Functional Statements > Office of English Language Acquisition
OELA Deputy Assistant Secretary
The Deputy Assistant Secretary advises the OELA Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director on matters related to the Office of English Learners and represents the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director at meetings, when appropriate, and as Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director when the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director is not in a working status or is otherwise unavailable.
Office of English Learners (OEL)
The OEL has lead responsibility for English learner activities and Title III programs and activities that will strengthen and enhance the work of the office and others in supporting and addressing services to EL students. The office will accomplish this mission by overseeing and drawing together critical office and Department requirements under Title III, Part A of the ESEA including strategic planning, Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) requirements and Performance Indicators for Title III under the Planning and Performance Management Database (PPMD), the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA), and other appropriate resources. The office will work to link resources and information, promote, and enhance the involvement of families in the educational process, and support and undertake special initiatives to coordinate, strengthen and unify services to ELs across the office, the Department, with SEAs, LEAs and other EL service providers.
In carrying out its responsibilities, this office:
- Has lead responsibilities for administering the Title III, Part A formula grant program. The key responsibilities include ensuring that English learners, including immigrant children and youth, make progress towards English proficiency and develop high levels of academic achievement in English and assisting all English learners, including immigrant children and youth, to achieve at high levels in academic subjects so that all English learners can meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children are expected to meet.
- Has lead responsibility to develop a comprehensive staff development plan that includes training for all OELA staff and coordinates as needed across OELA.
- Develops and implements, on an annual basis, a program of monitoring and technical assistance for Title III grantees.
- Establishes quality control measures and performance standards for all major tasks.
- Clarifies and disseminates information on regulatory interpretations and prepares amendments to regulations and non-regulatory guidance.
- Carries out grants management responsibilities, including maintaining G5 grant files, monitoring drawdowns, maintaining grant contacts, completing closeouts, reviewing, and approving waiver requests, and establishing grant conditions.
- Carries out data management responsibilities, including data quality review (EDFacts and Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR)) and technical assistance to grantees on data collection and reporting (presentations, communities of practice, responding to questions).
- Regularly presents updates to stakeholder organizations, including the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) Board, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NAESPA), and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) EL Collaborative.
- Coordinates with the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of Special Education Programs on policy issues, the Social Security Administration on assessment and Title I issues, and the Institute of Education Sciences on the Title III evaluation.
- Reviews consolidated state plan amendments related to Title III and coordinates with OESE to provide responses to the State. As the Title III experts, OELA will be responsible for all updates of the amendments and will submit them to OESE as the overall coordinator of the process.
- Supports the Grantee Satisfaction Survey.
- Maintains the program mailbox and responds to correspondence.
- Provides technical assistance to states, districts, and schools, including answering legal and policy questions from states.
- Promotes parental, family, and community participation in language instruction educational programs for the parents, families, and communities of English learners.
- Calculates and reports on GPRA measures consistent with the Department's timelines.
- Oversees the NCELA activities, maximizing its resources in service to the office, Department, SEAs, LEAs, and others seeking services for EL students.
- Places special emphasis on family partnerships, working to emphasize and strengthen the involvement of EL families in the educational process.
- Supports and assists with OELA workshops, conferences and other initiatives as requested by the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director.
- Undertakes special initiatives as identified by the Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director and office leadership that will support and further the capacity of the office, the Department, and others to better address the needs of ELs.
- Works to develop and promote collaboration and communication bridges and resource linkages wherever they can strengthen and/or enhance services to EL students, be that across the office, the Department, with the field, and with other EL service providers.