Parent Resources

Information for Parents

Parent Bill of Rights The New York State Education Department's Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) has created an English Language Learner Parents' Bill of Rights which summarizes critical rights concerning educational access and programming for ELLs and their parents. These key rights are summarized in an easy to reference one page format and have been translated into nine languages.

English Learner Toolkit OELA’s EL Tool Kit was published in 2015 as a companion to support the 2015 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) produced by the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and the Department of Justice, outlining legal obligations for ELs. Some chapters of the tool kit have been updated related to the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). The English Learner Tool Kit helps state and local education agencies help English Learners (ELs) by fulfilling these obligations. The Toolkit has 10 chapters (one for each section of the DCL), and contains an overview, sample tools, and resources.

ELL Learners Pamphlet.

Seal of Biliteracy The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation.

Colorin Colorado A bilingual website for educators and parents of English Language Learners on how to support your student/child that is learning English.

Adult Learning Opportunities

BOCES GED Program Rockland BOCES, in collaboration with Rockland Community College, provides preparation classes for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) exam, which has replaced the GED as a pathway to a high school equivalency diploma. If you are 18 or older and do not possess a U.S. high school diploma, you are eligible to enroll and attend these classes for a tuition fee of $10 per semester. Classes are held in Nyack, Haverstraw and Spring Valley.

BOCES Adult Learning Center Adult students learn to speak, understand, read and write English through Rockland BOCES ESOL programs. Classes help students build self-confidence, explore career potential and develop job-readiness skills.

Sister Cecilia's One to One Learning, Inc. One to One Learning, Inc. is a not-for profit, incorporated, outreach organization, founded by the Dominican Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary, Sparkill, New York. Our mission is to provide English classes and other supportive services for immigrants to empower them to reach their full potential and to lead meaningful lives in the communities in which they live and work ... At day and evening designated sites, the volunteer teachers and director take a holistic approach in assisting students to achieve their individual objectives through small learning groups. This format encourages interaction that leads to building bridges of understanding between persons of different cultures. The organization serves Latino, Haitian and other immigrants of Rockland County and its environs in many ways that improve the general welfare of individuals as well as the community.