Welcome to the MCAEL Program Administrator Toolkit - NEW data has been added!  

  • You are here

    Home»RETAINING STUDENTS»Chapter 17: Support Services

    Chapter 17: Support Services

      Retaining Students- Chapter 17

       

      Why should we consider providing non-ESOL support services to our learners? 

      While providing support services can entail extra cost for your program, such services can attract learners to your program, and help retain them—by removing barriers to coming to class and/or assisting them with other needs.

      Support Services

      Support services can be provided directly by your program, your organization, partnering with other organizations, or through referrals to other organizations or agencies.

      ♦ What sort of support services are most commonly provided? 

      Lack of access to affordable, reliable, and safe childcare and transportation to class are two of the major factors that can prevent adults from attending class. In response, some adult ESOL programs provide childcare during class hours at no cost to learners; these programs either hire paid childcare workers or engage volunteers from their community or their congregation.

      As for assisting learners to get to class, some programs whose organizations have the infrastructure actually provide transportation to class, but more often, programs provide taxi vouchers, subway passes/cards, or bus tokens to learners who need assistance.

      Here are two helpful resources for learners in need of services:

      • The Maryland Community Services Locator is an interactive online directory that provides information on health and human services across the state—https://211md.org/. Information can also be accessed by dialing 211. Phone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—translation is available for 180 different languages. 
      • FindHello is a free app (available at your favorite app store) designed for refugees, immigrants and asylees to help them find needed services across the United States, including those related to employment, healthcare, immigrant rights and laws, scholarships and education, ESOL classes, children and youth services, and citizenship and immigration information.

      Support Services

      ♦ PRACTICE EXAMPLE

       

      Seneca Creek Community Church
      Yvonne Ellis, ESOL Program Manager

      ESOL Program

      FIRST OFFERED ESOL INSTRUCTION: 2011

      Seneca Creek Community Church holds year-round classes on Saturday mornings in Gaithersburg.

      2017–18 DATA
      CLASS SITES: 1 CLASS LEVELS: 7 TOTAL ENROLLMENT: 155 unique/313 duplicated 

      “The mission of Seneca Creek Community Church’s (SCCC’s) ESOL Program is to provide opportunities for all individuals in the community to succeed through improved English language skills, assist participants to build confidence and participation in their community, and increase the social and financial well-being of adult ESOL learners and their families. 

      SCCC takes a holistic family approach to its ESOL Program; it runs a Child Enrichment Program that provides free childcare and tutoring for children while their parents are in class. 

      It partners with the Montgomery County Public Schools to offer free lunches to the children, and established a tutoring program with the assistance of a nonprofit agency. In addition, the SCCC ESOL Program makes referrals to Worksource Montgomery and Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center to utilize available resources for job search and readiness, citizenship classes, and basic computer classes. It also connects learners to the Neighbors 4 Neighbors Network (a forum affiliated with the church at which community members can discuss needs and learn about various community resources), and other nonprofit agencies to address other non-ESOL identified needs.” 

       
       

      ♦ NOTES FROM THE FIELD

      Identity, Inc. English for Disconnected YouthAna Dudamel, Former Program Manager, discusses how Identity’s ESOL classes fit in with the other support services it provides to disconnected youth (aged 15-25) to help them reach their educational, work, and life goals:

      “We reach at-risk youth facing significant challenges related to poverty, immigration status, trauma, substance abuse, and/or mental health issues. Lack of English language skills is an additional obstacle in connecting to school, employment, and community supports. Identity’s two Youth Opportunity Centers (YOCs) provide workforce development and educational counseling; mental health services; and referrals to county safetynet services such as food, clothing, health services, and legal services. Each learner is assigned a Case Manager and, when needed, a Workforce Development Specialist who assess client needs through intake surveys and work with them to create individual education and employment plans. Case managers check in with learners twice a month, tracking progress and encouraging participation in ESOL and other YOC programs. Students receive through their Case Managers, such as mental health and substance abuse counseling at Identity. 

      Lack of English skills is an obstacle in connecting to school, employment, and community supports

      Our ESOL classes maximize learners’ opportunity to experience success, thereby building learners’ positive associations with learning English. And, the English communication skills they gain will motivate them to continue their education at the YOCs, which are focused on advancing educational attainment and employability of disconnected youth. YOC workforce development services help youth realize meaningful gains in workforce development competencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution skills, financial literacy, computer literacy, and executive functioning. ln FY19, ESOL students will participate in the YOCs’ lnternship Program, whereby two students from the program will be offered a four-to six-week paid internship at Identity. Basic literacy gains in English provide youth with a foundation for participation in these programs, YOC GED instruction and applied academics, and other community ESOL classes.”

      Retaining Students - MCAEL Data

      As part of its mission to increase adult access to English instruction, MCAEL grant funding can be used by adult ESOL providers to provide childcare  and transportation support. Five out of 25 2018-19 grant recipients provide transportation assistance, 11 out of the 25 offer childcare. Grant recipients provide assistance to learners.