Project Description
The purpose of this project is to design, develop, and test an online professional development program called Bridging English Language Learning and Academics (BELLA)* for improving teacher and student outcomes for working with English Learners (ELs). Through an iterative process of development following a Design Based Implementation Research strategy, the research team will develop and test an online teacher professional development program for ESL and classroom teachers to work together to support English Learners. The development process will involve teachers, administrators, parents as well as expert advisors in a design process to develop a professional development program that is feasible, engaging, and impactful.
Teachers who participate in BELLA will have improved outcomes including: increased collaboration between English as a Second Language (ESL) and classroom teachers; implementation of high-impact instructional strategies; and incorporation of students' cultural wealth into the classroom.
Students whose teachers participate will have improved outcomes in language and literacy growth in the areas of phonics, word recognition, writing, comprehension, and vocabulary.
Goals
The final product will be an online teacher professional development program for ESL and classroom teachers to engage in a collaborative process to co-plan and align their instruction for English Learners. The final BELLA Online Professional Development program will include learning modules, video segments, micro-credential frameworks, rubrics and inter-rater reliability scoring, and the structure and guidelines for the communities of practice.
Related Resources
*Note: BELLA was originally developed under the intervention name Developing Consultation and Collaboration Skills