About ELSF

The English Learners Success Forum (ELSF) is a collaboration of researchers, teachers, district leaders, and funders who are passionate about improving the quality and accessibility of instructional materials for English learners (ELs).

MISSION

To expand educational equity for multilingual learners by increasing the supply of high-quality instructional materials that center their cultural and linguistic assets.

Vision

To ensure every multilingual student engages in learning that allows them to thrive academically and choose their path for success.

Our Approach

Teachers lack language-focused training and tools. Here’s how we’re addressing that.

ELSF collaborates with field-leading researchers, district leaders, teachers, content creators, and education funders to improve the supply and accessibility of high-quality K-12 ELA and mathematics instructional materials that are inclusive of English learner students. In February 2017, ELSF brought together voices across the education spectrum to solidify our vision and mission for this work. Two areas of focus for ELSF were identified:

Content Developers

We work directly with motivated ELA and math standards-aligned content developers to integrate English learner supports throughout their materials and build overall capacity to consistently integrate English learner strategies and best practices. If you are a content developer, get started by asking: “How well do my ELA or Math instructional materials support english learners?”

Educators

We simultaneously build out resources and tools for the field that help all developers of content, including teachers, consider the needs of English learners. Do you know if your instructional materials and teaching practices are working for your EL students? Take a pulse check to get started.

OUR THEORY OF ACTION

ELSF's approach reflects the belief that students with developing levels of English proficiency can thrive academically, but that they require instruction and materials that carefully support their understanding and use of emerging language as they participate in content learning.

Our People

Our Contributors

Thanks to all those who have contributed to the development and refinement of our Guidelines.

Aida Walqui

WestEd, QTEL

Allison Still

School District of Philadelphia

Allyson Burns

Fresno Unified School District

Angelica Infante-Green

Commissioner, Rhode Island Department of Education

Barbara Beske

Student Achievement Partners

Cathy Martin

Denver Public Schools

Cecilia McDonald

Des Moines Public Schools

Claire Rivero

Student Achievement Partners

Craig Willey

Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Teacher Education, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

Cristina Alfaro

San Diego State University

David Abel

UnboundEd

David Lai

Council of the Great City Schools

Elsa BIllings

WestEd

Farah Assiraj

Chief of Teaching and Learning, The Council of the Great City Schools

Faye Pallen

Independent Consultant

George Bunch

University of California, Santa Cruz

Guadalupe Valdes

Stanford University

Harold Asturias

University of California, Berkeley

Heather Schlaman

University of California, Santa Cruz

Hilda Maldonado

Los Angeles Unified School District

Hongying Shen

New York City Department of Education

Jack Dieckmann

Senior Advisor, Mathematics

James Malamut

Doctoral student, Stanford University

Jason Zimba

Student Achievement Partners

Jenna Ream

Denver Public Schools

Jesika Alvarado

District of Columbia Public Schools

Jin Sook Lee

University of California, Santa Barbara

Judit Moschkovich

University of California, Santa Cruz

Julie Esparza Brown

Portland State University

Kathryn Chval

University of Missouri

Keith Dysarz

Education Trust

Liisa Moilanen Potts

Director of Curriculum at CommonLit

Magda Chia

Stanford University, Understanding Language

Margarita Pinkos

Executive Director, The School District of Palm Beach County

Mark Driscoll

Education Development Center

Martha Castellon

Independent Consultant

Mary Call Blanusa

Director of Public Policy, Alliance for Decision Education

María Santos

Independent Consultant

María Witrado-Maldonado

Fmr. Assistant Superintendent, Fresno Unified School District

Melissa Chabran

Managing Director and Associate for Networked Improvement Science

Meredith Liben

Director of Literacy and English Language Arts, Student Achievement Partners

Miah Daughtery

Achieve

Nikeitha Brown

Dean of Curriculum and Instruction, Achievement Prep Public Charter School Network

Olga Torres

Independent Consultant

Peter Coe

UnboundEd

Rachel Leifer

Senior Program Officer, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Rachel Rosenbaum Mandell

Assistant Principal, PS 182

Renae Skarin

Senior Advisor, Content

Rich Kogen

University of Illinois, Chicago

Robin Scarcella

Independent Consultant

Salvador Huitzilopochtli

University of California, Santa Cruz

Sarah Moore

Center for Applied Linguistics

Sarah Rutherford-Quach

Stanford University

Sue Pimental

Student Achievement Partners

Susie Hakansson

TODOS: Mathematics for All

Sylvia Celedon-Pattichis

University of New Mexico

Tammy Alsace

Independent Consultant

Tanji Reed Marshall

Education Trust

Ted Coe

Achieve

William Zahner

Assistant Professor of Mathematics, San Diego State University

CURRENT OPENINGS

Join our team

ELSF is passionate about improving the quality and accessibility of instructional materials for English learners (ELs). We’re looking for ELA and mathematics content developers and EL experts and specialists to join our efforts in ensuring materials are inclusive of the needs of ELs.

Call for Math or English Language Arts Content Developers in any grade span (K-12)

Call for EL Expert Participation

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Please get in touch with us.

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