STEP UP Services
We help educators who want to refine instructional approaches and to support students and parents to be successful in their English Language abilities.
ESOL ENDORSEMENT
ESOL Endorsement Details
Current KCKPS educators with a teaching license but no ESOL endorsement are eligible to apply for sponsored graduate coursework. Accepted applicants must be employed by KCKPS and maintain adequate academic progress throughout the entirety of the three-semester sequence.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING
Discover our Family Language Academy
Any parent and family members of current KCKPS ELs are eligible to attend Saturday language academies. Family members may attend without the EL student but EL students in attendance must be accompanied by a family member. Families may request free bus transportation to and from Saturday academies.
Language Instruction for English Learners
Each semester, STEP UP provides language instruction for English Learners and their families on 5 consecutive Saturdays. ESOL-endorsed teachers and bilingual family advocates provide English instruction and share community resources with the whole family. Transportation, childcare, and a light meal are provided.
Graduate-Level Training in ESOL
STEP UP sponsors 60 classroom teachers in master's courses in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) during the grant period. Graduate-level training enhance teacher's capacity to incorporate evidence-based pedagogies into their instruction. Three cohorts of teachers are recruited in Fall 2017, Spring 2019, and Spring 2021.
Professional Development
STEP UP presents biannual professional development opportunities for KCKPS support staff and paraeducators to improve knowledge of best practices for working with English Learners.