Dr. Joslyn Richardson: Welcome to the PL Reality Check, brought to you by Rivet Education.
In just a few minutes, we’ll strip away the buzzwords and get real about professional learning. Each episode brings insider insight from experts and partners so you can make smarter, faster decisions for your district.
I am Dr. Joslyn Richardson, the Director of the Professional Learning Partner Guide here at Rivet. Today, we’re chatting with Dr. Chalon Jones, who is an instructional specialist at the English Learners Success Forum, or ELSF, about professional learning for educators supporting multilingual learners. Thank you so much for joining us, Chalon. Before we get started, can you share a little bit about ELSF and the work that you do?
Dr. Chalon Jones: Hi, Joslyn! It’s a pleasure to be here. The English Learners Success Forum, or ELSF, is dedicated to ensuring that every multilingual learner engages in instruction that enables them to thrive academically and pursue their own path to success. To advance this mission, ELSF works to expand educational equity by increasing the availability of high-quality instructional materials that intentionally center and leverage multilingual learners’ cultural and linguistic assets. As an instructional specialist at ELSF, I work directly with state and district leaders to create MLL-inclusive learning environments and ensure their professional learning aligns with that mission.
Dr. Joslyn Richardson: I’m so excited to have this conversation. So, to start us off, why do you think the needs of multilingual learners are often overlooked in general professional learning design?
Dr. Chalon Jones: Multilingual learners are one of the fastest-growing student populations, and 65% of all teachers have at least one multilingual learner in their classroom. Based on research that was conducted by the Office of English Language Acquisition, only 2% of teachers are certified to teach these learners. In addition, in a study that we co-conducted with San Diego State University, we found that 70% of teachers do not feel prepared to teach multilingual learners, and 80% do not feel that they can truly rely on their instructional materials to support them.
As we know with this population, there’s also a perception that most multilingual learners can only be served through supplementary English language development programs instead of within the general classroom environment. But as we can see from research, we really need to help and support that integration of language and content development in all core content areas, and that is most effective for multilingual learners because they’re learning both language and content simultaneously.
Unfortunately, there’s a belief in having these add-on or supplementary materials. That trickles down into PL design. Instead of having that integration of language and content development, as well as really leveraging the assets of multilingual learners, we’re noticing that it’s not effectively included in PL design and it’s only focused on enhancing knowledge and skills of the general population, as opposed to focusing on supporting all learners. Only 27% of K–12 teachers report participating in curriculum-based professional learning that helps them implement these high-quality materials and respond to the needs of multilingual learners. So what we’re noticing is that there are millions of students in classrooms without the support that they need to thrive. The way to ensure all teachers have the knowledge and skills to intentionally support the assets and needs of these learners is through targeted PL design.
Dr. Joslyn Richardson: So let’s talk a little bit more about PL design. Can you give us an example of a common gap in professional learning, a place where professional learning developers could do more to prepare teachers to serve multilingual learners more effectively through their instruction?
Dr. Chalon Jones: Yes, a common gap that we’re noticing is the absence of developing teachers’ and leaders’ curriculum literacy. Curriculum literacy is a teacher’s knowledge and ability to use the provided high-quality instructional materials to meet the needs of all learners, but especially our multilingual learners. That is where curriculum-based professional learning can step in and allow them to hone their eye for internalizing and making ML-inclusive shifts when implementing these high-quality materials, and providing a space for them within PL to develop that deep knowledge of the materials, but then also ways in which they can implement its components with the assets and needs of multilingual learners at the center.
In order to really make that a reality, professional learning needs to include opportunities to determine quality. So, “What do I notice about my materials that actually support a cultural and linguistic responsive education?” Integrating language and content means being able to identify not only the content goals or the content learning, but what are the language skills students need to engage and master the content? And then also being able to plan responsibly, so really being able to plan practices and instruction that are culturally and linguistically responsive, but then also increase access to learning for multilingual learners so they can reach their full potential.
Dr. Joslyn Richardson: Thank you. That is great guidance, and the planning, intentional planning, is so important. So I want to shift and talk a little bit about the Multilingual Learners Badge that you helped develop for the PLPG. Rivet identified a clear gap in our evaluation of professional learning providers, mainly that we didn’t evaluate their readiness to support teachers serving multilingual learners. So you all, ELSF, helped us to develop a review process and a badge to help differentiate between providers better. Can you walk us through how you got involved in the project and why this work matters to you?
Dr. Chalon Jones: Sure. As a former teacher and district leader, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the power of intentional professional learning that places the assets and needs of multilingual learners at the center. Based on those experiences, I’m passionate about creating culturally and linguistically responsive learning environments, and especially equipping leaders with being able to do the same by deepening their knowledge of multilingual learners so that they can thrive in any classroom community.
I get to do that with ELSF through my work with state and local education agencies, and previously our organizations have collaborated informally, really thinking through how we can increase the quality of professional learning providers and what that means for our multilingual learners as well. Both of us know that curriculum-based professional learning is critical in ensuring successful implementation of meeting those needs, especially through effective instruction and the use of high-quality instructional materials.
This badge will allow us to showcase those with demonstrated expertise in ML-inclusive CBPL and really be able to have them stand out in the field. That way, it makes it even easier for SEAs and LEAs to use their already limited funds for professional learning that’s going to help all learners, but especially our multilingual learners, thrive.
Dr. Joslyn Richardson: This collaborative work that we’ve done together has been such a great learning experience for us at Rivet, and this badge is just a signal to both providers and districts that our MLL students deserve quality core instruction, and our teachers and leaders deserve quality PL to support this. So now I’m going to have you do something that may be a little bit difficult. Are you ready?
Dr. Chalon Jones: Sure.
Dr. Joslyn Richardson: So, in one sentence, what’s at stake if districts don’t invest in effective professional learning that takes into account the needs of multilingual learners?
Dr. Chalon Jones: Millions of students in classrooms across the country and their ability to learn, grow, and thrive are at stake.
Dr. Joslyn Richardson: Thrive. Our students’ ability to thrive. Mic drop. Well, this concludes our time today. Thank you so much, Chalon, for your insight into this very important topic. Listeners, tune in for part two of our conversation: The Provider Test, key questions that show whether MLL support is more than a promise. Until next time!
