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And Justice for ELs
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And Justice for ELs
A Leader's Guide to Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools

Foreword by Margarita Espino Calderón

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September 2020 | 152 pages | Corwin

And Justice for ELs is a resource every school leader must read right away—for that matter, keep within arm’s reach because you’re certain to refer to it constantly. Ayanna Cooper, a former U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist, has “been there, done that” and is now prepared to share with you how best to translate today’s federal mandates into actionable steps for ensuring the civil rights of our nation’s multilingual learners.

Because it is impossible to provide specific advice or guidance for every possible situation, Ayanna focuses on the “need-to knows” for making informed decisions within your own building:

  • Eight questions you must ask—and how to obtain answers—before planning English language development services
  • The most common EL program models, with special emphasis on scheduling, along with specific challenges and appropriate staffing
  • The why and how of evaluating English language education, regardless of the evaluation tool, and ways to facilitate conversations with teachers before and after observation
  • How to determine the type of professional learning that will have the greatest impact in your unique context
  • Recommendations for establishing productive relationships with linguistically diverse families and communities
  • Just about every tool you could possibly need, including a glossary of acronyms, useful advocacy organizations, and templates for supporting professional learning

But what you’ll love most is the way Ayanna “keeps it real.” Every chapter is framed around a “What Would You Do?” scenario, for which she ultimately provides an answer(s) as well as guiding questions to help you think through the issues. Take a look for yourself. We know you’ll agree that And Justice for ELs is without question a one-of-a-kind resource.

“And Justice for ELs is an excellent guide for practitioners who seek to provide their English learners with high-quality instruction in all subject areas. Too often such students are relegated an education that marginalizes them academically and fails to develop their native language skills. We can and must do a better job for these students, and in this book Ayanna Cooper shows us how.”

~Pedro A. Noguera


 
Foreword by Margarita Espino Calderón
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Introduction
 
Chapter 1: English Learners in Your School and What You Need to Know and Do to Support Them
Scenario: Awareness and Action for All ELs

 
Knowing Your ELs

 
Urgency in Action

 
Assets-Based, Culturally Responsive Schools

 
Supporting ELs: Eight Important Questions

 
Bringing It All Together

 
Follow-up Questions

 
Further Guidance and Support Resources

 
References

 
 
Chapter 2: Program Models for English Learners: What’s Happening in Your School?
Scenario: Selecting Appropriate Service Models for English Learners

 
Adhering to Federal Guidance

 
Program Models

 
Assessing Program Models for Efficacy

 
Staffing

 
Professional Learning

 
Communicating With Parents

 
When Parents Opt Out of Language Support Services

 
Bringing It All Together

 
Follow-up Questions

 
Further Guidance and Support Resources

 
References

 
 
Chapter 3: Evaluating Teachers of English Learners—Conversations Beyond the Rubric
Scenario: Needs improvement, Meets, Exceeds, or Not Applicable

 
Conversations Beyond the Rubric

 
Look Fors: Key Considerations

 
Articulating Needs to Support ELs

 
Supporting Preservice Teachers

 
Bringing It All Together

 
Follow-up Questions

 
Further Guidance and Support Resources

 
References

 
 
Chapter 4: Action Steps for Job-Embedded Professional Learning With a Focus on English Learners
Scenario: A Program by Any Other Name Is Not the Same

 
A PL Cycle of Inquiry

 
PL Action Steps

 
Bringing It All Together

 
Follow-up Questions

 
Further Guidance and Support Resources

 
References

 
 
Chapter 5: Partnering With Parents of English Learners
Scenario: Helping Parents Analyze Their Child’s English Language Proficiency Report

 
Connecting Families and Community

 
Parent Communication Preferences

 
Helping EL Families Understand the Academic Calendar

 
Scenario: Early Release/Late Pick-Up

 
Grade Level Placements of ELs and What Parents Need to Know

 
Bullying

 
Scenario: Bullying in Elementary School

 
Supporting Your Staff to Build Positive Relationships With EL Families

 
Bringing It All Together

 
Follow-up Questions

 
Further Guidance and Support Resources

 
References

 
 
Afterword
 
Index

Supplements

"This book highlights the importance of administrators developing the skills, supports, and structures in order to support English Learners to achieve academic success and strengthen wellbeing. Cooper presents an array of considerations for administrators including: reflecting on personal knowledge, identifying areas for personal learning, building staff capacity and recognizing this must be through a job-embedded model, staffing, targeting instruction to reduce linguistic gaps for learners, and working to support parents with information and collaborating as partners."

Maryam Hasan
Vice Principal, Toronto District School Board

"This book offers a compelling message of hope for our linguistically diverse learners. An easy read for busy educators and a resource for administrators. This is the one tool needed that is research based and proven to enhance the professional learning model of one’s organization to support student achievement. "

Debra Paradowski
Associate Principal, Arrowhead Union High School, WI

"This is an easy to read and easy to implement book. Each chapter is carefully broken down and easy to read. Educators will find a lot of useful ideas within each chapter. The questions that are posed as a way of taking inventory of what you are currently doing in your school is extremely helpful and easy to use."

Lindsay Morhart
Teacher, Regina Catholic School Division, Canada

And Justice for All: Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools with English Learners is a must-have book. In this lively how-to for teaching ELs equitably and successfully, Ayanna Cooper provides a practical approach to developing best-practices in schools.  Her step by step method, written clearly and succinctly, asks important questions, explores crucial answers, shares instructive anecdotes, and proposes familiar scenarios. She leads the reader to consider the broad possibilities of good instruction for ELs as well as the details of implementing evidence-based programs. Dr. Cooper's style draws us in as if she were sitting across from us at a coffee shop describing best practices. Her conversation with us in the book is necessary, important, and fun to read

Peter Kozik
Keuka College
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