Core Component 2: High Expectations

The following Web sites provide educators with approaches for maximizing all students' engagement and achievement through increasing teachers’ awareness and attention to struggling students’ possible barriers and strengths.

1. Colorín Colorado
   Provides information on creating learning opportunities that make allowances for differences in how individual students learn in order to ensure equal access to important academic content, such as the article, Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners. American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), U.S. Department of Education (ED).
   
   
2. National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
   Provides technical assistance and professional development to improve culturally responsive practices, early intervention, literacy instruction, and positive behavioral supports. (2009) The Equity Alliance at Arizona State University, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
   
   
3. Diversity and Disproportionality
   Provides articles that address aspects of working with diverse student populations, including response to intervention (RtI) in reading for EL, working with culturally and linguistically diverse families, framing urban school challenges, and promising examples of RtI in urban schools. (2011) RtI Action Network. The Cisco Foundation.
   
   
4. OCDE Project GLAD®
   Orange County Department of Education's (OCDE) Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) promotes English language acquisition, academic achievement, and cross-cultural skills through positive, research-based techniques and interactions among EL students and between teachers and students (professional development fee).
   
   
5. Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School
   Provides four recommendations that address what works for ELs during reading and content area instruction. What Works Clearinghouse Instructional Research Group.
   
   
6. Understanding Language: Video Series Playlist: English Language Learners
   Provides a six-part video series showcasing an exemplar unit focused on English Language Arts (ELA) instruction for middle school EL. Stanford University and TeachingChannel.