The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a section in the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in the state of California. The LCAP is a three-year, district-level plan that describes specific goals and actions that school districts will take in order to achieve set goals. The LCAP requires that all school districts address the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) and low-income students. Additionally, it must address the eight priority levels in the California educational system, which includes school climate, parental engagement, and academic achievement. Each school district may address its own local priorities.

The LCAP is used to establish annual goals for every student within a certain school district. The plan must list actions that will be taken in order to achieve said goals. It will also list how funds will be used towards improving the services provided. Further, parental engagement is a required, critical factor that helps determine the success of students in the program. 

California school officials encourage parents to be involved in their children’s education as leaders. But, in order to do so, comfortably and thoroughly, ELL parents require LCAP training in order to understand what the program is all about and the type of suggestions they can make or what they can request. The Latino Family Literacy Project (LFLP) offers several seminars, webinars, and additional resources that can help ELL parents understand the LCAP and better navigate the educational system.

The LFLP offerings focus on doing the following:

• Build parent capacity and leadership skills.
• Encourage parents to attend school programs to build an information base.
• Parents can become a trained provider in our family program.

Parental engagement is a crucial aspect of the LCAP because it lays out the overall visions and goals that school districts expect their students to achieve in each school year. By including parents and gaining their opinion, suggestion, and support, school districts and teachers are better prepared to help their students achieve academic success.

The Latino Family Literacy Project is committed to guiding ELL parents in how they can become involved in the schooling of their children. Our courses better equip parents, so that they can lobby for the educational needs of their children. The LCAP gives parents a truly unique opportunity for becoming part of the decision-making process and allow them to hold school districts accountable for how funds are used. Additionally, the Projects helps parents become advocates for their children, so that their children can have access to quality educational experiences and opportunity to succeed.