PA 146 for Professors (Yr. 5)
An MDE Sponsored Learning Opportunity
Professional Learning Specifically Designed for IHE Faculty Teaching ELD Standards and / or Methods Courses
YEAR FIVE 2026-2027
Learn, Collaborate, & Implement
Session 1: Framing the Work – From Compliance to Impact (2 hours), October 29, 10 a.m. - noon
Purpose: Build shared understanding + urgency + mindset
Key Content
- Purpose of PA 146 (systems shift, not checklist)
- The reciprocal nature of reading (language + literacy interdependence)
- Science of Reading for multilingual learners (what it is / is not)
- Asset-based lens (cross-linguistic transfer)
Outcome: Participants leave with a shared mental model and common language
Purpose: Prevent misidentification through better decision-making
Key Content
- PA 146 screening requirements (WIDA thresholds, exceptions)
- Role of professional judgment
- Multiple data sources (language, instruction, history)
- Risks of over- and under-identification
Outcome: Participants can navigate screening decisions with nuance, not compliance
Session 3: Difference vs. Dyslexia (Deep Dive) (2 hours), January 29, 1 - 3 p.m.
Purpose: Strengthen diagnostic thinking
Key Content
- Difference vs. disability as a process, not checklist
- Cross-linguistic analysis
- Instructional access vs. intrinsic difficulty
- Importance of instructional history
Outcome: Participants can analyze complex student profiles with confidence
Session 4: Designing Effective Intervention for ELs (2 hours), March 2, 10 a.m. - noon
Purpose: Shift from fragmented to integrated instruction
Key Content
- Integrated model:
- Word recognition
- Language comprehension
- Oral language
- Why decoding-only approaches fail ELs
- Role of oral language as foundational, not “support”
Outcome: Participants understand what high-quality intervention actually looks like for ELs
Session 5: Instructional Practices + IRIPs (2 hours), March 24, 1 - 3 p.m.
Purpose: Translate learning into classroom-level practice
Key Content
- High-impact strategies:
- Morphology
- Phonology
- Structured talk
- Cognates
- IRIPs as instructional tools, not compliance documents
- Aligning language + literacy in plans
Outcome: Participants can design instruction and plans that actually support ELs
Session 6: Systems Alignment & Action Planning (2 hours), April 16, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Purpose: Move from individual practice → system coherence
Key Content
- Role of Intervention Response Teams
- Required expertise (including EL lens)
- Common system breakdowns:
- Siloed ELD vs literacy
- Disconnected data
- Coherent MTSS systems
Outcome: Participants leave with:
- 1 instructional shift
- 1 systems-level shift
- Clear next steps
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Questions, Please Contact:
Suzanne Toohey
Supervisor, Instruction & Pedagogy
Consultant, ELD
Oakland Schools