SEARCHSTAFFING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The San Leandro Unified School District ensures that all English Learners are taught by highly qualified teachers that embrace an instructional vision that delivers rigorous and joyful learning pathways for career and college readiness. To do this, the district hires appropriately credentialed teachers and provides focused, effective, and research-based professional development to all administrators, teachers, and staff that empowers educators to ensure that all students graduate as critical thinkers who communicate and collaborate as they become ethical and cultural leaders.
Staffing
Teacher Certification and Authorizations
The Personnel Services Department oversees and monitors the district’s plan to hire teachers. Hiring and placement decisions are based on student and program needs, including EL enrollment data. Each year, the district assesses the need for qualified teachers and develops a staffing plan. Where shortages exist, the district develops a plan to recruit, hire, and train qualified teachers.
All teaching staff in San Leandro Unified are responsible for teaching English Learners and must hold appropriate certification to provide necessary instructional services. Teachers assigned to provide ELD and primary language instruction must be properly authorized or actively pursuing authorization, meaning that the teacher is making annual progress that will result in their authorization. SLUSD audits teachers credentials and authorizations and provides an annual staffing report each Spring.
| TEACHER AUTHORIZATION | |
|---|---|
| Type of Instruction |
Required Authorization |
| Designated ELD |
Elementary:
|
| Integrated ELD |
Options:
|
| Dual Immersion and Spanish Biliteracy Programs |
|
EL Paraeducator Staffing
To support student access to the core curriculum, the district employs qualified EL paraeducators. The district oversees that these staff members reflect the high-priority home languages and that they receive high-quality, ongoing professional development. EL paraeducators must be assigned to school sites based on the percentages of English learners.
Site administrators and district staff plan staffing schedules for EL paraeducators based on the number of ELs at each site and the need for primary language support. EL paraeducators provide support to the instructional program in assigned classrooms with specific responsibility for assisting in the development of students’ English language acquisition. EL paraeducators support different components of the EL program by working closely with the full instructional team to plan for the needs of EL students. EL paraeducators can provide primary language support to clarify, direct, support, and explain facts and concepts to English learners during core content instruction in English/Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science.
Annual Staffing Report
An annual staffing report is compiled each spring by Personnel Services. It is shared with the Educational Services Division as it pertains to the number of appropriately credentialed teachers who work with ELs and is presented to the DELAC and kept on file. The report monitors the district’s progress toward full certification of all teachers working with English learners and is also shared with site administrators to verify that all teachers are appropriately placed.
Professional Development Plan
To build staff capacity to leverage the strengths of English learners, SLUSD supports professional learning and collaboration at all levels of the school system including, but not limited to, teachers, site leaders, parent facilitators, counselors, specialists, and district leaders. Professional development is designed to provide research-based methodologies and practical application of the EL Master Plan.
This ongoing professional development aims to increase staff awareness and sensitivity to the cultural and linguistic diversity of our student population, as well as to services necessary to ensure equal access of all students to the core curriculum. Ongoing training is based on the role of individual staff members in meeting the needs of English learners. This training is correlated with instructional programs outlined in the Master Plan and models implemented district-wide.
Because teachers hold the tremendous responsibility of differentiating instruction and monitoring student progress, a variety of resources and support are available for them:
- Administrative coordination of Designated ELD instruction, which may include a universal Designated ELD time and shared teaching of students.
- Appropriate training and coaching in ELD standards and instruction.
- Supplemental materials and resources to provide Designated ELD instruction.
- Training to assess and review students’ progress in English proficiency.
- Professional time to collaborate with colleagues to design and review instruction and assessments.
Professional Development Components
Professional development is provided to all district and site administrators, site teachers, and support staff who have a shared responsibility for implementing high-quality instructional programs for English learners. Professional development sessions are delivered at each site, district-wide, and online, supported by the Teaching, Learning, and Educational Equity Department, as part of a multi-year plan that builds on prior professional development efforts to support and improve instruction in English Language Development. This ensures widespread understanding of, and commitment to, high-quality implementation and instruction. Professional development includes:
EL Master Plan:
- Guiding principles and objectives
- Resources needed
- Solutions for potential barriers to effective implementation
- Alignment of EL Master Plan to site and district strategic goals
- Evidence of implementation
- Understanding program placements for English learners
- ELAC and DELAC trainings for administrators
Training to support instruction and student learning:
- Designated English Language Development (ELD)
- Integrated ELD
- Understanding and implementing program models and teaching methodology for Dual Language Immersion and Spanish Biliteracy programs
- Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Teaching (CLRT)
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD)
- Digital Platforms that target language and literacy
Training around English learner assessment and monitoring:
- ELPAC training
- EL data analysis and implications for instruction
- Reclassification
- EL Software Platform training with ELLevation
Professional Development Monitoring
The Educational Services Division reports regularly on professional development opportunities offered and reviews staff participation in training with the district leadership team. This ensures that all staff working with English learners participate in ongoing training and that the district continues to provide quality and relevant professional development to support instruction, climate, and culture across the district. 