Advocating for Multilingual Learners

Diane Staehr Fenner, PhD, is the president of SupportEd (SupportEd.com), a woman-owned small business located in the Washington, DC, metro area that she founded in 2011. SupportEd is dedicated to empowering multilingual learners and their educators. Dr. Staehr Fenner leads her team to provide ML professional learning, coaching, and technical assistance to school districts, states, and organizations. Prior to forming SupportEd, Dr. Staehr Fenner was an English language development (ELD) teacher, dual language assessment teacher, and ELD assessment specialist in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA. She speaks German and Spanish and has taught in Berlin, Germany, and Veracruz, Mexico. Dr. Staehr Fenner grew up on a dairy farm in central New York and is a proud first- generation college graduate. She has written nine books on ML education (and counting), including coauthoring the bestselling Unlocking Multilingual Learners’ Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible and Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity. She is a frequent keynote speaker on ML education at conferences across North America. She earned her PhD in Multilingual/Multicultural Education at George Mason University and her MAT in TESOL at the School for International Training. You can connect with her by email at Diane@SupportEd.com. Sydney Snyder, PhD, is a principal associate at SupportEd. In this role, Dr. Snyder coaches ML educators and develops and facilitates interactive professional development for teachers of MLs. She also works with the SupportEd team to offer technical assistance to school districts and educational organizations. Dr. Snyder has extensive instructional experience and has worked in the field of English language development forover 25 years. She started her teaching career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. This experience ignited her passion for language teaching, culturally responsive instruction, and ML advocacy. Dr. Snyder is coauthor of Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity and contributing author to Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall. She served as an English Teaching Fellow at Gadja Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She earned her PhD in Multilingual/ Multicultural Education at George Mason University and her MAT in TESOL at the School for International Training. You can connect with her by email at Sydney@SupportEd.com or on Twitter at @SydneySupportEd.

"Staehr Fenner and Snyder have provided a blueprint for future and current advocates across the field of multilingual learning, teaching, and leadership. By increasing knowledge, awareness, and application of advocacy efforts, readers will be better positioned to champion for the linguistically diverse communities they serve. This book is a much-needed call for action!"

• ForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorsIntroductionWhy We Wrote the Second Edition and What’s NewChapter 1. Need for Advocacy for Multilingual LearnersIntroductionCall for an Advocacy Perspective on Teaching MLsWho MLs AreFive Core BeliefsDefining Advocacy for MLsWhat the Research Tells UsThe Five-Step Advocacy ProcessConclusionChapter 2. Advocating for a Shared Sense of Responsibility for Educating Multilingual LearnersIntroductionWhat the Research Tells UsA Shared Sense of Responsibility for ML Education and ML AdvocacyThe Role of Educators’ Culture, Experiences, and MindsetsUnderstanding and Building Relationships With ML FamiliesFostering a School Culture and Climate That Center MLsProfessional Learning and ReflectionConclusionChapter 3. Advocating for Effective Instruction of Multilingual LearnersIntroductionWhat the Research Tells UsCollaborating to Implement Effective Instructional PracticesCollaborating in Support of MLs’ Equitable and Excellent InstructionScaffolded Unit Planning ToolConclusionChapter 4. Advocating for Multilingual Learners in AssessmentIntroductionWhat the Research Tells UsValidity of Assessments for MLsAssessment of MLs for Special Education IdentificationAssessment of MLs for Gifted and Talented ProgramsML Committees as an Avenue to Advocacy in AssessmentELP Assessment Advocacy IssuesML Progress Monitoring of MLs’ Language DevelopmentTracking MLs’ Content Assessment Achievement After Exit as an Advocacy ToolFormative Assessment as an Advocacy ToolAdvocating for Multilingual Learners’ Assessment for Special Education PurposesAdvocating for the Appropriate Assessment of Multilingual Learners for Inclusion in Gifted and Talented ProgramsGrading and Advocating for MLsEquitable Assessment and/or Grading Advocacy PlanConclusionChapter 5. Advocating for Multilingual Learner Newcomer StudentsIntroductionWho ML Newcomer Students and Their Families AreWhat the Research Tells UsScaffolded AdvocacyIntake, Enrollment, and Registration ConsiderationsML Newcomer ProgrammingSupporting ML Newcomers’ Social and Emotional Needs and Mental HealthConclusionChapter 6. Advocating for Effective Multilingual Learner Family and School PartnershipsIntroductionWho Are ML Families?What the Research Tells UsStrategies for Developing Stronger Family-School PartnershipsConclusionChapter 7. Advocating for Multilingual Learners Through Professional LearningIntroductionWhat the Research Tells UsProfessional Learning Options for Improving Instructional Practices for MLsSample Professional Learning FrameworkPlanning for Professional LearningProfessional Learning Cycle ComponentsML Professional Learning Advocacy AuditConclusionChapter 8. Advocating for Multilingual Learners’ Access to Educational OpportunitiesIntroductionWhat the Research Tells UsDesigning Effective Schedules for MLsConsiderations for ML Program Types and Instructional ModelsEmpowering School Counselors to Advocate for MLsExtracurriculars for MLsAdvocating for MLs’ Access to and Support in Career and Technical Education ProgramsConclusionChapter 9. Next Steps in Advocating for Multilingual LearnersBuilding Your Team of AlliesCollaboration Tools for Advocacy DiscussionsConclusionImage SourcesReferencesIndex