Systemic Support
Build your organizational capacity to plan and implement strong policies, systems, and practices that support English and Multilingual Learner success.
WestEd’s English Learner Services engages with you to deeply examine your student data, practices and systems, resources, and learning culture and supports you to determine the shifts needed to strengthen your approach to English and Multilingual Learner education.
What You Will Learn
We work with your organization to:
- Build capacity to plan and implement strong policies, systems, and practices
- Develop and sustain an inclusive culture for learning
- Improve student learning outcomes and close achievement gaps
- Help English and Multilingual Learners develop language and literacy while acquiring 21st century learning skills.
Costs and scheduling are based on the scope of work within your district. For more information about the services listed below, please contact Sharon Sáez.
Services at a Glance
Systemic Support services include:
Collaborative English Learner Program Review
WestEd’s English Learner Services collaborates with schools and districts to review and evaluate English and Multilingual Learner programs and the quality of instruction offered to English and Multilingual Learners. District leaders, teachers, and teacher leaders will build capacity as they collaborate to generate rich descriptions of instructional practice based on classroom observations that focus on the level of rigor, engagement, and support for English and Multilingual Learners and develop action plans for specific areas of improvement in instruction.
The collaborative program review includes:
- Detailed reviews of relevant program documentation and how they translate into quality instruction
- Data collected through classroom visits, analyses of lesson plans, and student and teacher focus groups facilitated by English Learner Services team members that provide information on the status of instruction
- Examination of the level of rigor, engagement, support and generativity of practice observed in classes and schools
- Recommendations and suggestions that include action plans for improvement
Systemic Improvement Planning and English Learner Master Plan Development
Build your state and district’s capacity to plan and implement strong policies and practices that help English and Multilingual Learners develop conceptual understandings, disciplinary-specific language uses, and analytical practices needed to graduate college and career ready.
The WestEd English Learner Services approach will strengthen educational leadership and build shared responsibility and accountability for English and Multilingual Learners’ linguistic and academic progress and achievement. Throughout the collaborative master plan co-construction process, WestEd will support plan development team members to understand effective instruction for English and Multilingual Learners, the complexities of system change, and the wealth of internal and external resources, expertise, and opportunities they can leverage to create coherent systemic transformation models.
Assessment and plan development are informed by:
- Longitudinal analysis of performance data related to English and Multilingual Learners with statewide comparisons across subgroups
- Deep examination of current practices via shadowing and/or classroom observations
- An inquiry-based approach that incorporates guiding questions
- Learning and engagement sessions
- Review of district policies and practices related to instruction, assessment, evaluation, accountability, and professional development
Local academic and language development standards anchor the systemic plan. The development process is based on a collaborative inquiry approach designed to establish and build the capacity of district stakeholders to learn, plan, and implement systemic strategies. These strategies will strengthen the policies and practices that help English and Multilingual Learners simultaneously develop conceptual understandings, disciplinary-specific language uses, and analytical practices needed for college and career readiness.
Policy Advising
WestEd’s English Learner Services provides education leaders and policymakers with strategic policy development and analysis that supports them to clarify key issues and opportunities around English and Multilingual Learners’ educational experience.
Using a consultancy model, we tailor both short-and longer-term work using approaches customized to specific client needs. This includes assisting education agencies with:
- Analyzing English language proficiency and academic achievement data
- Conducting statewide policy evaluation studies
- Supporting local educators in fostering linguistic and academic success for English and Multilingual Learners
- Improving statewide assessment, reporting, and accountability policies
- Advising states on effectively aligning federal, state, and local English and Multilingual Learner policies