On Tuesday, January 29, 2013 the Long-Term English Learner (LTEL) Institute was held at the Marriott Hotel in Riverside, California. A larger than expected number of participants from the county’s school districts, sometimes standing room only, were present.
This day long conference was hosted by the Riverside County Office of Education’s Long-Term English Learner Task Force and the Regional System of District and School Support.
The LTEL Institute was organized to provide essential information for teachers and other educators concerned with learners who do not speak, read, write, or understand English well.
Senator Alex Padilla began the day by providing an enthusiastic introduction and praise for the educators who strive to provide specialized instruction to this population of students. Attendees included teachers, principals, and superintendents from the region’s public school districts.
This forum offered research, discussion, and keynote presenters:
- Dr. Laurie Olsen, a well-known consultant and researcher, presented data related to the characteristics of (LTELS), which included information on their academic, linguistic, and social needs.
- Dr. Karen Caiero-Kaplan, from the California Department of Education, provided an overview of the newly adopted California 2012 English Language Development Standards that are aligned with the Common Core English Language Arts Standards.
- Dr. Robert Linquanti, Project Director and Senior Research Associate from WestEd, offered research pertaining to setting linguistic and academic expectations and monitoring progress for the state’s LTELs.
Additionally, the afternoon provided break out sessions on topics ranging from leadership to best practices in the field.
As defined by the LTEL Task Force, an LTEL is “an English Learner who has been enrolled in U.S. schools for five years or more who has not reached English proficiency.” Various methods of measurement are regularly used to determine a student’s language acquisition and progress.
School districts in California and nationwide face numerous challenges in meeting the linguistic, academic, and social needs of our English Learners.
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