English Learner Teachers
English Learner Teacher(s)
All English Learners are entitled to equal access to the general education curriculum via modifications or adaptations and/or special accommodations to both instruction and assessments, as well as to planned instruction in English language development.
All sending LEAs must be prepared to deliver English Learner services to a student identified as an English Learner who is placed in an AEDY program. Part of this provision is the responsibility of providing a teacher who holds an English as a Second Language certification.
Q: Who is responsible for providing the English as a Second Language certified teacher?
A: Providing this teacher is ultimately the responsibility of the sending LEA. If the AEDY program(s) to which you send students provides an English as a Second Language certified teacher, then the LEA will not need to identify a teacher. From the BEC: "The sending LEA is responsible for ensuring AEDY programs comply with all federal and state statutes and regulations, and PDE policies and procedures, including but not limited to those concerning...English Learners (ELs)."
Q: How do I find out if the AEDY program provides an English as a Second Language certified teacher?
A: Give them a call and ask! You can also access their application through the Program Sites portion of your application. We'll look at how to do this on the page Choosing AEDY Programs.
Q: What if we send to two sites and only one provides an English as a Second Language teacher?
A: In this case, the LEA will need to provide a teacher only when a student designated as an English Learner is sent to the site which does not have a teacher. For example, ABC School District sends to two AEDY programs. Program 1 has an English as a Second Language certified teacher on staff while Program 2 does not. ABC School District does not need to provide a teacher when sending a student to Program 1 but does need to provide a teacher when sending a student to Program 2.
Q: If only one of our AEDY Programs provides an English as a Second Language certified teacher and the other does not, can we just send all English Learner students to the site that has a teacher?
A: Consider that, in this case, you would be sending all of one demographic group to a specific program because they have been identified as English Learners. Your sending LEA application will continue to be returned until the provision of an English as a Second Language certified teacher can be ensured, regardless of the program placement. Please also note the following from the BEC: "The Department shall track disproportionate referrals to AEDY programs based on disability, race or other prohibited status. Findings of significant overrepresentation based on disability, race, or any other prohibited basis shall trigger site visits, further investigation, corrective action plans, and possible revocation of approval to refer students to AEDY programs."
Q: We contract with our local Intermediate Unit to provide an English as a Second Language certified teacher. What do we need to put in the application?
A: Technically, since the LEA contracts with the IU, it is still the LEA which provides the teacher, even if the Intermediate Unit also runs the AEDY program and does not have a teacher listed on their AEDY program staff. In this case, call the IU and ask for all the information you will need to list the teacher on your application.
How to Complete the English Learner Teacher Portion of the Application
(Step 1) Indicate which party (sending LEA or AEDY Program) is responsible for providing the English as a Second Language certified teacher. Check the first box (letter A in the picture below) if the sending LEA will provide the teacher. Check the second box (letter B in the picture below) if the AEDY program will provide the teacher. Check BOTH boxes if students may be sent to multiple programs where not all provide a teacher.
If you have checked both boxes, enter the name of the receiving AEDY program which does provide an ESL-certified teacher in the text box (letter C in the image above).
If your LEA only sends to sites that provide the English as a Second Language certified teacher, you can stop reading and go to the next section on this page!
(Step 2) If you checked the first box (letter A in the image above), you will need to provide the teacher's information. To begin, click the blue "Here" button after the checkbox. It ends the statement "If checked please upload an English Learner Service Plan below and enter English Learner teachers Here." This is shown in a smaller red box in the image above.
(Step 3) To begin listing your English as a Second Language certified teacher, click on the "here" button on this page. It is part of the phrase "Click here to add a English Learner Teacher."
(Step 4) Enter your English as a Second Language certified teacher's information. You will need their last name, first name, and job title. Be sure to use their full name so that it will align with the data in TIMS. If you're not sure how the teacher is listed in TIMS, use the TIMS Educator Search tool found here to check.
Next, choose the option "Program Specialist- English as a Second Language PK-12" from the drop-down menu. It's ok if this is not the teacher's primary certification, this should be the certification that shows in this listing.
When finished, click the "Save Information" button at the bottom of the page.
If you have more than one English as a Second Language certified teacher, they can be added at any time from the EL Teacher page by clicking the blue "here" just as before (letter A in the image below).
(Step 5) Now that the teacher's basic information has been entered, you will need to add the dates of their clearances and training. To begin, click on "Background Checks & Professional Development" in the teacher's Action column (letter B in the image above).
Enter the dates of the teacher's background checks for PA Criminal Background Clearance, PA Child Abuse Clearance, and FBI Background check. Enter the dates the clearances were granted, NOT the dates they will expire. This section is marked letter A in the image below.
Next, you will enter the teacher's training information in the Professional Development section (letter B in the image above). Enter the date of the teacher's Act 126 training (enter the date the training was completed, NOT the date it will expire). Next, enter the date the teacher received training on the Formal Periodic Review (FPR) process.
Add training topics which are relevant to the teacher's AEDY work by clicking the "here" button in the sentence "Click here to add a training topic" (letter C in the image above). Examples include de-escalation and behavior management, social-emotional learning, or any training that would be relevant to the teacher's work with the AEDY Program. You will need to add at least one training topic per EL Teacher in order to submit your application.
If needed, upload a copy of the teacher's certificates using the file upload box at the bottom of the page (letter D in the image above).
Q: What does it mean for my English Learner Teacher to be trained in the FPR?
A: The Formal Periodic Review (FPR) process includes measurable individualized student goals, interventions being used for the student, goal tracking, and, when appropriate, the student's exit/transition plan. All staff members who work with students in an AEDY setting should be trained on the FPR process. English Learner Teachers employed by sending LEAs (either directly or via contract with a 3rd party) should be trained as well, focusing on how best to deliver English Learner services to the student in the AEDY setting in conjunction with the student's EL-ILLP and FPR.
Q: When do I need to upload copies of the teacher's certificates?
A: It's a good idea to make this standard practice in case something is unclear to the reviewer. You should always upload these documents if the teacher has a common name (meaning there will be multiple teachers in TIMS with the same information) or if the teacher has recently undergone a name change (which can also cause trouble when verifying using TIMS).