Schedule and Session Descriptions

Session Descriptions

Session Materials and Recordings

(Recordings will be added as they are processed--thank you for your patience!) 

Building New Roads: The EL Roadmap in Action 

Presented by Veronica Aguayo, Academic Specialist, Multilingual Learner Lead

Napa Valley Unified School District  

In this session, we will review how our district has created an expanded leadership team to respond to the needs of our MLLs across the district, primarily and at the moment at the secondary level. We will discuss the initial moves this leadership team has taken and the next steps in building new and improved roads of access to rigor, social-emotional learning, and high-quality instruction for all MLLs. 

Reclassification and EL Progress Monitoring - Districtwide Systems Change 

Presented by Su Kei Lao, Ed Policy Analyst, Multilingual Pathways Department

San Francisco Unified School District

This session reviews SFUSD's pain points and explores solutions that led to the successful redesign of its reclassification and EL progress monitoring tools. Join me as I discuss our district's journey to digitization, and guiding principles that achieved an almost 100% completion of teacher evaluations districtwide. I will recount the key ingredients for our process improvements, and share the simplest hacks that have made the biggest changes.

The Equity Through Line: A Vision of Equity Implementation Through Systems Change Coaching 

Presented by Jeff Schmidt, Coordinator Systems for District Improvement

San Mateo County Office of Education

Learn how the San Mateo County Office of Education’s Systems for District Improvement staff coached district leadership to create a cycle of inquiry-based, data-informed continuous improvement while identifying a through-line between the identified needs of student groups, action plans, and local metrics to measure and monitor success for all students by also making connections with the goals and actions within local plans (LCAP, CSI, SPSA, EL Master Plan, CCEIS, SEP, etc). Learn strategies to build a trusting environment for self-reflection and allow difficult conversations around Equity to transform learning. 

Amplifying Student Voice through Empathy Interviews

Presented by Amy Robinson, Program Manager, Language and Literacy

Solano County Office of Education

This session will focus on the process of using Empathy Interviews to improve outcomes for multilingual learners in a local school district. Facilitators will share processes and tools for conducting interviews, reviewing anecdotal data, and determining change ideas based on student input.  Attendees will participate in conversations focused on how they might replicate or adapt the process for amplifying voices of multilingual students in their own settings.

The Making of the Newcomer Center  

Presented by Essence Phillips, Director of Equity and Social Emotional Support; Anne Swatzell, EL TOSA; and Teresita Gonzalez, Newcomer Center Staff

Antioch Unified School District

Join us as we share the evolution of our Newcomer Center, which serves our English Learners and their families, as well as provides support for our staff, with varied resources and tools to create the best learning environment for newcomer students. We will discuss the vision, creation, and development of the center, as well as staffing, funding, materials, and current and future offerings. 

Tools for Continuous Improvement to Serve Multilingual Learners

Presented by Nicole Knight, Executive Director ELLMA

Oakland Unified School District

This session presents one model of a continuous improvement process from OUSD that was spotlighted in Improving Education for Multilingual and English Learners: Research to Practice, and aligns to the EL Roadmap principles. Nicole Knight will present a suite of tools that can be utilized by district and school site leadership to surface areas of strength and opportunities for growth in serving their multilingual learners. These tools include a self-assessment process on the implementation of ELD and equity-based observation processes. Nicole will share how the different tools are leveraged for distinct purposes. Participants will walk away with examples and tools that can be adapted to their respective contexts. 

Developing Equitable Local Policies for Multilingual and English Learner Students

Presented by Dr. Elvira Armas and Dr. Gisela O'Brien

Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL), School of Education at Loyola Marymount University 

With the adoption of the CA English Learner Roadmap, LEAs are encouraged to develop or refine their district-wide English/Multilingual Learner Master Plan. This session will highlight resources included in the Center for Equity for English Learners’ English Learner Master Plan Playbook to help participants identify a strategy to approach the development or refinement of their EL/ML Master Plan document to include visionary policies, programs, and services that ensure equitable opportunities and outcomes for English Learners.