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Jennifer Blackwell is the Director of Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP for RPS. In that role she takes on the responsibilities of the Title III Coordinator. She states that she oversees the services provided to ELL students and their families within the district, including Identification, Screening and Communication.

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Welcome to The Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs

¡Bienvenidos! to The Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) in Richmond Public Schools!

Over the past 5 years, through much advocacy for the rights of our students, their families, and the community at-large, the LIEP team has expanded into a new recognized office under the Academics Office. Additionally, the Office of LIEP now encompasses the Welcome Center and Language Justice teams, as well as the LIEP instructional team to create a powerhouse of support for our students, their families, and our LIEP teachers and bilingual staff. Anyone teaching and supporting multilingual learners (ML) in RPS will now have a full team to lean-on, from enrollment, to instruction: language development through the content areas, social-emotional learning, trauma-informed care, graduation, post-secondary success, ML data, professional development, interpretation and translation services, and family engagement, all tied together through a culturally and linguistically responsive lens.

Please browse to learn more about our Welcome Center, LIEP services, Language Justice, and our Ombudsman!

Language Instruction Educational Programs

Newcomer Academy

¡Con Ganas!

Dual Language Immersion (DLI)

RPS en Espanol

Language Resources for Staff

Graduation
To drastically increase the On-Time Graduation rate for Multilingual learners by 10 percent.
Professional Development
To provide culturally responsive and linguistically relevant professional development, that focuses on best practices for teaching and supporting Multilingual Learners to all professional stakeholders in Richmond Public Schools.
Compliance

To ensure that our department meets all federal and state requirements and laws that ensure meaningful access to an equitable and rigorous education for all Multilingual Learners in Richmond Public Schools.

Contact Information

Dr. Jennifer Blackwell
Director

2120 Fendall Ave.
Richmond, VA 23222
jblackwe@rvaschools.net

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office of language instruction educational programs (liep)

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Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) - Richmond Public Schools

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Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) - Richmond Public Schools

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There are a variety of roles within RPS for LIEP teachers from Preschool, Elementary, Secondary and Specialists that support the district. Here is an example for the job description which in no way captures all of the duties that are performed.

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Richmond City Public Schools - Teacher - LIEP (ESL)

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JOB STATUS: UNTIL FILLED QUALIFICATIONS: Must be eligible for a valid collegiate or postgraduate Virginia professional license in ESL. One year of teaching experience or its equivalency preferred. One year of experience conducting lessons and assessing student progress, maintaining student discipline in the classroom, meeting with parents to discuss student progress and problem areas preferred.

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The first level of connection with ELL students is via enrollment which is completed at the district's Welcome Center. Here they can complete online enrollment or in-person enrollment and get assistance with documentation, complete assessments that are needed and have a review of foreign transcripts complete. The families can also receive information or clarification of Language Justice rights and services, special events and a review of community resources.

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The Welcome Center supports the division's newcomer and non-English speaking families to ensure the first RPS experience is a positive one by guiding families through the RPS enrollment process, assessing students for eligibility of LIEP/EL services and subject content matter for credit obtainment (high school students), and connecting families with school and community resources.

Contact Information
Address 4100 Hull Street Rd Richmond, VA 23224 (inside Southside Community Services building) Monday-Friday: 8:30-4:30pm *Appointments ahead of time strongly encouraged Telephone 804-230-2980 Email welcomecenter@rvaschools.net RPS Staff
Click the following link to submit a referral

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Welcome Center (LIEP) - Richmond Public Schools

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Welcome Center (LIEP) - Richmond Public Schools

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The LIEP Manual or Handbook provides information on RPS Vision, and overview of LIEP laws and services provided, the Welcome Center (enrollment), academic support, Identification, reporting at the state and federal levels, Instructional Models, LIEP Programs, Educational Framework, Scheduling and the WIDA Assessment and Philosophy, graduation requirements, grading, accommodations, teacher preparation and compliance.

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This link shows the enrollment, demographics, service distribution, grade level distribution, WIDA Proficiency and SOL Proficiency of RPS' ELL population.

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LIEP Dashboard - Richmond Public Schools

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LIEP Dashboard - Richmond Public Schools

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The LIEP Manual or Handbook has a plethora of information regarding processes and policies for facilitating the education of ELL students.

Pages 20-26 describes the identification process for ELL students when entering RPS, from definition of, to Newcomers, SLIFE's (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education), LTEL (Long Term English Learners), DIELs (Dually Identified English Learners), and the Gifted and Talented ELL students process. - --

Pages 11-17 describe the Placement process that RPS uses to place ELL students by age or transcript review and adjusting grade levels as their screening scores are reviewed.

Pages 35-66 describe the process for instruction, interventions, WIDA assessment, LIEP Philosophy, SOL Assessments and Exiting ELL students from the program.

The systems used in RPS for educational monitoring are: ELLEVATION, PEARSON, and ASPEN.

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Mission Statement & Goals for LIEP at RPS

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Mission Statement & Goals for LIEP at RPS

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LIEP's page on the RPS website states that their three goals for the program are:

Graduation

Professional Development

Compliance

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Welcome to The Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs

¡Bienvenidos! to The Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) in Richmond Public Schools!

Over the past 5 years, through much advocacy for the rights of our students, their families, and the community at-large, the LIEP team has expanded into a new recognized office under the Academics Office. Additionally, the Office of LIEP now encompasses the Welcome Center and Language Justice teams, as well as the LIEP instructional team to create a powerhouse of support for our students, their families, and our LIEP teachers and bilingual staff. Anyone teaching and supporting multilingual learners (ML) in RPS will now have a full team to lean-on, from enrollment, to instruction: language development through the content areas, social-emotional learning, trauma-informed care, graduation, post-secondary success, ML data, professional development, interpretation and translation services, and family engagement, all tied together through a culturally and linguistically responsive lens.

Please browse to learn more about our Welcome Center, LIEP services, Language Justice, and our Ombudsman!

Language Instruction Educational Programs

Newcomer Academy

¡Con Ganas!

Dual Language Immersion (DLI)

RPS en Espanol

Language Resources for Staff

Graduation
To drastically increase the On-Time Graduation rate for Multilingual learners by 10 percent.
Professional Development
To provide culturally responsive and linguistically relevant professional development, that focuses on best practices for teaching and supporting Multilingual Learners to all professional stakeholders in Richmond Public Schools.
Compliance

To ensure that our department meets all federal and state requirements and laws that ensure meaningful access to an equitable and rigorous education for all Multilingual Learners in Richmond Public Schools.

Contact Information

Dr. Jennifer Blackwell
Director

2120 Fendall Ave.
Richmond, VA 23222
jblackwe@rvaschools.net

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office of language instruction educational programs (liep)

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Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) - Richmond Public Schools

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Office of Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEP) - Richmond Public Schools

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U.S. Department of Education "Dear Colleague" Letter

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U.S. Department of Education "Dear Colleague" Letter

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This letter provides the guidance that the US Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Education mandates and that RPS follows.

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For additional support for ELL students and families, RPS' LIEP Department has an Ombudsman Office.

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An Ombudsman is a person who serves as a designated neutral party who advocates for a fair process and provides confidential, informal assistance and support to parents, guardians, advocates, educators, and students. At the heart of educational excellence is the commitment to every student's right to access and engage in learning. The Liep Ombudsman is dedicated to advocating for the rights and needs of multilingual learners, ensuring that language is never a barrier to educational success.

The Ombudsman's Office is an impartial, and confidential resource to help you informally resolve issues within the school system. The easiest way to contact the Ombudsman is to file a complaint by clicking start a new complaint or scanning the QR code.

The Ombudsman Ambassadors Program is a pioneering initiative, launched district-wide, dedicated to amplifying student voices and fostering actionable change in the realms of equity, diversity, and educational opportunities, especially for multilingual learners. At the heart of our program is the belief that every student deserves a platform to be heard and the tools to make a difference. Our Ombudsman Ambassadors, selected from schools across the district, are the driving force behind this vision. They are the ears, the voices, and the change-makers who bridge the gap between students and educational policymakers. Program Overview

Sign-up to receive specific news for Multilingual Learners, community announcements, opportunities for students, and promising practices with a monthly newsletter from the Ombudsman. SIGN UP

Ombudsman for LIEP Overview Learn what an Ombudsman is, their key functions, and specific duties. LIEP Ombudsman Strategies Learn when to contact the Ombudsman, how they facilitate resolution, and how else they can assist. Learn Your Rights

Contact Us

Victoria Gochez
LIEP Ombudsman
2120 Fendall Ave
Richmond, VA 23222
(804) 664- 7723
​​​​​​​vgochez@rvaschools.net

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The Student-Teacher Ratio for ELL classes per the VDOE (WHRO.org)

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The Student-Teacher Ratio for ELL classes per the VDOE (WHRO.org)

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in an article published December 12, 2023, the WHRO.org News quoted the state teacher student ratio for ELL classes at 1 teacher for every 50 students. But there is current legislation pending approval for a ratio leveling by proficiency based on WIDA scores which rank the students performance annually. The proposal states that for:

Level 1 - 1:20

Level 2 - 1:30

Level 3 - 1:40

Level 4 - 1:50

Over one-third of RPS ELL students are Level 1.

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The state needs to better fund the education of English language learners, despite recent budget increases, teachers in the field say.

Educators report that English learners have increased needs since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but there are not enough teachers or allocated funds, according to a Joint Legislative Audit and Commission review this year of Virginia's K-12 funding. The commission evaluates state agencies and writes policy analysis at the request of the state legislature.

This story was reported and written by our media partner Capital News Service

The state Standards of Quality formula used to calculate staffing does not adequately account for higher needs students. It underestimates the number of second language teachers needed. The state's calculation of teachers needed was 47% of the number estimated as needed by workgroups that contributed to the JLARC report.

The state's ratio is one teacher per 50 English learner students. However, the average school division employed one English as a second language teacher for every 19.5 students. Workgroups still estimated that more teachers were needed.

One workgroup member described "excessively high caseloads" of over 100 English learner students per teacher, according to the JLARC report.

Virginia school divisions serve over 117,000 students whose primary language is not English, or about 10% of the student population, according to the Virginia Department of Education.

State ESL funding has increased since 2019. The General Assembly appropriated $106.86 million for ESL this fiscal year to support 20 instructional positions per 1,000 English learner students. Local school divisions provide a match, based on an ability-to-pay index.

There are a couple of factors that play into ESL program funding.

Laura Goren is the director of research and education policy at the Commonwealth Institute, a public policy advocacy group.

Virginia has struggled to fund education for a number of years, especially for English learner programs, Goren said.

"We have not made as much progress in increasing funding for English language learners," Goren said. "I think that's an area where Virginia needs to do a whole lot more and we haven't made the progress we need to make."

Local governments have to provide funding to make up for inadequate state support, Goren said.

"Some local governments are much more able to pick up the slack and fund the schools than other local governments."

English learners had the most significant drop in state achievement scores of any student groups measured for state reading, math and science tests in 2021, according to the Commonwealth Institute.

But, Virginia ESL proficiency rates had already dropped 11.3% for fourth grade learners from 2009 to 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The state has just started to lift a cap on support positions that has been in place over a decade.

But advocates say that English learners require more funding per pupil. English learners need up to 2 to 2.5 times more funding than other students, according to a study cited in a VPM report last year.

Jo-el Cox is the VDOE coordinator for English learner instruction. She provides technical assistance to educators, supports state and federal programming initiatives, and relays information on how to best support ESL students.

VDOE offers multiple training opportunities for ESL teachers to learn how to work with their students. They also have tools that help students and their families.

"This year we created a course in Canvas where individuals can log in and learn about the program models," Cox said.

There are five U.S. Department of Education's Language Instruction Educational Program, or LIEP, program modules in Virginia: transitional bilingual, dual immersion, English language development, content with integrated support and newcomer programs.

ESL programs are still recovering from COVID-19, in terms of student growth and student gains, according to Cox.

"I think not having that face-to-face in-person interaction consistently during COVID in some of our school divisions, really didn't do anything to support their learning and further their learning," Cox said.

More people are coming to the U.S. from other countries, according to Sarah Modrak. She is an LIEP education specialist.

Immigrant naturalization dipped in 2020 with borders and offices closed because of the pandemic. But since 2022, U.S. citizenship has increased by numbers not seen for more than a decade, according to Pew Research.

Modrak is also the supervisor for the Welcome Center at Tucker High School in Henrico County. The center helps ESL students register for school. Henrico County Public Schools has a variety of resources to support ESL students, Modrak said.

The Welcome Center was created to support students and their families through the transition to a new school.

"It's not easy for a family who has just arrived to kind of go through that registration process, to get all of the paperwork and documents that are required," Modrak said. "So it was a place where we could really spend more time in getting that process started as well."

The Welcome Center was impacted by COVID-19, according to Modrak. When everything moved online the center needed a new registration system so families had more options to get into schools.

Allyn Pritchard is a secondary lead LIEP teacher in Henrico. She teaches in multiple languages to cater to her students' primary language. Pritchard also helps teachers by assisting them with accommodations.

English learner programs look different now as a result of the pandemic, but not all of the changes have been negative. Schools are now able to connect with students and families in more convenient ways, according to Pritchard. She could not say if the changes have been easier or harder -- just different.

"I feel like there are more resources now than maybe we had before COVID to meet students where they are," Pritchard said. "The other thing is to be able to meet with families if we can't see families face to face."

ESL students want to learn, and it is important to have a variety of resources to support them in all aspects of their lives, Pritchard said.

"I definitely find there are more 'aha' moments," Pritchard said. "When students are learning English out of necessity, it's a great sense of accomplishment when a student comes in for the first time and they greet you before you greet them."
VCU InSight journalist Jason Tejeda Molina contributed to this report. Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University's Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia. VCU InSight is the capstone broadcast news program.

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Chloe Sutterfield | Capital News Service, Video by Jason Tejeda Molina | VCU InSight

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More state funds could better help English learners in Virginia, educators say

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WHRO Public Media is dedicated to enhancing the lives of the citizens in the communities it serves by responding to their need to be engaged, educated, entertained and enlightened.

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Language Support Services & Language Justice Office

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Language Support Services & Language Justice Office

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RPS offers a Language Support System for teachers and staff to use as well as parents to use when initiating communication with teachers and staff. The Language Justice manages the Language Support Services and vendors.

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Join a virtual training (RPS staff)

Every Monday for the month of March, the Language Justice Team will provide a virtual training at 11:00 AM and at 12:00 PM. Make sure you are logged into your Zoom account with an RPS e-mail address to join.

For more information or the QR code, click here. To join, visit bit.ly/LanguageSupportServices.

To view the KickUp event page or register, click the links below:
March 11, 2024 - 11:00AM March 11, 2024 - 12:00PM March 18, 2024 - 11:00AM March 18, 2024 - 12:00PM March 25, 2024 - 11:00AM March 25, 2024 - 12:00PM

Language justice means being intentional about creating a multi-lingual space where parents and students can have a voice without language being a barrier. For Richmond Public Schools, it includes giving parents and students access to interpreters and translated documents so they may make informed decisions about their education. It also means that the translators and interpreters used by the division are properly trained in translation and interpretation techniques as well as cultural competence. Richmond Public Schools is unwavering in its commitment to language justice and ensuring that every student and family feels valued, heard, and empowered. We recognize that our community is enriched by the diversity of languages and cultures that our students and families bring.

Questions?

E-mail the Language Justice Team at RPSLanguageSupport@rvaschools.net if you have any questions related to language support. Please do not e-mail our language vendors directly.

For more information on how to work with an interpreter, click here.

Translation Services

The Language Support Services team is able to provide translation of any necessary materials, including student records, correspondence, publications, and notifications. Translation times vary depending on length, complexity, and format.

Interpretation Services

Interpreters are available in person, over the phone (OTP) or virtually (VRI) to assist RPS families when meeting at their child's school or attending an RPS activity.

Staff Language Line

Interpretation and Translation Services are available for all RPS staff. Please select from the following options:

Over the Phone Interpretation - Access your school's phone access number and code here.

In-Person Interpretation - Submit an LSS request using our Quickbase app here.

Video Remote Interpretation (Scheduled Zoom or Google Meet) - Submit an LSS request using our Quickbase app here.

Video Remote Interpretation (On Demand App or Desktop Interface) - Register for an account with Syncroz using these instructions. Training materials are available here.

Translations - Submit an LSS request using our Quickbase app here.

Family Language Line

The Family Language line provides each school and department with a unique phone number that families can dial to get connected with an interpreter. The interpreter will connect the family to the appropriate school or department. Click here to view the Family Language Line information in multiple languages.

Office Hours are every Monday 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Contact Us

Luis Martínez Jiménez
lmartin3@rvaschools.net

2120 Fendall Avenue
Richmond, VA 23222

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Language Support Services - Richmond Public Schools

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Language Support Services - Richmond Public Schools