Supports for English Language Learners to Maximize Outcomes

About the Webinar:

This vital session addressed the comprehensive support systems and instructional strategies charter schools need to maximize academic outcomes for English Language Learners (ELLs), one of Florida’s fastest-growing student populations. Dr. Raydel Hernandez, Chief of the Bureau of Student Achievement through Language Acquisition, and Dustin Simms, Lead State Executive Director for School Improvement at the Florida Department of Education, provided essential guidance on meeting both the legal requirements and instructional best practices for serving ELL students effectively. The presenters explained federal and state obligations under civil rights laws and the Florida Consent Decree, including proper identification and assessment of ELLs, provision of appropriate English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction, access to comprehensible content-area instruction, monitoring of student progress, and timely exit from ELL status when students demonstrate English proficiency. They emphasized that serving ELL students well isn’t just about compliance—it’s about equity, ensuring that language barriers don’t prevent students from accessing rigorous curriculum and achieving at high levels alongside their English-proficient peers.

Dr. Hernandez and Simms shared evidence-based instructional strategies and program models that support ELL success, including sheltered instruction techniques, scaffolding approaches that make grade-level content accessible while building English proficiency, integration of language development across all subject areas, and culturally responsive teaching practices that value students’ home languages and backgrounds as assets. They discussed the different ESOL service delivery models available to charter schools—from dedicated ESOL classes to integrated support within mainstream classrooms—and provided guidance on selecting appropriate approaches based on school size, student needs, and available resources. The presenters addressed common challenges including serving ELLs with limited or interrupted formal education, supporting students with disabilities who are also English learners, engaging families who may have limited English proficiency themselves, and ensuring adequate professional development for teachers working with ELLs. They highlighted resources available through the Department including ESOL endorsement programs, instructional materials, assessment tools, technical assistance, and funding specifically allocated for ELL services. Attendees left with actionable strategies for strengthening their ELL programs, tools for monitoring compliance, and renewed commitment to creating learning environments where multilingual learners thrive academically while developing English proficiency and maintaining connections to their cultural and linguistic heritage.