Context & Stakeholders

Context

In schools nationwide, the enthusiasm and dedication of new educators are often tempered by the daunting challenges of today's educational landscape. A critical issue is the pronounced shortage of ENL instructors, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic's impact on the education sector. A 2023 analysis spanning 37 states highlighted a sharp increase in ENL vacancies, escalating by 35 percent to 55,000 open positions, a significant rise from 36,000 in 2020 (Will, 2023). This scarcity necessitates that teachers, irrespective of their original area of expertise, step into roles as de facto ENL educators to support ELL students. This situation forces gen-ed teachers to extend beyond their familiar teaching boundaries, yet without the adequate time or resources necessary to gain the essential skills and knowledge for effectively supporting these students.

It is with the above information that we defined our stakeholder pool, whom we describe in depth below.

Meet our Stakeholders

SME: ENL (English as New Language) Teachers

ENL teachers are the subject matter experts whose knowledge of effective strategies for teaching ELL students is essential for the design of a training opportunity for general education teachers who want to better support their ELL students. ENL teachers have to most knowledge pertaining to ELL strategies, but see the least face time with students comparatively.

Users: Gen-Ed (General Education) Teachers

General Education teachers are the target learners because they are the teachers with the most consistent contact with ELL students, but have little to no ENL training. When these teachers are tasked with supporting ELL students, they often struggle to balance the needs ELL students and the rest of the student body.

Administrators

Administrators are a key part of the educational ecosystem, and their knowledge of ENL strategies and curriculum design is paramount to ensuring school-wide success. Their expertise regarding teacher expectations, goals for students and high-level school initiatives serve as valuable insights to help ensure effective training within the ENL realm.

Middle-High School ELL (English Language Learner) Students

ELL students offer an invaluable perspective into what is and isn't working, as well as what supports may be needed from the students' perspective. The students perspective greatly affects what strategies will be taught in the ENL training for Gen-Ed teachers.

Parents

The final stakeholder group we identified is the parents of the ELL students. The parents play a pivotal role in supporting their children in their language acquisition journey, and interface with all the user groups, including the students, ENL teachers, administrators and Gen-Ed teachers.

Reference:

Will, M. (2023, December 21). What will teacher shortages look like in 2024 and beyond A researcher weighs in. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/what-will-teacher-shortages-look-like-in-2024-and-beyond-a-researcher-weighs-in/2023/12.

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