Ohio English Learner Advisory Committee

Purpose

The Ohio Department of Education convenes an Ohio English Learner Advisory Committee to gather meaningful input in determining the educational needs of English learners. The committee provides to the Department and the Lau Resource Center feedback on best practices, resources and recommendations to further the shared goal of improving educational programs for English learners. 

Critical to the work of the committee is a membership that includes English language educators of diverse backgrounds in the preK-12 field, including representatives from institutions of higher education and organizations that support English learners. Committee members must be able to work collaboratively with other educators, parents and community members with diverse perspectives from a variety of backgrounds from across the state. The thoughtful and ongoing dialogue between and among state and local educators is vitally important for English learners’ educational equity and overall school success. 

Membership

The committee includes representation indicative of Ohio’s varied educational programs and geographic diversity. Members are invited by the Department of Education to participate. The members of the advisory committee may include:

  1. English learner program administrators, including coordinators of Title III, bilingual, dual-language, migrant and refugee programs;
  2. English learner educators across the typology of Ohio’s public, community and private schools, grades preK-12;
  3. Specialized instructional support professionals, such as school psychologists, guidance counselors, speech and language therapists, and intervention and reading specialists who work with multilingual populations;
  4. Educational service center and state support team staff who deliver professional development related to English learners;
  5. Representatives from state agencies and local community organizations who work with specific populations of English learners and their families;
  6. Representatives from institutions of higher education that provide preservice, in-service and graduate teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) training programs to Ohio educators; and
  7. Others with subject matter expertise.

The Department selects members through the Department’s application process. Members serve four-year terms that will initially be staggered in four- and two-year terms. There are currently no term limits; members may re-apply for membership at the end of a term. If a member does not fulfill his or her term, the vacancy will be filled through the Department’s application process. Members are expected to attend all regular meetings. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, an alternate representative should be designated to attend. 

Meetings

The committee typically meets twice per year, once in late spring (May-June) and again in the fall (October-November). In addition to these meetings, the committee shall meet on an as-needed basis as determined by the Department. The time and location of the meetings and agenda shall be determined by the Department. Meetings are held in the central Ohio area. 

Get Involved

The Ohio Department of Education accepts applications for participation in the Ohio English Learner Advisory Committee on a rolling basis. The Department selects committee members through its application process. If you would like to apply for membership, please complete the online application.

For consideration in the next selection of members, submit the application by the following deadline:

Year of Appointment

Deadline

Dates subject to change

School Year 2021-2022 June 30, 2021
School Year 2023-2024 June 30, 2023
School Year 2025-2026 June 30, 2025

More Information

If you have questions or comments about the Ohio English Learner Advisory Committee, contact the Lau Resource Center at (614) 466-4109 or lau@education.ohio.gov.

Last Modified: 9/2/2022 3:14:50 PM