documents
- Interpretation at parent/teacher conferences
- Parent workshops
- Community outreach
- County Level Programs for International Families:
- The International Parent and Community Leadership Academy (IPCLA) is designed to develop leaders among international parents and community members in Anne Arundel County. The IPCLA improves communication with international families and diversifies the pool of leaders in schools and the community in order to support the academic achievement of international students. A new session will begin in fall 2018.
- International Parent Advisory Board: This select group of diverse parents provides input to administrators related to the strengths and needs of their respective immigrant communities.
- Workshops in Spanish and other languages: This includes Hispanic Education Forums, bilingual workshops at the Family Involvement Conferences, Hispanic Women’s Day, etc.
- Multilingual AACPS orientation video now available
- Community Engagement:
- Connections and partnerships with community and state level organizations, including the Governor’s Ethnic Commissions
- “Community Conversations” between AACPS and community partners on various topics relevant to immigrant communities
- AACPS TV shows including Global Perspectives, Nuestra Comunidad (Our Community), and Charla Educativa (Educational Chat)
- Participation in the MD ELL Family Involvement Network (MELLFIN)
- Professional Development and Capacity Building for School Staff
- Trainings and workshops are conducted on how to engage with international families.
- Technical assistance is provided to over 30 school-based programs for ELL families.
- A biweekly email newsletter also sent out to hundreds of AACPS staff with resources for working with international families.
- Tools for schools working with ELL families
- – “Planning Parent-Teacher Conference for Non-English Speaking Parents”
- – “Translating Report Card Comments: Guidelines for Elementary Teachers”
For more information about any of these activities, please contact Teresa Tudor, Senior Manager, at 410-222-5414 or ttudor@aacps.org.