Essential to any school or district plan for increasing the academic achievement of English learners is a coherent approach for developing proficiency in English. This must include attention to language support for content instruction: Constructing Meaning Explicit Language for Content Instruction, as well as a framework for providing instruction in English as its own subject of study: Systematic English Language Development.

The purpose of this session is to increase awareness regarding the needs of English learners and strategies for providing effective services that increase academic achievement. Additionally, district leadership teams will begin to draft a District Explicit Language Implementation Plan for providing high quality professional development.  Submitting a District Explicit Language Implementation Plan to E.L. Achieve is a pre-requisite to providing professional development Institutes.

Participants -

A District leadership team may include administrators of English Learner Services, Categorical Programs, and Curriculum & Instruction, as well as representative classroom teachers, site coach(es), resource teacher(s) and site administrator(s). There must be a district
administrator who will serve as the District Lead.

Content & Outcomes -

An overview of Explicit Language instruction will be provided through A Focused Approach:
Starter Toolkit. The Starter Toolkit provides several specific tools for getting started in
designing effective programs for English learners. Participants will:

• Understand challenges facing English Learners and common practices that fail to address them
• Learn about A Focused Approach:
  • Instructional Blueprint for ELD and explicit language for content learning
  • Features of Language Instruction: bricks and mortar
    
  • A detailed framework for designing ELD instruction at each level of proficiency
• Professional Development Institute Overviews
  • Focused Approach to Systematic ELD Instruction (Susana Dutro/2008)
  • Constructing Meaning: Explicit Language for Content Instruction (Levy & Dutro/2008)
• Review elements for developing effective program planning and begin planning