Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET
Register today!
Join REL West for an informative discussion on the diversity of multilingual learners and how research, policy, and practice can better understand diverse communities and how terminology and inclusive language can recognize the strengths and experiences of multilingual learners.
The webinar will be 90 minutes in length and there is no cost to attend.
As a result of this webinar, participants will gain a greater understanding of:
- the diversity of multilingual learners and the equity-related issues faced by multilingual learners and communities across REL regions,
- why the terminology used to describe multilingual learners matters, and
- the ways in which audience members can adapt their work to incorporate more inclusive language and ensure that their focus on multilingual learners is not limited to the EL label, but instead recognizes the diversity of experiences among multilingual learners.
The content is geared toward researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who are working with multilingual learners. The webinar structure will provide attendees with opportunities to learn from the work being done throughout multiple REL regions and think about how the information can be adapted to their local context.
Featured Speakers
Dr. Molly Faulkner-Bond is a senior research associate with REL West and collaborates with educators, researchers, and communities to strengthen the field of education research, increase the use and utility of educational research results, substantively impact teaching and learning, and improve educational outcomes for linguistically and culturally diverse learners. Prior to joining REL West, Dr. Faulkner-Bond was a grant program officer at the Institute of Education Sciences, where she provided technical assistance and monitoring to applicants and recipients of multi-year research grants focused on improving educational opportunities and outcomes for ELs. She has co-authored a book on federal policies affecting ELs, co-edited a book on educational measurement and assessment, and co-authored several articles on assessment validity and score reporting for both ELs and the general population.
Dr. Lorna Porter is a research associate with REL West and contributes to research and technical assistance focused on the educational experiences and outcomes of immigrant students and students classified as English learners. She primarily conducts quantitative and mixed-methods research, with a focus on issues of educational equity, state and local education policy, and understanding linguistically diverse students’ opportunities to learn. She holds a doctorate from the University of Oregon in Quantitative Research Methods in Education. She has worked on research now published in outlets such as Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, Review of Educational Research, Leadership and Policy in Schools, and education policy analysis archives.
Dr. Heidi Goertzen is a research associate and Deputy Director at RMC Research Corporation’s Tampa Office. Dr. Goertzen focuses her work on providing evaluation, professional learning, and technical assistance at state, district, and school levels. She also serves on the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast Alabama Improving English Learner Outcomes Research Partnership and Improving Schools in Mississippi Research Alliance. Dr. Goertzen has practiced extensively at state and district levels providing leadership and expertise related to building capacity of educators to improve and develop equitable practices and policies through the implementation of evidence-based practices. Her areas of focus include educator effectiveness, school improvement, STEM, English learners, and other federal and state priorities.
Kathleen Feeney, a senior survey researcher in Mathematica’s Human Services Division, has expertise in survey development and administration, qualitative data collection methods and analysis, and training and technical assistance for evaluations. Currently, she is the project director on a Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic partnership with District of Columbia Public Schools, exploring how social and emotional learning and school climate survey data can inform decision making. Feeney has also served in multiple roles on the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES), the first nationally representative study of Region XI Head Start programs in tribal communities, since its inception in 2015.
Dr. Katie Gao is communications manager for McREL International and REL Pacific’s dissemination lead. She has more than 15 years of experience helping to bring research findings into practice by developing, editing, and designing publications and materials in numerous fields, including education, linguistics, and information systems. Based in Hawai‘i, Katie has worked with REL Pacific since 2017, leading and supporting projects across all tasks, with a particular focus on Pacific region multilingual education and culturally responsive teaching and learning. Katie holds an MA and PhD in linguistics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.