BETAC

The Bilingual / ESL Technical Assistance Centers (BETAC) are centers that provide staff development and technical assistance to all educators. Staff at the 14 centers offer resources and training on issues pertaining to English Language Learners (ELLs).

They are funded through grants from the New York State Department's Office of Bilingual Education and collaborate with the Office of Bilingual Education/Foreign Language Studies (OBE/FLS) to serve educators throughout the state to meet the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs).

top

Mission of the BETAC

Our Vision

The Vision of the M/SI BETAC provides the educational community with the knowledge base, skills, and resources necessary for ELLs to become academically and socially competent individuals who can participate actively in a diverse technologically – changing global society.

The Mission of the M/SI BETAC is to provide technical assistance and support our educational community with a professional development framework that focuses on effective teaching and learning practices that are culturally and linguistically responsive to the educational needs of the English Language Learners.

top

Goals of the M/SI Regional BETAC

The NYS M/SI BETAC developed the following goals to enhance the quality of services that instructional practitioners provide to ELLs in their region:

  • To provide professional development that enhances the skills of all educators who work with English Language Learners (ELLs)
  • To maintain the BETAC Resource Center with current classroom-based instructional and assessment materials, subject area lesson plans for ELL students, and children's literature books for practitioners who work with ELL students
  • To incorporate new technologies to enhance learning for ELL students
  • To continue and expand the BETAC's website to disseminate information, archive materials related to workshops, and provide web-based instructional materials for teaching ELLs students
  • To assist NYSED, Office of Bilingual Education, and the DOE-OELL with its initiatives to provide services to ELL students
  • To provide technical assistance on policies and regulations, availability of funding, and other educational resources
  • To support educators to engage parents of ELL students in their children's education by providing them with information on educational topics that affect ELLs

top