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Adapt, Advance, Achieve: Connecticut’s Plan to Learn and Grow Together
• Provide ELs who are also identified as students with disabilities supports for their
EL needs, as well as supports for their disabilities. During COVID-19, these dually
identified students must continue to receive these supports. As in times with
traditional schooling, dually identified students should have their language needs
represented in their annual meetings about their IEP.
Guidance
• Consider that flexibility may be necessary for the implementation of specific
supplemental language instruction education programs, but these programs must
continue to be provided to ELs during remote learning.
• Establish systems for ongoing collaboration between Bilingual and TESOL teachers,
EL support providers and grade-level and content-area teachers. Ensure that
mainstream teachers embed accessibility tools, such as scaffolds, explicit vocabulary
instruction and differentiated supports into their grade-level and content-area
instruction.
• Develop and maintain ongoing communication with families of ELs regarding remote
learning and returning to their school building. Create procedures for supporting
translation and interpretation for families with limited English proficiency regarding
remote learning, instructional methods and returning to school.
• Encourage the maintenance and development of students’ home and/or native
language, whether during remote learning or when learning returns to school
buildings. Develop a school culture where multilingualism is seen as a rich asset that
contributes to the school and broader communities. Initiatives such as the Seal of
Biliteracy and the establishment of dual language bilingual programs offer strengthsbased,
asset-oriented perspectives on multilingualism.
• Offer web-based, on-demand professional learning on how to serve ELs effectively
through the Pathways to Success for English Learners professional development
series or other online, high-quality professional learning. Note that the Pathways
online modules are free of charge and intended primarily for generalist educators.
• Establish a process for carrying out the required procedures for potential English
learners and identified English learners including:
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ensuring adherence to the statewide identification procedures (i.e., Home
Language Survey, English language proficiency screener);
continuing to provide parental notifications (i.e., EL identification letter, EL
continuation of services letter, EL exit letter);
adhering to annual English language proficiency assessment requirements;
offering translation and/or interpretation to parents/guardians with limited
English proficiency.
• Attend to the SEL needs of English learners, understanding that ELs may have
unique, individual needs from each other and from their non-EL peers.
Physical Education, Athletics, Arts, and Extracurricular Activities
Plan to balance the importance of engaging students in a well-rounded educational opportunity,
including physical education, unified arts, and extracurricular activities, with the need for
modifications to avoid any increased public health risk.
Requirements
• Follow all CDC, state, and local guidelines related to social distancing and
disinfecting areas and equipment used for physical education and physical activity,
including recess.