Helping Educators Work Effectively with English Language Learners
News and Announcements
Cross-District Collaboration: Curriculum and Professional Development
This article, published in the TESOL Journal, describes a cross-district curriculum development project and serves as a resource for educators exploring how to align ESL standards with ELA standards and create relevant curriculum for students with limited school. The article also explains how district administrators combined resources to provide cross-district professional development to language and content teachers on effective academic literacy practices for secondary English learners.
Visit the TESOL Journal website where members can read the full article.
Preparing Teachers to Use the SIOP Model
At the recent TESOL 2012 convention, SIOP Manager, Jennifer Himmel, conducted a session focused on CAL’s enhanced resource, Using the SIOP Model: Professional Development Manual for Sheltered Instruction, which is designed for educators who plan to teach others to use the SIOP Model in their classrooms. She highlighted key resources from the manual and other SIOP tools for teachers.
Download the PPT presentation. 
(394 KB)
Download the handout. (216 KB)
Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners
In this article prepared for the Colorín Colorado! website, Jennifer Himmel, CAL SIOP Manager, provides an overview of how to use language objectives in content-area instruction for English learners. Read the article.
SIOP Presentation at the Virginia ESL Supervisors Association Conference
On February 3, 2012, CAL SIOP assistant manager, Julie Mazrum, presented at the Virginia ESL Supervisors Association Conference with Loudoun County’s ELL Supervisor and SIOP coach to share how Loudoun County Public Schools has adopted the SIOP Model as an instructional framework to better serve their English learners. Julie talked about the SIOP Model professional development services that CAL SIOP designed for Loudoun County Public Schools, with a special focus on services such as SIOP lesson study and coaching to deepen SIOP implementation at Sugarland Elementary.
Download the presentation. (2.21 MB)
Learn more about the conference.
Enhancing Practice with Early English Language Learners
CAL Board of Trustee member, Fred Genesee, and CAL staff member, Jen Himmel, will be presenting at this free one-day conference on specific educational issues regarding early English language learners held April 29, 2011 at Princeton University. Learn more.
SIOP in Fresno – A Case Study
CAL has partnered with the Fresno United School District in California to provide content area-based professional development in the SIOP Model. Read the case study. (119 KB)
At Sugarland Elementary, language lessons are key to all learning
Washington Post
Thursday, October 21, 2010
On a Thursday morning at Sugarland Elementary School in Sterling, fourth-graders watched as their teacher pointed to an illuminated smart board in the darkened classroom. Together, they recited their lesson objective: "The students will be able to discover artifacts that were used by the original Virginians!" Read the rest of the article online.
Spotlight on NCELA
View or download NCELA’s webinar “Implementing Professional Development for Content Area Teachers with ELLs” delivered by CAL’s Research Associate Jen Himmel.
SIOP in Action
Watch a video that highlights CAL's collaboration with The Georgia Project. CAL conducted a needs assessment and provided SIOP Model professional development to high school teachers in Whitfield County, Georgia, to improve the academic achievement of English language learners.