English Learner Advisory Council (ELAC)

Golden Empire’s English Learner Advisory Council (ELAC)

Each California Public School from Kindergarten through grade 12, with 21 or more English learners must form a functional English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). The ELAC is a committee for parents or other community members who want to advocate for English Learners.
The purpose of the ELAC is to advise the principal and school staff on programs and services for English learners and the SSC on the development of the School Development and Improvement Plan (SDIP). The ELAC also assists the school on other tasks listed below:

1. The school’s program for English learners.
2. The development of the SDIP.
3. The school’s needs assessment.
4. The school’s annual language census (R-30 LC Report).
5. Efforts to make parents aware of the importance of regular school attendance.

The ELAC membership must include parents of English learners (ELs), but may also include other duly elected family & community members. The percentage of parents who are elected must be at least equal to the percentage of English learners at the school site. For example, if 50% of the students at a given site are English learners, at least 50% of the membership of the ELAC must be parents of ELs. The remaining 50% of the committee members can be the principal, community members, teachers of participating students, instructional aides, parent liaisons, other parents and staff.

Requirements for ELAC elections include:
1. Parents/guardians of English learners elect parent members of the school committee.
2. The parents/guardians are provided the opportunity to vote for committee members.
3. Each school committee shall have the opportunity to elect at least one member to the District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC).