POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS

Melissa Cuba (PhD Student, Curriculum Culture and Change) -VCU School of Education, Brenda Russ (ESL Coordinator), Carolyn Waters (ESL Teacher, Falling Creek Middle School/PhD Student, Curriculum Culture and Change) - Chesterfield County Public Schools, VCU School of Education, Josh Martinez (Student, Mass Communications) - Virginia Commonwealth University

There are have been major shifts to address a growing English learner (EL) population, creating a needed discussion on issues that impact these students. This session will cover current trends in local EL growth, research on best instructional practices for EL-identified students, and resources related to EL policies at the federal and state level. In addition, sponsors will facilitate a panel discussion on EL-related topics with different perspectives at the table, including a former EL-identified student, a parent, a teacher, a doctoral student, a faculty member, and a local school division leader.