Multilingual Services

Vision

All multilingual students thrive academically and personally, belong to learning environments where they are affirmed in their language, identity and culture and develop English language proficiency in a manner which values and leverages their home language(s).

Programs and Networks

The ML Consortium is a regional network of Multilingual Directors, Specialists, and teacher leaders. We meet six times a year to collaborate around best practices, share resources and develop as leaders in supporting students who are multilingual/ELs.

Multilingual Learners Network is a network of school teams working together over the 2021-2022 academic school year to learn and test new approaches to support multilingual learners using continuous improvement methods. After this pilot year, we aim to expand to support additional schools in our region. For more information click Multilingual Learners Network tab.

The Additive Language Work Group is a working group of educators and community partners focused around the connection between language and racial equity. The group completed recommendations for shifting away from deficit-based language toward asset-based terminology used to describe students who have previously been labeled as English language learners. View the full recommendations and learn how you can support this in the Asset Based Language Tab.

Exploring Culturally Responsive Teaching Professional Development Series is a series of synchronous and asynchronous courses designed to support elementary and secondary teachers, as well as instructional coaches/specialists in providing culturally and linguistically responsive instruction. These courses will be offered again in January 2021.

Services

• Plan and lead professional development based on

  • The WIDA English Language Development Standards and writing language objectives 

  • The new WIDA assessment

  • Integrated and designated English language development 

  • SIOP and GLAD strategies

  • Differentiating formative assessments for multilingual learners

• Support schools and districts with program design and systems level planning

• Facilitate regional partnerships with districts who are pursuing similar priorities

• Developing sustainable family and community partnerships 

Now in its third year, The MLL Network brings together school-based teams to work together to learn and test new approaches to support Multilingual learners using Continuous improvement Methods. Members of the network will receive monthly 1:1 coaching sessions, webinars and access to all of the network learning sessions. Network learning sessions begin September 2023.

“This is the most impactful professional development experience we had this year, and we applied our learnings to all of our district initiatives!”

• Kaeleigh Wilson and Mark Klune, Riverview School District

Click here to apply today!

Pricing:

This year we will offer four packages that schools can choose from based on their interest and budget.

o   $6,000 Learning sessions & monthly coaching sessions (up to 7)

o   $5,000 Learning sessions & up to 5 coaching sessions

o   $3,500 Learning sessions and 2 coaching sessions

Returning school teams will receive a $500.00 discount on the cost for their continued participation and leadership role in the network. If cost is an issue for your school, please reach out to us, as we do not want funding to be a barrier to this work.

Please contact Karina Vanderbilt if you have any questions. 

What's the difference between Translation & Interpretation? 

Translation Services: When a written document needs to be translated into a different language to be accessible to speakers of other languages. For example, a translator could be used to translate information sent home from school from English to other languages. There are increasing options for automatic electronic translations, but care should always be taken to ensure that these translations are accurate.

Interpretation Services: When a live interpreter is needed to convert spoken words from one language to another in real-time. For example, an interpreter could be used during a phone call, or during a training or community meeting.

Resources for Translation/Interpretation

Below is a list of agencies PSESD has used/been referred to, along with other resources for Translation & Interpretation.*

List of Translating and Interpreting Services

Multilingual Services aims to create a network of in house resources for translation and interpretation.  For more information about Translation and Interpretation, please contact Angelica Alvarez at aalvarez@psesd.org.

*PSESD cannot recommend or endorse, if you need further assistance, please contact us.

Regional Assets

In our region, over 200 languages are spoken! You can explore information about multilingual learners indifferent school districts below.  

Introduction

Multilingual students are one of the fastest growing student demographics in the United States, and are a diverse group, representing different language backgrounds. In 2017 there were five million (10.1%) multilingual students enrolled in a public school language program in the United States (“The Condition of Education 2020”). As of October 2020, there are 135,307 students enrolled in English language development programs in Washington State, representing 11.8% of the overall student population (“Washington State Report Card”). This increase represents 233 different home languages (Gallardo and Randall 3). Educating, empowering, and responding to the needs of students in Washington state schools requires nimble efforts, not only on the part of educators, but also the decision and policy makers who support them and the community members they partner with. In order for educational systems to equitably meet the needs of those they serve, all students and families must be valued and respected for the contributions they bring to the classroom, school, and community. Thus, it is important to understand the impact of deficit-based language and the intent driving the shift to asset-based language.

For shared understanding, these terms are defined as follows:

At its core, the purpose of this document is to:

• encourage critical self reflection on the alignment of language and practice
• cultivate awareness and address the differences between language that remains in law and policy and currently recognized best-practices;
• provide alternative, asset-based, terminology that highlights what students, commonly labeled as English language learners or English learners, know and are able to do; and
• guide and facilitate educational, equitable paradigm shifts and practices that value students’ diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds

Read the full document   Read the text-only document

Washington State transitioned to using the WIDA English Language Development Standards in 2021. PSESD provides professional development and supports to districts and schools to support the implementation of the WIDA Standards Framework. Please reach out to let us know how we can support you.

Sample WIDA-Aligned Lesson and Unit Plans

In spring 2022, PSESD Multilingual Services partnered with several teachers and ML specialists in Puget Sound to develop sample unit and lesson plans aligned to the WIDA standards to provide examples for teachers. These lesson and unit plans are offered here as publicly available resources to support planning with the WIDA standards.