Author

Emilie Scott

Term

Summer 2025

Capstone

Capstone Project

Degree Name

MA-TESOL

Facilitator(s)

Karen Moroz

Content Expert

Kris King-Fournier

Abstract

Research shows the importance of collaborative teaching, advocacy, and differentiated approaches to support students with disabilities as well as English learners. This project is a professional development series that has three sessions, each covering a different topic relating to dual identified students. Session one will focus on collaboration and how ELD teachers can organize communication with different adults in the building. Knowing that ELD teachers have to communicate and collaborate with general education teachers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators, this session will help give guidance into why it is important to be clear and included in communication. Session two will focus on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how this approach benefits not only dual identified students but also general education students as well. Lastly, session three will focus on advocacy work and how teachers can be the fiercest advocates for their students at a classroom, school, district, and state level. After having completed these sessions in a district-led ELD meeting with all elementary ELD teachers in the district, the teachers will then choose a specific area of focus for small group Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The intended audience for this project is for elementary and secondary English Language Development (ELD) teachers who work with students who qualify both for Special Education services as well as ELD services. The presentation and professional development series were created for a specific group of elementary ELD teachers in a suburban district of the St. Paul area in Minnesota. However, this series can be implemented for any ELD teacher team with grade levels ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The project format is intended for an in person presentation as there are interactive components to the professional development where teachers will be speaking and interacting with each other.

Project Type

Professional Development

Keywords

ESL/ ELLs, Special Education, Staff Development, Teachers/ Teaching

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text

dc_publisher

DigitalCommons@Hamline

dc_format

application/pdf

dc_source

School of Education Student Capstone Projects

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