EL Summer Learning

📍 Location: 1650 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL 35630

📅 Date: June 10, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30-10:00
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #558357

🎤 Facilitator: Dr. Mónica Farris

✨ What to Expect

This interactive session equips educators and administrators with foundational tools to effectively support English Learners. Participants will engage in a language simulation to better understand EL student experiences, explore the Alabama Framework for English Learner Success, and develop practical, classroom-ready strategies to enhance instruction and support. Attendees will also learn how to use ELLevation to monitor progress and inform instructional decisions. This session is ideal for new educators and administrators building their knowledge and confidence in teaching and leading for English Learner success.

📍 Location: 1650 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL 35630

📅 Date: June 10, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:30-12:00
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #558362

🎤 Facilitator: Dr. Mónica Farris

✨ What to Expect

In this engaging session, participants will explore the critical connection between language, culture, and effective instructional support for English Learners (ELs). Educators will examine key sociocultural factors that influence language development and better understand how these factors impact student learning and performance, while also learning to distinguish between typical language development and potential indicators of learning disabilities to ensure ELs are accurately identified and appropriately supported. With a focus on Response to Intervention (RTI), this session equips educators with proactive, research-based strategies to support English Learners in the general education setting—prior to considering special education referral. This session is ideal for educators seeking to strengthen their ability to provide equitable, culturally responsive support while making informed instructional and referral decisions for English Learners.

📍 Location: 1650 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL 35630

📅 Date: July 7, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:30-12:00
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #559228

🎤 Facilitators: Caris Snider, University of Alabama graduate in Child Development and author of There’s an Elephant on My Chest & Dr. Mónica Farris, ALSDE EL Specialist

✨ What to Expect

Social-emotional learning is essential for all students. This engaging, highly practical session highlights how SEL strategies benefit every learner in K–12 classrooms while offering specific insights into supporting English Learners. Through personal stories, current statistics, and real classroom application, presenters Caris Snider and Dr. Monica Farris will share classroom-ready coping skills useful across grade levels and content areas.

📍 Location: 1650 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL 35630

📅 Date: August 19, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00-3:00
📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #559205

APLDS: PowerSchool Section #559144

🎤 Facilitators: Maria Franco. ALSDE EL Administrator & Dr. Mónica Farris, ALSDE EL Specialist

✨ What to Expect

Enhancing ESL Success with Administrator Support is a practical session designed to equip school and district leaders with the knowledge, tools, and mindsets needed to strengthen outcomes for English Learners across Alabama. This presentation highlights the critical role administrators play in shaping equitable systems, ensuring instructional alignment, and fostering a culture where multilingual learners thrive.

📍 Location: 1650 Tune Avenue, Florence, AL 35630

📅 Date: August 20, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00-12:00
📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #559211

APLDS: PowerSchool Section #559160

🎤 Facilitators: Maria Franco. ALSDE EL Administrator & Dr. Mónica Farris, ALSDE EL Specialist

✨ What to Expect

Enhancing ESL Success with Administrator Support is a practical session designed to equip school and district leaders with the knowledge, tools, and mindsets needed to strengthen outcomes for English Learners across Alabama. This presentation highlights the critical role administrators play in shaping equitable systems, ensuring instructional alignment, and fostering a culture where multilingual learners thrive.

📍 Location: 1115 US 31, Athens, AL

📅 Date: June 9, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00-11:00
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #557966

🎤 Facilitator: Robin Stutts

✨ What to Expect

Learn how to use Ellevation to turn student data into meaningful instructional support. Participants will explore how to access student information, identify language needs, and apply learning strategies to support English learners. This interactive session includes guided exploration and practical examples for immediate application.

📍 Location: 1115 US 31, Athens, AL

📅 Date: June 9, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:30-2:00
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #557966

🎤 Facilitator: Robin Stutts

✨ What to Expect

Participants will learn a variety of activities to teach vocabulary and plan ways to engage learners in the use of all four language domains (listening, reading, writing and speaking).

📍 Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

📅 Date: July 27, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30-3:30
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #558363

🎤 Facilitators: Dr. Stephanie Reynolds & Robert Mayben (ATIM)

✨ What to Expect

In this breakout session, participants will explore language-based digital tools and discuss ways to engage learners through integrated technology-based strategies. The instructor will model ways teachers can use digital tools such as Magic School, Ellevation, Newsela, Quizizz, Class Dojo, and Mote, to increase student engagement, implement text engineering, foster oral language development, and improve literacy skills. Participants will use the WIDA Digital Explorer in ALEX and leave with actionable recommendations to create supportive learning environments that meet the diverse needs of English Learners and encourage students to effectively communicate using digital technology.

📍 Location: UA/UWA Regional Inservice Center, 260 Kilgore Lane, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

📅 Date: July 29, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30-3:30
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #557726

🎤 Facilitators: Dr. Stephanie Reynolds, Anna Daly (AMSTI), & Brooks Moss (ASIM)

✨ What to Expect

In this session, presenters from the ALSDE AMSTI-ASIM Science and EL teams will introduce research-based instructional strategies that support language learning and academic success in secondary classrooms. Participants will explore and discuss innovative techniques to integrate academic language and science instruction to best meet the diverse needs of their students.

📍 Location: AB Hill Center, 1400 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, Room: TBA

📅 Date: July 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30-10:00

📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #559384

APLDS: PowerSchool Section #563085

🎤 Facilitator: Kelly Vaziri

✨ What to Expect

This introductory session offers a foundational understanding of second language acquisition and differentiation. Participants will explore the stages of language development and learn practical strategies for differentiating instruction based on English learners’ proficiency levels.

Teachers will leave with strategies to meet students where they are linguistically and support them in progressing to the next level.

📍 Location: AB Hill Center, 1400 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, Room: TBA

📅 Date: July 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:30-12:00

📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #559386

APLDS: PowerSchool Section #563098

🎤 Facilitator: Kelly Vaziri

✨ What to Expect

This session introduces educators to the concept of scaffolding and its importance in supporting English Learners' access to academic content. Educators will explore how intentional support can help ELs engage with grade-level tasks while gradually building the skills and confidence needed for independence.

The session emphasizes the role of scaffolding as a flexible, responsive approach that adapts to students’ language development and content understanding. Educators will reflect on when and how to provide the right level of support to ensure meaningful participation and academic growth.

📍 Location: AB Hill Center, 1400 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, Room: TBA

📅 Date: July 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00-2:30

📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section # 558989

🎤 Facilitator: Kelly Vaziri

✨ What to Expect

Visual Literacy is an essential component of effective language learning, particularly for English Learners who find themselves in text-heavy environments. By equipping educators with the knowledge and tools to enhance visual literacy, we can create more inclusive and effective learning experiences that empower ELs to thrive both socially and academically.

English Learners 101: Strategies to Support All Students

📍 Location: UAB School of Education

📅 Date: July 30, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00-1:45

🎤 Facilitator: Miguelina Quiñones-Mason

⏰ Time: 2:00-2:45

🎤 Facilitator: Kelly Vaziri
📝 Registration

✨ What to Expect

Summer OASIS stands for Opportunity to Acquire Skills and Insight for Success. This experience focuses on equipping new and novice teachers with practical strategies, clarity, and support as they enter the upcoming school year.

📍 Location:

ASU Regional Inservice Center

📅 Date: June 9, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00-10:30

📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #558658

APLDS: PowerSchool Section #558648

🎤 Facilitator: Christina Thurman

✨ What to Expect

Educators will learn how to leverage Ellevation data and information to gain a deeper understanding of their English learners and better support instruction in the classroom.

This course includes in-person sessions at designated locations and is facilitated by EL Regional Specialists. Session offerings may vary by region. If you are unable to attend in your area, you may have the option to join a nearby session, based on availability. For questions about APLDS sessions, including attendance or credit recovery, please refer to the EL Regional Support Map to identify and contact your EL Regional Specialist.

📍 Location:

ASU Regional Inservice Center

📅 Date: June 9, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00-2:30

📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #558661

APLDS: PowerSchool Section #558653

🎤 Facilitator: Christina Thurman

✨ What to Expect

Educators will learn how to leverage Ellevation data and information to gain a deeper understanding of their English learners and better support instruction in the classroom.

This course includes in-person sessions at designated locations and is facilitated by EL Regional Specialists. Session offerings may vary by region. If you are unable to attend in your area, you may have the option to join a nearby session, based on availability. For questions about APLDS sessions, including attendance or credit recovery, please refer to the EL Regional Support Map to identify and contact your EL Regional Specialist.

📍 Location:

📅 Date: June 17, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30-11:30
📝 Registration: PowerSchool Section #342981

🎤 Facilitator: Danielle White

✨ What to Expect

This interactive professional learning experience will provide secondary teachers with high-impact strategies to support English learners in the content area classroom in middle and high school settings. Participants will explore differentiation by proficiency level, strategies for accessing complex text, as well as strategies for scaffolding writing for English learners.

📍 Location:

Covington County Schools

807 CC Baker Ave, Andalusia, AL 36421

📅 Date: July 30, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:30-10:00
📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #562762

APLDS: PowerSchool Section # 558648

🎤 Facilitator: Jhina Garcia-Snell

✨ What to Expect

This introductory session provides a foundational understanding of second language acquisition and differentiation. Participants will explore stages of language development and practical strategies for differentiating instruction based on English learners’ proficiency levels. Teachers will leave with strategies to meet students where they are linguistically and support their progress to the next level.

📍 Location:

Covington County Schools

807 CC Baker Ave, Andalusia, AL 36421

📅 Date: July 30, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:30-12:00
📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #562765

APLDS: PowerSchool Section# 562866

🎤 Facilitator: Jhina Garcia-Snell

✨ What to Expect

This session introduces educators to scaffolding and its importance in supporting English learners’ access to academic content. Educators will explore how intentional support helps ELs engage with grade-level tasks while building the skills and confidence needed for independence.

📍 Location:

Covington County Schools

807 CC Baker Ave, Andalusia, AL 36421

📅 Date: July 30, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00-2:30
📝 Registration:

CEU: PowerSchool Section #562760

APLDS: PowerSchool Section # 558648

🎤 Facilitator: Jhina Garcia-Snell

✨ What to Expect

Educators will learn how to leverage Ellevation data and information to gain a deeper understanding of their English learners and better support instruction in the classroom.

📍 Location:

Oxford High School

1 Yellow Jacket Dr., Oxford, AL 36203

📅 Date: July 14, 2026
📝 Registration:

🎤 Facilitator: Magon McAnelly & Shannon Williams

✨ What to Expect

This presentation is a brief overview of how CTE teachers can best support their English Learner Students. CTE is a great pathway where many Els can thrive and succeed. Teachers will learn simple strategies to incorporate in their classroom to enhance student learning.