26.071 - Building Capacity: What Is Needed to Support Districts With Emerging English Learner Student Enrollments?

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This session addresses capacity-building to serve English learner (EL) students in rural and other districts with new English Learner (EL) student enrollments and small numbers of EL students. Many such districts in “new destination” regions nationally face challenges of rural, remote locations; lack of specialized staff; small numbers of ELs dispersed across schools; and limited resources to meet EL student needs. The presentations outline data demonstrating the need for guidance specific to the context of districts with emerging EL populations; describe an example of the challenges in serving ELs that are particularly acute for these districts; discuss school/district leadership in building a coherent approach to capacity-building; and present an example strategy to address principal leadership for EL capacity-building.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Second Language Research

Chair

• Jerry Johnson, University of West Florida

Papers

• What Are Capacity-Building Needs in the New Demographics of English Learner Populations? - Annette M. Zehler, Westat; Victoria Schaefer, Westat

• Distributed Leadership in the New Latino Diaspora: Building Capacity to Support Newcomers - Rebecca Jane Lowenhaupt, Boston College

• Domains of Knowledge for Principal Leadership in Serving English Learners - Laura M. O'Dwyer, Boston College

Discussant

• Theresa Deussen, Education Northwest