A group of parent center staff from Region 5 Parent Centers met for an Early Bird Session on Language Access Plans (LAPs) at the 2012 Region 5 Conference in Santa Fe.  The group learned about what the LAP is and what parent centers must do to assure they are in compliance with government LAP requirements for federally assisted programs.  They also were given resource information about LAPs and created action plans for the steps their centers need to take to move forward on their LAP assessment and development.

OSEP expects that parent centers will complete their LAP plans and work in an ongoing way to maintain and update them as needed.   Project officers expect to see reports on their LAP work in each center’s annual continuation report. 

The key Language Access Plan resource web-site sponsored by the federal government is: http://www.lep.gov.  This site contains a range of valuable resources to assist you in your LAP development (including videos that can be used in staff development).

The following are electronic versions of the resources shared with the 2012 LAP session participants:

• Language Access Plan PowerPoint from the Early Bird Session (PDF 600 KB)

• Language Access Plan Checklist (PDF 66 KB)

• Language Access Plan Self-Assessment (PDF 82 KB)

• Language Access Assessment and Planning Tool for Federally Conducted and Federally Assisted Programs (May 2011) (PDF 800 KB)

Please contact your Region 5 TA specialist for information and support as you assess your center and develop your LAPs.  In the fall of 2012, Region 5 hopes to focus one of the monthly directors calls on LAPs to give Region 5 Parent Centers a check-in point for reviewing the status of their LAPs  and to assure they are moving forward in anticipation of the report on their LAP progress that will be required in their Annual Continuation Reports in the spring of 2013.

Language Access Plan PowerPoint Early Bird

Language Access Plan Checklist

Language Access Plan Self Assessment

Language Access Assessment and Planning Tool