English Language Learner Symposium
Collaborating for Achievement
July 30 - August 1, 2012
Chester County Intermediate Unit
Downingtown, Pa.

In collaboration with PA Department of Education (PDE), Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) presents a three-day graduate level professional development symposium focused on strategies and approaches for meeting the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). Each 90-minute session is leveled for elementary, secondary or K-12. Participants will select a total of 12 content sessions, a total of 18 hours of class time.

For Symposium details, click here.
A limited number of symposium scholarships are available; for scholarship details, click here.

Effects of Curriculum and Teacher Professional Development on the Language Proficiency of Elementary English Language Learner Students in the Central Region

The 2006-11 Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Central at McREL conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact on student English language proficiency of the On Our Way to English (OWE) curriculum, offered in combination with the Responsive Instruction for Success in English (RISE) teacher professional development.

OWE was developed to provide ELL students access to English oral language development, comprehensive literacy instruction and standards-based content area information in science and social studies. RISE complements the OWE classroom program with professional development to understand the content of OWE, the rationale for its structure and practical strategies for its use.

The study found that the combination of OWE and RISE did not have a statistically significant effect on students’ acquisition of English, teacher-reported student engagement, instructional practices or assessment practices. Click here to read the full report.

The Institute of Education Sciences, through it’s Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program has released two reports

Descriptive analyses of English language learner student enrollment data in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia
This technical brief by the 2006-11 REL Appalachia at CNA describes English language learner student enrollment across school districts in the four REL Appalachia Region states (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) for 2005/06–2008/09, updating an earlier report covering 1998/99–2004/05. The current brief expands on the earlier report by looking at data by grade span (kindergarten, 1–3, 4–6, 7–8, 9–12) and by geographic locale (city, suburb, town, rural). Click here to view the full report.

The characteristics and experiences of beginning teachers in seven Northeast and Islands Region states and nationally
Produced by the 2006-11 REL Northeast and Islands and Education Development Center, Inc., the report describes the characteristics and experiences of beginning public school teachers (teachers with fewer than five years of teaching experience) in the Northeast and Islands Region states and compares them with the characteristics and experiences of beginning teachers nationally using data from the 2007/08 Schools and Staffing Survey. The study focuses on variables related to teachers’ preparation and workplace supports that research suggests might be associated with their perceptions of preparedness, effectiveness, and retention. Click here to view the full report.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
The NCES within the Institute of Education Sciences has updated the Career/Technical Education Statistics (CTES) website. The CTES website includes tables describing career/technical education (CTE) at three levels: 1) secondary/high school CTE, 2) postsecondary/college career education, and 3) adult education for work. These tables are updated periodically to incorporate new CTE-related topics and data from new surveys. Click here to view the site.