A school district or charter school operating a language acquisition program for ELs serving 100 or more ELs or in which ELs comprise at least five percent of the district's or charter school's student population, whichever is less, are required to establish an ELPAC. Additionally, ELPACs are also required in each school designated as "underperforming" or "chronically underperforming" and operating a program for ELs. ELPACs are intended by law to advise school districts and schools regarding matters that impact ELs, such as providing advice on English learner education programs, meeting regularly with school officials about educational opportunities for ELs, and providing input on school or district improvement plans as they relate to ELs.
The information below guides districts and schools in establishing and supporting effective principles for promoting and strengthening school-family partnerships, and offers recommendations for developing and supporting successful ELPACs.
On February 9th and 10th, 2021, the Office of Language Acquisition held an English Learners Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC) Leadership Convening. Hundreds of educators and parents participated via Zoom, where attendees were able to choose to hear presentations and breakout sessions interpreted into one of seven languages. The Convening was very successful, and we look forward to continuing these events in the future. You can find the Convening materials below.
ELPACs benefit when multiple stakeholders — including district and school leaders, program administrators, program coordinators, teachers, and other school staff — collaborate to support and build positive relationships with parents and families.
The online training sessions below provide guidance for multiple stakeholders to develop and sustain effective ELPACs that promote the academic success of all ELs and former ELs.
These trainings are based on the DESE Guidance for English Learner Parent Advisory Councils (August 2018) and the ELPAC Information for Parents document. They include two modules for districts and schools and three for EL parents/guardians. The parent/guardian modules are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese:
Module 1: An Introduction to ELPACs (30 minutes)
Module 2: ELPAC Best Practices for Parents (35 minutes)
Module 3: ELPAC Leadership Skills for Parents (35 minutes)
Last Updated: April 30, 2021
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