California Education Code requires each public school; grades K-12, with 21 or more English Learners (EL) must form an English Learner Advisory committee (ELAC), or subcommittee of an existing school-level advisory committee.
ELAC provides parents of EL students a place to collaborate with other site parents and staff. Ed. Code specifies the main duties of ELAC are to advise the school principal, staff & School Site Council on:

• The school's program for English Learners

• The development of the Single School Plan for Student Achievement and Assist with:

• The school's needs assessment

• The school's annual language census (R-30 report)

• Efforts to inform parents of the importance of regular school attendance.

Who can be an ELAC member?

ELAC members are elected. The percentage of parents of EL students on the committee must be at least the same as that of ELs at the school. Membership includes parents, but may also include staff and community members. The ELAC must elect a representative to the DELAC (District English Learner Advisory Committee.) ELAC meetings are open to the public. Non-elected parents of EL students are especially welcome.

Developing Leadership Abilities

ELAC offers parents the opportunity to develop leadership skills:

• Elected members receive training from the District

• Officers may be elected though not required

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The Role of the Parent Representative to the DELAC Committee

The King City Union School District (KCUSD) has the pleasure of collaborating with the parents of English Learners who have accepted the role of being the school site parent representative to the DELAC. The parents of the ELAC committee elect a representative to the DELAC and one alternate. The school site representative represents the parents at their site who have children acquiring English as a second language and acts as a bridge between the school’s ELAC and DELAC.

The responsibilities of the DELAC representative include:

• Attend the ELAC meetings at their schools

• Attend the DELAC meetings.

• During the school's ELAC meeting they share the minutes of the district (DELAC) meeting, this helps to keep EL parents informed.

• The DELAC parent representative acts as a "link", a "bridge", that represents the needs of English Learners from their school to the district.

Research shows that parents who participate in school committees & activities provide a strong message to their children that school is important. Your participation at the school level, in regards to services for EL students is welcomed and needed.