High Quality Parent Orientation
A high-quality ELL parent orientation is an essential first step in building strong, informed partnerships with multilingual families. Grounded in the requirements of Commissioner’s Regulations Part 154 and the principles of Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-SE), an effective orientation provides families with clear, accessible information about ELL identification, program placement, language instruction, student rights, and available resources. Just as importantly, it creates a welcoming space for families to ask questions, share perspectives, and understand how they can participate in their child’s education. This resource highlights essential information and additional considerations to help districts design parent orientations that promote transparency, belonging, meaningful family engagement, and partnership.