Recommendations to Support Multilingualism | Well-Being Tips for Educators | CA Center for School Climate News | Summer Learning

Summer is in full swing and we are wishing educators a healthy mix of relaxation and reflection time. June was a busy conference month, and in this edition of the WestEd 360° newsletter, we highlight key takeaways from an innovative conference held by the National R&D Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners. We also cover the sunsetting of the California Center for School Climate, tips to support educator well-being, and upcoming summer learning opportunities.?

Educators and Leaders Convene to Reconceptualize the Development of Educator Expertise for a Multilingual, Intercultural Future??

Last month, nearly 150 teachers, researchers, and leaders across school, district, state, federal, and international levels who work with multilingual learners gathered with a common goal: re-envisioning ecological approaches to building rigorous learning opportunities for multilingual learners and all other students.?

The innovative conference was hosted at Oregon State University by the National R&D Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners (ELRD Center) and included two full days of discussion and review of evidence-based findings about the many facets of multilingual education.?

“We have been invited by the Center and the many researchers and teachers who have been a part of the work of the Center to consider ecological, interacting nested system levels...and to be part of the growing connected community that provides support, information, ideas, new directions, and a sense of joint purpose,” said Stanford University Professor Emeritus Dr. Guadalupe Valdés.

Dr. Aída Walqui , Principal Investigator and ELRD Center Director, spoke to the quality of connections made during the conference, “It was so rewarding for me and Center colleagues to observe groups all united in dialogue, reflecting and crafting plans of action to carry out when they went back to their places of origin. None of us are an island and what we do is facilitated or made impossible by actions at other levels. We need to work together, we need to work ecologically."

From classroom instruction to educator development to state-level policies, here are some important themes that emerged from the conference:???

Recommendations for school, district, and state leaders and partnering organizations:???

• Consider context and quality by thinking deeply about the interrelated nature of nested? systems and specific contexts that apply to students and their families.?
• Examine policy levers for English Learner course access.???
• Follow longitudinal, large-scale research studies to inform your efforts to contextually recreate and scale up ideas to improve outcomes.?
• Prioritize the provision of oracy and use research-driven teaching models that focus on relevant subject matter ideas, talking with and listening to peers, and co-constructing ideas to address relevant issues.?????

For further learning, explore keynote presentations here and follow the ELRD Center on LinkedIn for updates.?

Summer Wellness Tips for Educators and School Leaders ?

Summer break can be a time to hit the reset button and plan fun activities. For some, summer may also allow time to prioritize wellness and mental health. With that in mind, we are pleased to share the virtual Be Well Space created by the California Center for School Climate and the California Department of Education.

Explore research-based strategies to understand and work with the brain’s natural tendencies to practice self-regulation and manage stress.?

The California Center for School Climate Sunsets?

The California Center for School Climate (CCSC) ended June 30, 2024 after three years of collaboration and innovation in partnership with the California Department of Education. Local, district, and state partnerships were instrumental in advancing CCSC’s mission to improve school climate and create safe, supportive learning environments.? ?

We invite you to explore CCSC’s resources that highlight our commitment to fostering inclusive learning communities:? ?

• Grounding Community Schooling in a Love Ethic (audiocast and companion brief)?

• Creating Empowering Peer-Led Spaces (audiocast and companion brief)?

• Essential Conditions for Advancing and Sustaining Cross-Sector Collaboration (guide)? ?

These and all CCSC resources will remain available on their website.?

Though the Center has concluded, their team continues to support school climate initiatives through WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities. For ongoing collaboration, please contact them at [email protected].?

Upcoming Learning Opportunities and Conference Appearances ?

Supporting English Learners With Disabilities Summer Institutes (Online): Learn about High-Quality Inclusive Instructional Practices??

• Pre-Referral Practices That Support English Learners – Register by July 18??

• Administrator Basics for Supporting English Learners with Disabilities – Register by August 6??

Improving K–12 Literacy Outcomes with Reading Apprenticeship (In-Person in Livonia, MI)??

• RA Essentials 1 – Register by July 22?

• RA Essentials 2 – Register by July 22?

Strengthening School Finance: Summer Training for School and District Leaders (In-Person in San Francisco, CA) – Register by August 1?

August 5–8: Kathy Booth , Project Director for the Economic Mobility, Postsecondary, and Workforce Systems team at WestEd, will present at the 2024 SHEEO Higher Education Policy Conference.?

August 6–8: Join us for an overview session about the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) Curriculum with WestEd Early Childhood expert Amber Morabito, Ph.D.

August–October 2024: Learn about quality indicators for infant/toddler group care settings during the PITC Program Assessment and Reflection System (PITC PARS) Instrument Training. Dates range depending on the language of instruction: English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Happy summer, readers! Stay tuned for Back-to-School strategies, resources, and tips help you build thriving school communities and serve the diverse needs of learners and their families at every age and every stage.??