ESL Symposium Helps Educators Serve Students

Arkansas has more than 40,000 students who speak a language other than English in their home, and 45 percent of those students live in Northwest Arkansas. The University of Arkansas works in partnership with schools across Arkansas to provide research-based professional development to address the unique needs of English learners.

One such opportunity for educators is the university's annual ESL Symposium to be presented Feb. 24 at the Clarion Inn in Fayetteville. Friday, Feb. 10, is the deadline to register for the symposium sponsored by the curriculum and instruction department and Project Teach Them All at the University of Arkansas.

Registration may be done online, and additional information is available on the College of Education and Health Professions website.

"One of the challenges teachers face is properly identifying English learners for special education and how to effectively instruct them once placement is either acknowledged or denied," said Diana Gonzales Worthen, director of Project Teach Them All. "This symposium will address these concerns and offer methods for teaching culturally and linguistically diverse special education students."

The keynote speaker for this year's symposium will be Diane Rodriguez, associate professor of special education at East Carolina University College. The luncheon speaker will be Robin Morales Cabral, director of literacy for diverse populations in the Wichita Public Schools.

"The speakers are nationally recognized for their research and success in serving culturally and linguistically diverse students who are placed in special education programs," Worthen said.

Rodriguez researches special education, bilingual education and the academic development of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and she serves as editor of the Journal of Curriculum and Instruction. She has received numerous grants from the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and the Office of English Language Acquisition. She has written articles for Urban Education Journal, Journal of International Special Needs Education, Childhood Education, Rural Special Education Quarterly, Journal of Hispanic in Higher Education, and the Journal of Multicultural Education.

Cabral has a background in bilingual speech-language pathology, special education, literacy, assessment and intervention development for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Cabral’s recent research and professional activities have emphasized strengthening teacher, school and district capacities to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse students’ full access to an enriched core curriculum with appropriately individualized supports throughout the prekindergarten-12 years.

At the symposium, educators can earn six hours of professional development credit through the Arkansas Department of Education.

"The curriculum and instruction department and Project Teach Them All are committed to preparing teachers to serve a variety of learners," Worthen said. "This professional development ultimately translates into increased student achievement, which leads to higher graduation rates and enhances college entry of more diverse students. Project Teach Them All has provided coursework leading to an ESL endorsement for 90 teachers in Springdale. This semester, an ESL Scholarship Fund is being established to provide tuition scholarships for coursework needed to obtain an ESL endorsement for two pre-service teachers."