NPD Call for Peer Reviewers | |
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OELA is recruiting peer reviewers with professional expertise in English learner programs or services, including current and former pre-K–12 teachers and principals, LEA and SEA leaders, college and university educators, educational evaluators, and others with EL education and language acquisition expertise for the FY 2024 National Professional Development (NPD) grant competition.
Peer reviewers must have specific expertise in at least one of these NPD priority areas:
- Bilingual or multilingual education
- Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher education programs
If you are interested, please reach out to NPD2024@ed.gov.
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Save the Date – Dual Language Webinar Series | |
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OELA is excited to announce the launch of its Dual Language Webinar Series. Join for the four informative sessions this April and May, tailored for both teachers and administrators.
April Webinar: The 3 W's of Dual Language Education for State, Local, and Site Leaders: What, Why, How
- Part 1: Tuesday, April 16, 2024 – 1:00 PM ET
- Part 2: Tuesday, April 30, 2024 – 1:00 PM ET
May Webinar: National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation Standards: Educators for a Multilingual Multicultural America
- Part 1: Wednesday, May 8, 2024 – 2:00 PM ET
- Part 2: Thursday, May 16, 2024 – 2:00 PM ET
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Supporting Multilingualism for All: Implementing the Seal of Biliteracy: Parts III and IV | |
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A podcast series hosted by ED’s OELA features Dr. Amy Heineke, Professor of Bilingual Education at Loyola University in Chicago, and Dr. Kristin Davin, Professor of World Language Education at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.
In Part III, Drs. Heineke and Davin continue to discuss the various benefits of multilingualism and focus on appropriate proficiency assessments and the promotion of the Seal of Biliteracy.
In Part IV, practitioners discuss their experiences implementing and promoting the Seal in education, covering various implementation-related topics. The guests share insights from their respective educational contexts, offering valuable perspectives on the subject.
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Download Today – English Learner Family Toolkit App | |
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The EL Family Toolkit helps families and educators stay connected to the latest tips, innovative tools, and practical resources for supporting ELs enrolled in U.S. schools. This FREE app from ED is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic and can be downloaded on Android and Apple devices!
Parents, families, and guardians can use the EL Family Toolkit to:
- Learn more about U.S. schools.
- Learn about their rights in U.S. public schools.
- Find out about school enrollment and attendance policies.
- Get information about programs, services, and extracurricular activities.
- Find advice and helpful questions to ask when talking to school staff.
- Find ways to support safety, health, and success of ELs.
- Browse quick tips by topic.
Teachers, other educators, and school staff can use the EL Family Toolkit to:
- Find resources to support quality educational opportunities for ELs.
- Get updates on professional development and resources from ED.
- Find tips for using the Toolkit to engage families.
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Join the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) for the 2024 Hybrid Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is “Leading Change in Multilingual Education.” In addition to the virtual offerings, the in-person conference will be March 26–27 in New Orleans in conjunction with the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Conference. The NAELPA conference includes keynote presentations from Dr. Jessica Costa and Crystal Gonzales as well as ED and OELA. | |
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March 28–30
NABE 2024 Conference
Conference
| The NABE Annual Int’l Conference is a 3-day event scheduled to be held in New Orleans from March 28–30. The conference will include educational sessions, inspiring keynote speakers, award competitions, and networking opportunities. Missed the online registration? New registrants can sign up on-site at the conference. For attendee registration and general conference information, contact mconf.reg.nabe@gmail.com. | |
Join the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West and the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) for an engaging, joyful, and free 60-minute webinar on how to support young children’s literacy development through culturally affirming, evidence-based instructional practices. In this webinar, REL West and SCOE staff will co-present the Joyful Reading and Creative Expression for Young Children: Planning Guide and share stories of implementation at the county level. | |
Join the global community of English language professionals for the virtual TESOL 2024 Convention and English Language Expo on April 11–12. You'll gain exclusive access to recordings of the three keynotes from the in-person convention as well as 200+ pre-recorded virtual sessions. Please note that the virtual sessions are different from those that were presented in Tampa at the in-person convention. | |
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The In-Person Conference is scheduled at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick from May 29–31. Register for 1, 2, or all 3 days and take advantage of networking opportunities with colleagues. Stay updated on state and national initiatives, and don’t miss the chance to explore the latest teaching tools by visiting the representatives at the sponsor and exhibitor booths.
Presentation topics will include General Interest, Content Area Instruction, Bilingual/ESL Pre-K through 12, Higher Ed, and more. All registrations include 1 free year of NJTESOL/NJBE membership.
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Mark your calendar for June 5–7 for the Cambio de Colores Annual Conference. This year's theme, “Sparking Change, Integration, and Deep Connections,” renews our call to action and commitment to learning alongside leaders and experts from our changing communities. This professional development opportunity is an excellent chance for bilingual educators, counselors, and school district leaders who aim to create welcoming communities for newcomers to learn from each other. | |
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October 15–18
WIDA Annual Conference
Conference
| The WIDA Annual Conference is the premier event for educators of pre-K through Grade 12 MLs, giving educators from around the globe the opportunity to share best practices and discover innovative classroom strategies. The in-person conference will take place October 15–18, 2024, in Pittsburgh, PA. A curated virtual track will also be available. | |
Are you, or someone you know, looking for the perfect conference focused on providing instructional and programmatic support to best serve your ELs and emerging bilingual students? La Cosecha 2024 will feature over 280 professional presentations and workshops for supporting two-way and one-way immersion, developmental bilingual, and heritage/tribal language immersion programs and will bring together educators, parents, researchers, and practitioners from across the United States. | |
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EdSource
English Learner Advocates in California Oppose “Science of Reading” Bill
Two California advocacy groups for ELs oppose a State bill mandating alignment of reading instruction with the “science of reading.” Assembly Bill 2222 would require schools to teach children how to read using textbooks and teacher training grounded in research, which shows that children must learn what sounds letters make and how to sound out words, in addition to vocabulary and understanding, learning how to read fluently without halting, and how to write. Californians Together and the California Association for Bilingual Education fear the bill may harm ELs by inadequately addressing multilinguals’ literacy needs, potentially undermining progress in literacy instruction.
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The Hechinger Report
English Learners Stopped Coming to Class During the Pandemic: One Group Is Tackling the Problem by Helping Their Parents
OurBRIDGE for Kids, an after-school program in Charlotte, North Carolina, has seen enrollment grow from 35 students in 2014 to about 230 in 2023. To join, students only need to attend classes during the school day. In response to the pandemic, when many children stopped attending classes, ourBRIDGE expanded its efforts. Alongside the after-school program, staff and volunteers began assisting families to overcome barriers preventing children from participating in online classes or attending school in person. OurBRIDGE's success can be attributed in part to a simple change made a few years ago: the program communicates directly with families by hiring staff and volunteers who are immigrants and speak the same languages.
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Chalkbeat
Indianapolis Public Schools Plans New Approach to Teaching English Learners
At Lew Wallace School, roughly 70% of the students are classified as ELs. Its increasing number of ELs reflects a trend seen across Indianapolis Public Schools. Amid a push for equity, the district plans to reimagine how it serves ELs. The plan includes assigning each school at least one leading English as a New Language "teacher of record" who will oversee the school’s English language learner program. It also involves more incentives for staff, including a $2,000 stipend for lead teachers and reimbursement for some English as a New Language teachers who also train to become certified to teach English language arts.
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WIDA
TIPS FOR EDUCATORS: Five Strategies to Welcome Newcomers into Your Classroom
MLs are the fastest-growing demographic in Grades K–12, currently constituting 10.3% of the national student body and predicted to reach 25% of public school students by 2025. Among them are newcomers, students recently arrived in the United States. These students bring rich and unique experiences but also have diverse linguistic, academic, and social-emotional needs. This article presents five ways to welcome newcomers into classrooms, along with links to helpful resources after each strategy.
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Language Magazine
TIPS FOR EDUCATORS: Ensuring African American Students’ Access to Multilingual Learning
The growing research on the benefits of dual-language immersion for ELs is leading many policymakers to prioritize linguistic diversity in multilingual schools. Equitable access to dual-language immersion is often discussed in terms of linguistic diversity, but access to multilingual programming also intersects with other racial and socioeconomic power structures. In particular, African American students appear to be disproportionately excluded from these programs. This article discusses how Global Preparatory Academy in Indianapolis intentionally includes race, ethnicity, and culture in its model's design to provide equitable access to multilingual learning for African American students.
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Dual Language Education of New Mexico (DLeNM) Summer Institutes
OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute: Unlock the power of teaching and learning at the OCDE Project GLAD® and the AIM4S³™ Math Summer Institute from June 11–12, 2024. These sessions will empower you to enhance your grasp of these powerful frameworks; engage in student-centered instructional strategies for key content areas such as math, language arts, social studies, and science; and deepen your understanding of integrating content and language to support ELs and academic language learners in your classroom.
Cultivating the Pedagogy of Translanguaging: The Translanguaging Institute will bring together a diverse group of educators who serve emergent bilingual students and families from June 13–14, 2024. The institute will unite educators from across New Mexico and the United States
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Updated State Seal of Biliteracy Infographic | |
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The State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) is an award given by SEAs to acknowledge high school students who have studied and achieved proficiency in two or more languages by their graduation. South Dakota implemented the SSB in January 2024, making it the final State to do so. Explore OELA’s updated SSB infographic to learn more about this recent update.
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National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA)
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Disclaimer: NCELA Nexus is intended to share information that can be of use to educators, parents, learners, leaders, and other stakeholders in their efforts to ensure that all students, including English learners, are provided with the highest quality education and expanded opportunities to succeed. The information and materials presented in NCELA Nexus do not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by NCELA, the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), or the U.S. Department of Education. | | | | |
