First-ever English Language Learners Institute a hit in El Centro

A room full of educators all looked at the clock posted nearby but not for the reason one would expect.

“I want you to go find a buddy to your 3:00 and your 6:00,” said Margarita Calderon, professor emeritus of Johns Hopkins University and national educational consultant in teaching reading to English Language Learners.

And the short mingling session — one of Calderon’s frequently used in-classroom practices — commenced between educators on day one Friday of the inaugural English Language Learners Institute in El Centro.

English Language Learners are students who come into local educational systems speaking a language other than English, said Elena Castro, Imperial County Office of Education’s assistant superintendent of educational services.

Castro and event coordinator/ICOE district and school support coordinator Keila Rodriguez, said the first ever ELL Institute in Imperial County was held for local educators to become aware of the plight of ELLs in the local school districts and do something to change their academic shortcomings.

Rodriguez said the institute was hosted by the ICOE for educators in the county to be aware of the many problems.

“These presenters are advocates for ELLs becoming successful in education so our role as the ICOE is making sure we’re able to provide support to teachers and administrators across the county (with those) tools (needed to teach them effectively),” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the long-term English learners problem — or students who have not been proficient in English for six or more years without any academic progress — is a phenomenon that is happening statewide.

“This has been going on for many years now and these presenters have taken the lead in conducting the research needed to see what’s happening in our state,” Rodriguez said.

“They’ve done studies across the nation and every (school district with LTELs) have the same issue: they’re not going beyond a certain point (academically),” Castro said.

“It’s researchers like Laurie Olsen and these presenters who have the steps; it’s just we need to say we’re going to do it and go out and do it,” she said.

Castro said this type of two-day institute was a first for Imperial County and was “something that we really wanted to have” as more than 40 percent of K-through-12 students in Imperial County are English learners, added ICOE Superintendent Anne Mallory.

“There are many students that if you walked on the campus in a school speak English, but that academic piece of really understanding how to analyze and do the critical thinking doesn’t happen without some intentional support and scaffolding for the kids to get there,” Mallory said.

Rodriguez said each of the four nationally acclaimed presenters brought different expertise on the subject of English learners to the table.

“It went really well. We had pretty good evaluations at the end,” Rodriguez said Saturday.

“There was a lot of good learning for teachers and administrators,” she said. “It was kind of like a reality check for all of us as to what still needs to happen.”