Elsa Billings works closely with educators at the school, district, and state levels to improve education for English Learners and Multilingual Learners. In this capacity, Billings supports the design and implementation of English Learner Program Reviews; designs and conducts professional development for teachers, coaches, and site administrators; provides research-informed guidance to educators, including authoring numerous briefs and webinars on effective practices in the teaching of English Learners and Multilingual Learners.
Billings brings extensive experience and expertise in the area of educating English Learners. Prior to joining WestEd in 2016, Billings served as the English Language Learner Co-Advisor for the Council of Chief State School Officers a professor in the College of Education at San Diego State University, and a consultant for Stanford University’s Understanding Language Initiative.
She has published numerous book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals. Topics include investigations of best practices in serving English Learners in the classroom, and ways that technological innovations can support teaching and learning of English Learners.
Billings has also served as Elementary Chair for the California Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CATESOL), as Chair of the Hispanic Research Issues Special Interest Group within the American Educational Research Association, and as a participant leader with Latino Legacy Weekend.
Billings received an MA in Language, Literacy, and Culture, and an MA in Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation with a minor in Organizational Behavior, both from Stanford University; and a PhD in Language, Learning, and Policy from Stanford University.