Partnership to Provide Bilingual Teacher Assistants Denver Public - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Partnership to Provide Bilingual Teacher Assistants

Denver Public Schools - Bridget Galati Spring Institute - Jessie Hawthorn & Heather Hernandez COTESOL Nov. 2016

Check in

What brought you to this session?

• ?
• ?
• ?
• ?

Objectives

• 1. Gain awareness of the demand for bilingual ELA classroom

paraprofessionals in Denver Public Schools

• 2. Identify the barriers to employment for bilingual adults

interested in this career pathway

• 3. Understand how Spring Institute has worked alongside DPS

to minimize the barriers

• 4. Understand the lessons learned and apply these to other

similar situations

Denver Public Schools

Paraprofessionals support our kids

Partnerships

Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning

• Formed in 1980
• Main office 1373 Grant St., Denver, CO 80203
• 6 programs

○ Adult Education ○ Colorado Welcome Bock ○ Project SHINE ○ Intercultural Training and Consulting ○ The Spring Cafe and Learning Center ○ The Interpreter Network

Adult Education Program at Spring Institute

English as a Second Language Adult Basic Education (8th grade equivalent or lower skills) Adult Secondary Education (high school equivalency) Customized adult education Exam preparation (Work Keys) Digital literacy and other employment skills

Unfilled bilingual paraprofessional positions in DPS

What is the most underused resource in our schools today?

Funding

Outreach and recruitment

• Partner with community organizations
• Flyers at back-to-school events
• District communications

○ Parent Portal ○ Social media?

• Word-of-mouth (secretaries, teachers, neighbors, etc.)

Sites and learners

Spring/ Summer 2016

• Colfax Elementary School
• Place Bridge Academy
• Maxwell Elementary School

Fall 2016

• Maxwell Elementary School
• College View Elementary School - Center for Family Opportunity

Instruction

• Screening for high level ELLs crucial

○ Minimum level to succeed is a high 5/low 6 ○ Class moves too quickly to offer strong support to ELLs ○ Reading and writing req. are high level (early college) ○ The writing requirement is impossible to meet without strong grasp of English language

Instructor/Partner School Intersections

• Access to computer lab

highly advisable ○ WorkKeys test is administered on computer

• Strong partnership with

host school ○ Have a reliable contact to answer HR questions

• r train teachers in

those policies

Materials We Used

• Steck Vaughn Career Ready Series

○ Applied Mathematics ○ Business Writing ○ Locating Information ○ Reading for Information

• Steck-Vaughn online resources
• Get familiar with Khan Academy or Math

Antics on YouTube for support in math instruction

WorkKeys exams

Reading, Business Writing, Math

• Scheduling
• Remind and prepare learners
• Follow up

Hiring Process

• Pass 3 Workkeys exams
• Prepare resume and complete online application
• Receive support from DPS Human Resources
• Get invitation to interview at local school and participate

in interview

• Complete criminal background investigation
• Offer letter

Lessons learned: Recruitment

Lessons learned: Locations and Schedule

Lessons learned: Orientation and Enrollment

• Allot sufficient time for writing

instruction and practice

• Consider asking students to

email essays to practice typing and organizing writing at home, as real test is typed.

• Get familiar with WorkKeys test

yourself!

• Cohorts should last at least 12

weeks, if possible, for best

• utcomes.

Lessons learned: Classes

Lessons learned: WorkKeys

Lessons learned: Hiring

Lessons learned: Relationship Building

Future

Continue this program to meet demand at schools if funding is available

Objectives

• 1. Gain awareness of the demand for bilingual ELA classroom

paraprofessionals in Denver Public Schools

• 2. Identify the barriers to employment for bilingual adults

interested in this career pathway

• 3. Understand how Spring Institute has worked alongside DPS

to minimize the barriers

• 4. Understand the lessons learned and apply these to other

similar situations

Questions and comments