This book is a road map for teachers and school leaders who need to meet the needs of increasing numbers of Newcomers and other English Learners (ELs). The authors draw from years of experience in working with, listening to, and coaching administrators, teachers, and coaches nationwide to help you develop and implement an effective plan for your school.

Beginning with the core belief that "getting to know the student is pivotal," the authors show how to address both the academic and the social needs of Newcomers to help them integrate and excel--from their first day of school. The main components of the plan are the following:

- Identifying your students and assessing educational and socioemotional needs.
- Identifying qualified teachers and staff.
- Developing highly effective programs for Newcomers and other ELs.
- Accelerating English learners' acquisition of language, literacy, and knowledge through proven classroom teaching techniques.
- Supporting Newcomers' socioemotional well-being through classroom and administrative structures.
- Designing, implementing, and sustaining professional development for all staff.

If you already have a plan for integrating Newcomers and ELs, you can use the information in this book to assess and strengthen it and to learn more about resources for continued coaching and growth. Whether your school has a formal plan or not, the information in this practical guide can help your staff better collaborate to attend to the needs and build on the strengths of Newcomers and ELs in your school.

Slakk, Shawn

Shawn Slakk is vice president of operations and senior consultant, Margarita Calderón & Associates, where he and his colleagues train teachers and administrators how to consolidate language, literacy, and content for English learners and all other students. Shawn is coauthor and developer of professional development sessions focusing on whole-school implementation, administrative support, and coaching. He serves as the lead ExC-ELL consultant for the state of Virginia. Recent projects include redesigning ExC-ELL for adult learners, implemented at the Ana G. Mendez University System campuses in Washington, D.C., Florida, and Dallas, Texas. As a former certified WIDA trainer and coach for the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, Shawn provided professional development on instructional strategies, lesson delivery, and assessment to support ELs. He earned a bachelor's degree in K-12 English Education and K-12 Spanish Education from Whitworth College and master's degrees in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) from Eastern Washington University and in school administration from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. He is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on reading and writing instruction for additional language learners at the University of Virginia.

Calderón, Margarita Espino

Margarita Espino Calderón, PhD, Professor Emerita, Johns Hopkins University, has served on national preschool to 12th grade literacy panels and as an advisory board member of the National Research Council, the Education Testing Service, WIDA, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, the National Literacy Panel for Language Minority Children and Youth, and the Carnegie Adolescent English Language Learners Literacy Panel. She is a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Civil Rights. Her research interests include professional development, effective schools, and language and literacy development of English learners. A former middle and high school teacher, she has directed bilingual professional development programs at San Diego State University and taught bilingual and educational leadership courses at the University of Texas, El Paso, and University of California, Santa Barbara. She has authored, coauthored, or edited more than 100 books, articles, and chapters, is an international speaker, and conducts comprehensive professional development programs throughout the United States and abroad.