Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners

"Even with well-trained teachers and policies in place, closing the gap for English learners is often difficult because of school leaders' lack of training and background in English learner and program needs. With Collaboration and Coteaching for English Learners: A Leader's Guide, Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria G. Dove provide a much-needed road map for success to school leaders. In practical fashion, professional development training is provided to assist leaders in joining forces with school personnel in order to achieve a successful and sustainable coteaching and collaboration culture in their schools. This book is a must-read for any principal education program as well as district leadership trainings." -- Christel Broady, Ph.D., Professor/Director "Now that proposed amendments to the law in New York State require that fifteen percent of professional development hours for all teachers and administrators be specific to the needs of ELLs, language acquisition and cultural competency, this publication could not be more timely. Thank you for facilitating the task with this book. Collaboration and co-teaching for ELLs would not be possible without the knowledge and endorsement of the administrators." -- Monica G. Chavez, Coordinator of Foreign Language & ESL "This new book for school leaders by Honigsfeld and Dove comes at a time when many states are saying that every teacher is regarded as a teacher of ELLs. Immigrant populations are increasing not only in cities but also in suburban and rural areas. Additionally, there is a renewed emphasis on teaching academic language and content together. This Leader's Guide provides administrators and all supporting positions with a clear blueprint for the essential school-wide collaboration needed to be successful in these endeavors. The tools provided here are invaluable for shared curriculum development, instruction, and assessment practices for ELLs. The guide provides both essential knowledge, as well as, leadership strategies and steps to achieve the goals of collaboration and coteaching in a way that will be of great benefit to school leaders and their staff. In addition, it provides an excellent and much needed framework and encouragement for school leaders, general education teachers and ESL teachers to work more closely together toward ELL success." -- Diane Garafolo, ESL Consultant "Whether you are a beginning supervisor or an experienced administrator, you will appreciate what you can find in Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader's Guide. Honigsfeld and Dove have written an invaluable resource for instructional leaders who work with English Language Learners. Filled with ideas and strategies, this user friendly guide provides schools leaders with tips and tools on working collaboratively for the success of our diverse learners." -- Carol Wertheimer, Retired Principal/Educational Consultant "Collaboration is at the heart of good teaching and learning. In order for ELLs to flourish in schools, collaboration requires a school culture of rich personal relationships among teachers and children. Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leaders' Guide is a much needed book for school leaders across the United States and world, offering practical advice and resources for creating a collaborative approach that is important for all teachers. " -- Jan Lacina, Ph.D., Professor of Literacy and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies "In the face of a demographic imperative, Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leader's Guide is an important, informative, and indispensible resource for practicing teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, and legislators of educational policy. The book should be used to prepare school leaders to engage in collaborative leadership practices that support culturally and linguistically diverse students. The contributors to this volume provide thought-provoking insights into collaborative and co-teaching strategies to meet the needs of English learners, making this book practical and relevant to a wide readership." -- Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations "I have found Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners to be invaluable both as I train teachers in a large community-based English as a New Language program, where we utilize co-teaching, and as a resource for the online professional development I facilitate for teachers around the world. I am excited to have a leader's guide accompanying the original publication and look forward to using the professional learning activities in it in my work. Andrea and Maria have found a way to expand upon a great resource. " -- Sally Rushmore, Managing Editor "Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leaders Guide is a critical addition to every new and experienced educational leader's bookshelf. Schools that succeed with increasingly diverse populations are able to leverage every asset through collaborations and partnerships. This is a guidebook by trusted experts that will help any preK - 12 program follow that path to success. The dynamic features included in the book make it equally effective as a personal resource and as material for professional development." -- Karen N. Nemeth, Author/Consultant "District wide, we have used Collaboration and Co-Teaching to strengthen the types of support that ELL Specialists offer classroom teachers. Having a systematic process collaborating to create a school wide success model for ELL students benefits everyone in education with the reward of student achievement. We have all known for a long time that ELL students spend the majority of their time in classrooms, only some of which are rich with resources and strategies. Bringing staff together in true collaborative practices spreads those resources and strategies far and wide! Our district is looking forward to using The Leader's Guide as a way of strengthening our professional development and collaborative efforts towards quality instruction for English Learners." -- Heidi LaMare, Supervisor of Programs for ELL Students "Common vision, common language, common goals. Bringing administrators and staff together to create an inclusive environment and support English learners. New and seasoned administrators will benefit from the leadership practices detailed in this text." -- Judith B. O'Loughlin, Education Consultant "In this book, Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leader's Guide, Honigsfeld and Dove continue sharing their experience and expertise in collaboration for English Language Learner success, this time focusing on school leaders. The book is written in an accessible style and can be used as a guide by school leaders to better support the kinds of collaborative practices, programs, curriculum, staff learning opportunities and school structures that make a difference in English Language Learner learning outcomes. The many examples from practice, together with hands-on activities and resources, will equip school leaders with real knowledge and strategies that can be implemented right away. " -- Anne Dahlman, Ph.D., Professor "I can't begin to explain my excitement of having Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leader's Guide to reference those schools and districts I work closely with in the implementation of co-teaching and collaboration. Finally, a tool that equips systems, leaders, and teachers with a framework that encompasses the culture of collaboration and takes it to the next level. Andrea and Maria have considered all aspects of programming from novice co-teaching to more advanced collaborative systems; leading to a much needed springboard to think long term for success and sustainability of collaborative programming for English Learners who are an invaluable asset to our classrooms! This book has organized critical elements of success and sustainability of collaboration for English Language Learners beyond traditional service delivery. The embracing of this text will certainly change capacity of those interested in beginning to be inclusive of our learners who will change how we view the world, with a more focused and equitable lens! " -- Dr. Martina Wagner, English Language Supervisor/Consultant "Honigsfeld and Dove's Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners : A Leader's Guide text provides much needed insight and depth to this important educational topic. Based on their professional experiences, solid research and field-vetted practices, the authors unearth to the essential issues of collaboration in co-teaching in schools. Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English learners offers valuable models and suggestions to school personnel that will maximize the effectiveness of instruction, improve communication and enhance the collegial atmosphere." -- Dr. Kate Mastruserio Reynolds, Associate Director/Professor "As we understand the wide diversity among English language Learners today, it becomes essential for all staff to work together including principals, assistant principals, ESL teachers, classroom teachers, academic intervention specialists, content area teachers, instructional coaches and paraprofessionals to meet the academic and social needs of the English language learners in their school. Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria Dove answer seven key questions in this book on collaborative services, models, curriculum development, instruction, collaborative teaching, professional teaching & development, and leadership needed to support a collaborative approach to instruction for ELLs." -- Dr. Robin Finnan-Jones, Education Administrator "For the past several years, we have used the Collaboration and Co-Teachingbook (Honigsfeld & Dove) to guide the professional learning work for ESOL and content teachers at all levels. This new book, Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leaders Guide is an excellent resource to help district level leaders and principals create an effective and coherent plan to help teachers maximize student learning for English language learners (ELLs) in a co-taught content classroom setting. This resource provides excellent guidance about collaborative teaching models, curriculum study, and assessment practices to ensure that all ELLs are actively engaged in the content classroom. The authors focus on how to translate professional learning into classroom practices to create a culture of collaboration. The resource also includes practical resources, such as checklists and rubrics for use in schools at all level. This practical guide is a must read for any administrator who wants to establish effective collaborative practices, with consistency, across the school building or district. " -- Sonja Bloetner, ESOL Supervisor "School leaders face daunting challenges to address the communities they serve and needs of students in the schoolhouse. Chief among those challenges is the need to foster a collaborative school environment that promotes effective English language learning. Collaboration and Co-Teaching for ELLs: A Leader's Guide provides leaders with an approach that works flexibly and effectively in schools that serve English language learners. The foundational knowledge leaders need is here, and practical ideas for putting that knowledge into service in classrooms abounds. Moreover, the Guide is written in an easy to follow style. The voices of school leaders and other experts round out the excellent ideas from the authors that every administrator needs. " ? -- Thomas DeVere Wolsley, Adjunct Professor/Author "Honigsfeld and Dove have done it again! This dynamic duo has created a timely, informative, easy-to-read resource for educational leaders who see the value in a more collaborative approach to meet the needs of their English learners. This book is an essential read for administrators and teacher leaders who are seeking practical suggestions grounded in research to create collaborative school environments that promote academic achievement of all learners." -- Angela Bell, Assistant Professor "I respect and appreciate that Honigsfeld and Dove did not just use a theoretical framework to create Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leaders Guide, but used research and active school leaders to help bring this book to life. In this era of connected educators, being able to read and learn from other leaders that are experiencing success with English Learners is crucial. The style of this book allows me to first 'see and hear' what other educators are experiencing followed by essential knowledge and practical strategies. I trust that this resource will become my 'go-to' book when working with teachers in my building." -- Dr. Sheilah M. Jefferson-Isaac, Elementary Assistant Principal "As schools struggle to interpret the demands of CCSS, the growing needs of ELLs are often left in the margin or addressed through superficial approaches such as add-on strategies in teachers' manuals or undeveloped collaborative models of teaching that relegate ESL teachers to the role of classroom aides. Honigsfeld and Dove are leaders in promoting a different vision in which the expertise of all teachers is brought to the task of deeply engaging ELs in rigorous academic learning to meet the new standards. Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leaders' Guide contributes a key ingredient by making that vision accessible to school leaders so that they can implement policies and create contexts where teachers can collaborate in substantive ways. The book provides research support, inspirational testimonies from educators, and clearly laid out frameworks for school leaders to follow in designing professional development, curriculum planning, and instructional practices. This will be a valuable resource for school leaders." -- Susan Ranney, Ph.D., Teacher Educator "In one of the most linguistically diverse boards in Canada, a focus on supporting English language learners through collaboration and co-teaching is a moral imperative. Throughout our district-wide, three-year project Collaborative Inquiry Learning in Literacy (CIL-L), the Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners text has provided the pedagogical stance for many of our instructional leaders both at the district and school level to move the work forward. It confirms what we know and believe in Peel. Intentional, school-wide approaches for assessment, instruction and planning support English language learners to be successful with Ontario (provincial) curriculum expectations while they are developing English language proficiency. Being fully committed means ensuring high expectations for all English language learners. Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leaders Guide presents educators with an exciting opportunity! With its provocations, strategies and approaches, this new text can support us even further to make the vision for academic equity a living reality in our schools." -- Zaiba Beg, Instructional Coordinator: English Language Learners "This book is an important and much-needed resource for leaders who are supporting teachers of ELLs. No longer is it possible for classroom teachers and ESOL specialists to work in isolation, and the effective support of their leaders is critical to teachers' success in working collaboratively to foster the learning and build upon the rich resources of ELLs." -- Megan Madigan Peercy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for Language, Literacy & Social Inquiry "Since ALL (TM) students are Academic Language Learners, it is essential that teachers collaborate to teach the academic language that aligns with content. Collaboration is a set of complex skills and attitudes that can be developed through focused leadership. Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leaders' Guide helps leaders connect vision (knowing collaboration is a best practice and why) with action (knowing how to promote collaboration) in their educational settings." -- Jane D. Hill, Managing Consultant for English Language Learner Effectiveness "In Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leaders Guide, Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria G. Dove offer crucial support to school leaders who are working on achieving success with English learners. Their answer is clear: build a system for teacher collaboration! This is a great read!" -- Todd Whitaker, Professor of Educational Leadership "This book is the natural next step after the original Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners by Honigsfeld and Dove. It is vital that the very important audience of administrators and school leaders engage in the value of collaboration and co-teaching for ELLs. A solid research base and instant applicability are at the heart of this user-friendly, practical guide." -- Sharon J. Glenn, K-5 English as a Second Language "Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria Dove have done it again! In Collaboration and Co-Teaching for ELLs: A Leader's Guide, they reframe and extend the timely conversation they began in 2010, now focusing on helping administrators provide collaborative services for English learners. They adeptly frame the pertinent issues while also offering helpful support for leaders at all levels, who are committed to ensuring equity for this growing population (of students), which presents numerous strengths as well as unique challenges. Honigsfeld and Dove recognize the heightened need for increased collaboration to support English learners' success in schools during the current, shifting educational landscape. With this book they provide easy-to-implement resources specially tailored for school and district leaders so that they can use collaborative services to support English learners!" -- Diane Staehr Fenner, Ph.D., Senior Consultant "Creating an overall school climate of belonging is essential to collaborative practices for English Language Learners. School leaders need to know how to provide professional development on collaborative practices as well as how to monitor and foster the collaborative practices of their teachers and staff. Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria G. Dove have provided a succinct, informative guide for both novice and experienced school leaders to create a successful collaborative practice at the school level. Every school that is looking into providing such services should have a copy of Collaboration and Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Leader's Guide to help support it throughout the process." -- Britni Toukonen, SIOP Coach "Collaboration and Coteaching for English Learners: A Leader's Guide by Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria Dove will become an essential go-to resource for any district or school leader working with teachers to enhance the lives of English Language Learners. Collaboration, co-teaching and similar strategies can only succeed if instructors receive adequate support from their administrators. Educational leaders become the linchpin for the success of English Language Learners and, as such, they need to be informed and knowledgeable about the many factors that impinge upon the learning of this population. In their accessible--yet theoretically and pragmatically grounded--style, Honigsfeld and Dove have once again produced a vital educational resource. The broad spectrum of leadership roles targeted in the book, together with the clear and rich organization of the chapters, strike the right balance in providing practical tools for action grounded in thorough research findings. Hence, this book is a must read for anyone leading teams of teaching professionals who share a passion for the learning of all their students and it comes at a time when this kind of resource is badly needed. We just need to wait for leaders to follow the example of their faculty, and this resource will certainly steer them in the right direction." -- Gabriel Diaz Maggioli, Director/Chair English Language Studies "Drs. Honigsfeld and Dove have written an invaluable companion volume to their earlier work illuminating the vital role of instructional leaders in effective schools. In both its structure and content, the book provides school and district leaders with a realistic and comprehensive map for the creation of inclusive environments for English Learners and teachers. Yet it is a work that also accessible to others who also have a stake in their success: coaches, professional developers, members of governing boards, and the communities they serve. I applaud the authors for its scope, its clarity and its wisdom." -- Devin G. Thornburg, Professor "These are demanding times for our ELL population with the many academic and state mandated changes for providing services. The movement has catapulting ELLs into the spotlight and with it a greater emphasis on their academic achievement and acquisition of English language skills. The bar has been set high state-wide with the common core standards and the expectation that all students meet the criterion set forth for college and career readiness. How do we make this a reality for students that don't speak English? To coin a phrase, 'it takes a village' and that village is based on collaboration among all teachers and administration through the development of true co-teaching models. That's where Honigsfeld and Dove dominate the field and provide the strategies necessary for teachers to adopt a co-teaching model. In their first co-teaching manual they shared strategies, research, history, voices from the field and a how-to for teachers to begin the process of co-teaching effectively. The second book provides administrators the tools to facilitate the implementation of a co-teaching model by providing much needed guidance to educational leaders in developing curriculum, assessments and in the coordination of the team. The book is a perfect complement to an already rich menu of strategies for ELLs outlined in the first book. The pair is a staple in every school where ELL instruction and achievement are a priority. It comes at a perfect time when educators can no longer teach or manage in isolation. Rather they must work together to elevate the level of rigor in classrooms and hold high expectations for ELL students and those charged with providing the access to quality education. " -- Elizabeth Reveiz, Director ESL Bilingual Programs