Aldine ISD, Lone Star College-East Aldine Partner to Provide English Language Literacy Program for Families

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The initiative targets parents/legal guardians with children enrolled in English as a second language (ESL) or a bilingual education program in the district.

Parent María Jiménez (center) and her daughter pose with Altagracia ‘Grace’ Delgado (far left), with AISD’s Multilingual Department, Dr. Martha Escalante and Iván Tamayo with Aldine ISD’s FACE Department, and Dr. Luis Lucio, Dean of LSC-East Aldine Center (far right). Jiménez received a Certificate of Completion after earning 4.80 CEUs in Communication Skills for the ESOL Workforce Professional course. 

The Aldine Independent School District and Lone-Star College-East Aldine Center have partnered to offer an English Language Literacy Program for adult English language learners. Parents and legal guardians can qualify for the program if they have children enrolled in English as a second language (ESL) or bilingual program in Aldine ISD.

The adult English literacy classes are designed to help the beginner to intermediate English speaker. Participants develop their English communication and computer literacy skills while gaining the tools they need to become more engaged in their children’s education.

This program is sponsored by the Multilingual Services Department’s Family and Community Engagement portion of Title 3, which aims to provide parents with the required parent and family literacy services, activities, and training needed to improve their English language skills. These services enhance the academic achievement of English learners and students.

The English Parent Literacy Program forms part of the district’s strategic plan, A New Way Forward, to increase family and community engagement and develop opportunities to empower families to become stronger advocates for their children.

English lessons include parent engagement activities, such as reading a report card, experiencing a parent-teacher conference; understanding standardized testing, using a computer to research, and identifying community resources for their family. Classes are interactive and participatory. Additionally, parents/legal guardians work on projects in pairs and small groups with a qualified Lone Star College English language instructor.

Due to COVID-19, field trips and in-person workshops from community partners were not possible. However, the district and Lone Star College hope to have participants in the future connect with the City of Houston’s cultural institutions and nonprofit organizations to deepen their civic engagement.

In the fall of 2020, the Multilingual Department worked with the FACE Department to help recruit families by providing program information to families during its parent training sessions. The first cohort of nearly 100 parents/legal guardians, who began the classes in January, recently completed their ESL classes. The Family and Community Engagement Department, Multilingual Department, and Lone Star College held a virtual ceremony to recognize the program’s graduates.

Learning English and More

According to Rachel Briones, program director of AISD federal programs and multilingual initiatives, the family is the most influential in students’ learning and higher education aspirations.

Briones added that learning English helps parents/legal guardians better communicate with school staff, and they can better support their children’s academic progress and success.

The program strengthens the entire family by helping families support their children’s education and educational goals. It helps end the cycle of poverty through education.

As part of the coursework, Lone Star College works with parents/legal guardians on goal setting and next steps.

“We work with the parents and legal guardians to create educational and career pathways,” said Luis Lucio, Dean of LSC-East Aldine. “This can include high school equivalency classes, enrolling in Lone Star College two-year college and/or certification programs to prepare to enter a four-year college, or entering a Lone Star College workforce training program.

Lucio added that a part of the program’s attraction is the atmosphere of learning English among friends. If Lucio’s name sounds familiar, it should. Lucio grew up in Aldine, attended Aldine ISD schools, and taught in AISD schools before becoming a campus principal. He, like the school district, is invested in helping families in the Aldine community thrive.

“This program is very special to me as a former bilingual student in Aldine ISD,” added Lucio. “I lived first hand and saw how my mom struggled to learn English and get a good-paying job. Empowering parents in my community has always been my goal, and we are moving in that direction by offering higher education opportunities and now ESL and GED courses for parents. This is my vision for the East Aldine Center, why Lone Star hired me, and my promise to the community. I appreciate the support and partnerships from Aldine ISD and Lone Star College System for allowing this opportunity. #SíSePuede!”

GED stands for General Education Development. The GED test is a high school equivalency test. It examines reading, computing, interpretation of information, and expression. If a person passes it, it shows that their knowledge and skills are similar to those with a high school diploma. Colleges and employers often accept the GED degree.

Classes Start Soon!

The second parent-student cohort will start the week of April 26.

How to Apply

Applicants interested in the program should click here to fill out a form online. The form indicates a deadline of April 16, but Briones stated that her office would accept applications after this date. As of April 16, more than 100 have applied. Parents/legal guardians that register will be contacted and receive more information about the Aldine ISD-Lone Star College Parent Literacy Program.

If you have questions, email rbriones@AldineISD or call (281) 985-6189.