Date: Friday, May 12, 2023
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (PT) / 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (ET)
This webinar will discuss how to support English learner instruction by using a REL West resource, Supporting Integrated English Learner Student Instruction: A Guide to Assess Professional Learning Needs Based on the Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School Practice Guide (the EL Professional Learning Guide).
Presenters will share how to use the tools and templates found in the EL Professional Learning Guide to identify teacher professional learning needs to support evidence-based English learner instruction for elementary-grade students.
There is no cost to attend.
As a result of this webinar, participants will become familiar with the EL Professional Learning Guide tools and templates to help schools and districts identify professional learning needs to support evidence-based English learner instruction.
Who Should Attend?
State education agencies, local education agencies, English language instructional coaches, teachers, professional development coordinators
Speakers
Dr. Lenay Dunn is the Deputy Director of REL West. Across her portfolio of work she bridges research to practice to help states, districts, and other educational entities use evidence and data to make decisions, guide implementation, and improve the effectiveness of programs and initiatives to improve systems and outcomes for all students. She has co-authored studies on English learner students and early literacy policies. She has contributed to the development of several frameworks and guides to help educators identify, select, and implement evidence-based strategies. Dr. Dunn has over two decades of experience in education and began her career as a teacher.
Dr. Molly Faulkner-Bond is a Senior Research Associate at REL West. In this role she collaborates with educators, researchers, and communities to strengthen the field of education research, increase the use and utility of educational research results, substantively impact teaching and learning, and improve educational outcomes for linguistically and culturally diverse learners. She has co-authored a book on federal policies affecting EL students, co-edited a book on educational measurement and assessment, and co-authored several articles on assessment validity and score reporting for both EL students and the general population.
Jennifer Blitz is a Senior Research Associate at REL West. Blitz works with state education agencies as well as site and district teams across the country to bring about instructional improvements for English learners. She has supported state education agencies around the development and implementation of English language proficiency standards, the creation of assessment tools used to reclassify English learners as proficient in English and generating outlines and support materials for recommended ELD instructional models. Blitz also supports local education agencies in enhancing instruction for diverse learners. This guidance and support include facilitation of systemic change through development of EL master plans, as well as focused instructional support through workshops on language analysis, academic discourse, and close reading and writing as well as coaching teachers through planning and instructional cycles.
Dr. Lori Van Houten is the Director of Analytic Support for REL West. In this capacity she collaborates with WestEd staff to provide analytic and technical support at the state, district, and school levels to ensure effective use of data and research to inform policy and practice. In her first ten years at WestEd, Van Houten provided coaching and training to school and district staff in creating sustainable and systemic change that resulted in improved outcomes, particularly for Black and Latinx students. Van Houten has co-authored several WestEd publications that further data-driven decision-making in educational settings. She also led the development of several REL West products associated with the 2014 EL Practice Guide including nine family and caregiver activity sheets and the EL Professional Learning Guide that is the focus of this training.