Charting the Course: Collaborative Planning and Design for Informed ESOL Student Level Transitions

• Do teachers work together to decide this, or are they on their own? 
• Are the assessments used authentic and holistic, but also consistent and reliable?
• Do teachers all use the same tools and criteria (e.g., the MA ELPS) to make these decisions? 
• How do advisors and students participate in the process? 
• What processes would make sense for your program given staffing, budget, and time? 

These are some questions we face as we try to set our students up for success and support them as they transition through program levels and towards their goals. 

Join colleagues from ESOL programs across the state as we share programmatic practices for setting up end-of-year student transitions. In this workshop, instructional leaders from three ESOL programs will present some of their practices, tools, and structures for end-of-cycle student transitions. They have created space for discussion and engagement in hands-on activities to try to answer some of the above questions. 

Between sessions, you will meet with your program's instructional leadership team, begin to fill out a mapping tool provided by the facilitators, and prepare to share with your colleagues. The facilitators will be available to support and guide you during the interim sessions.

By the end of the workshop, you will have an understanding of some essential programmatic elements for assessing student progress and determining transitions to the next level, as well as strategies and planning tools for implementation within your own educational contexts. 

Learning Objectives