Professional Development: MELL

MELL

Missouri Migrant Education and English Language Learning

The Missouri Migrant Education and English Language Learning (MELL) program, funded by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is a statewide resource serving those who educate English language learners and migrant students in Missouri.

MELL encompasses the mission, goals, and services of the Title 1.C and Title III programs in Missouri, which were reorganized in response to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. MELL is designed to prevent the duplication of services and to allow a direct route for Title 1.C and Title III funds to reach the districts and the students they serve.

The St. Louis Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) primarily serves the Missouri counties of St. Charles, St. Louis, and the City of St. Louis. Due to its affiliation with Cooperating School Districts (CSD), districts in Gasconade, Lincoln, Warren, Franklin, Jefferson, Pike, Washington, North St. Francois are also eligible to participate in workshops. The MELL office is staffed with a Migrant Recruiter, who is responsible for identifying students who qualify for migrant services and working with schools to enroll them, and two Instructional Specialists, who assist schools with ESOL programming and provide professional development for staff, teachers and administrators.

Contacts:

Marlow Barton
MELL Instructional Specialist
314-692-9727
mbarton@csd.org

Meredith Vesoulis
MELL Instructional Specialist
314-692-9738
mvesoulis@csd.org

Pendy Trujillo
Migrant Recruiter
314-692-9716
ptrujillo@csd.org

Tiffiny Creech
Administrative Assistant
314-692-9756
tcreech@csd.org

Our Programs

Title 1.C - Migrant Education Program
Mission of the Missouri Migrant Education Program is to establish and improve partnerships with local, state, and national agencies in order to offer technical and financial assistance with the purpose of enhancing education and health services to migrant families.

Goals:
Preschool: Ensure migrant children are prepared to enter school healthy and ready to learn.
At Risk: Increase the graduation rate among migrant students.
Dropouts: Help ensure equal access to and participation in educational improvement opportunities.
Professional Development: For those serving migrant families, provide links to resources, assist in developing and implementing strategies for best practices, provide supplementary financial support, and provide relevant in-service opportunities.
Technology Services: Integrate technology into the program to track and electronically transfer migrant student data between schools. Use technology to the fullest extent to benefit migrant students and their families.
Identification and Recruitment: Locate highly mobile migratory children and ensure they are provided with appropriate educational services afforded to all children.
Parental Involvement: Encourage migrant parents to play an enthusiastic role and have a voice in all aspects of their children's education through participation and increased understanding of school regulations and activities.
Parent Advisory Council: Provide assistance and training to schools on establishing a Parent Advisory Council (PAC).

Title III - English Language Learning
Title III was written to help ensure that children who are limited English proficient, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet.

Through Title III, Missouri school districts can develop high-quality language instruction educational programs designed to assist in teaching limited English proficient children and serving immigrant children and youth.

Title III also promotes participation in language instruction educational programs by the parents and communities of limited English proficient children.

Professional Development Topics:

Federal and State Compliance
Language Acquisition
Teaching Techniques for Elementary Mainstream Teachers
Teaching Techniques for Secondary Mainstream Teachers
Acculturation
Instructional Accommodations/Assessment
ELL Paraprofessional Training
Literacy Skills and ELLs
Academic Vocabulary
New ELL Teacher Training
SIOP Initiative
Book Studies
MO ELP Standards Training
Principal/Administrator Workshop
Newcomers Workshop
ELLs and Science

Ongoing PD sessions in buildings/districts addressing:

ELL Teaching Techniques
Language Acquisition
Culture
Academic Vocabulary
Interaction
Instructional Accommodations/Assessment
Reading 1st

The following support meetings are available for ELL staff:

ELL Roundtable Meetings - K-12 ELL teachers from the St. Louis region meet four times a year to share ideas and learn new information that will support their program and teaching.
ELL Networking Meetings - ELL administrators in the St. Louis region meet two times a year to discuss new information, compliance issues, and programming with other local ELL administrators. This is a time for districts to learn about programs in the St. Louis region.
New ELL Teacher Networking - K-12 New ELL teachers in their 1st to 3rd year of experience are welcomed to join this networking group to discuss strategies, technical support, and network with other new ELL teachers.

Download MELL Workshop Registration Forms

ESL Book Study Group- March 9, April 6, April 29, May 4, & May 18, 2010

Links to MELL Policies and Procedures

Consolidated Federal Programs - Administrative Manual

Educating Linguistically Diverse Students: Requirements & Practices - Manual

MELL - Official Web Site

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - MELL Program

Title 1.C Education of Migratory Children - Manual

Links to MELL Resources

About.com: English as 2nd Language

American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL)

American Educational Research Association (AERA)