The Administrator’s Guide to Federal Programs for English Learners

School districts are increasingly grappling with the unique demands of serving English learners, who are entitled by law to the support they need to access the regular curriculum. Their rising numbers have corresponded with toughened federal policy, as well as increased funding under the Title I and Title III programs. But translating federal policies into practice isn’t easy. The brand new book, The Administrator’s Guide to Federal Programs for English Learners, offers clear-headed analysis and unparalleled insight culled from decades of experience in the field. Written by nationally recognized expert Ellen Forte with the assistance of a cadre of former state and local officials, this guide is set to become the industry standard.

The Administrator’s Guide to Federal Programs for English Learners includes:

• Expert Guidance — Written by an authority in the field, Ellen Forte is one of the nation’s top experts on English language learners and federal policy, Dr. Forte’s work focuses precisely on providing technical assistance to states and districts to help them identify effective ways to comply with federal requirements and provide the best services possible for ELs.
• Tools to help make your job easier — Includes best practices, anecdotes, charts, and graphics describing how federal law is interpreted and applied in the field. Contains full text of statutes, regulations and guidance affecting Title I and Title III, including relevant case law.
• Clear explanations of Program Requirements — For education agencies who receive federal funds, this book clearly spells out program requirements for the two key programs to serve ELs, Title I and Title III. Specifically, it explains: how different agencies are required to use funds from these programs, how they are prohibited from using funds from each program, how funds from each program may be used in relation to each other, and how to maximize funds from either program to implement effective services for ELs.
• Best Practices — Combining in-depth explanations with a host of best practices, the guide demystifies federal policy and programs in areas including assessment, accountability, teaching, professional development and parental notification.

This Brand New guide helps you to:

1. Make solid decisions based on expert information — administrators will understand the challenges that ELs face and learn how to incorporate this understanding into their decision-making process when determining how to allocate funds, design programs, and serve students.

2. Avoid pitfalls with concrete examples — learn how to legally and cost-effectively serve English learners, including examples for agencies that vary in their size, location, density, funding sources, infrastructure, and EL population.

3. Have peace-of-mind knowing that you’re in compliance — included in this book are federally issued monitoring indicators, to help agencies understand what evidence they must provide to demonstrate program compliance.

4. Bridge the divide — The book explores the growing interconnectedness between the Title I and Title III programs. It explains Title III in a language Title I practitioners can understand, and demystifies the world of Title I for those working in Title III.

• Single-issue, softbound publication.

Ellen Forte, Ph.D, is a nationally respected authority with nearly two decades' experience conducting research and providing technical assistance to state and local education agencies in the successful interpretation and implementation of education policies. Dr. Forte's work centers on standards, assessment and accountability, with a particular emphasis on the creation and implementation of fair and meaningful systems for English language learners and students with significant cognitive disabilities. Currently, she holds seats on the assessment Technical Advisory Committees for three states and Puerto Rico, and is Principal Investigator for three assessment validity studies, all funded by grants through the US Department of Education. She is also the chief policy advisor to the National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University on its implementation of standards, assessments, and accountability mechanisms as required under the 2008 Education of the Deaf Act, and contributes regularly to the education field via conference presentations, commissioned articles and monographs, and web-conference presentations.
Dr. Forte is the President and founder of edCount, LLC, a Washington D.C.-based boutique education consulting firm providing technical assistance and professional services to state and local education agencies, advocacy groups, and other education organizations. edCount is a federally-registered, woman-owned small business, with a focus on federal and state education policy, students with disabilities, and English language learners.

Molly Faulkner-Bond is a policy associate at edCount LLC, where she supports Dr. Forte and her team of senior associates. Ms. Faulkner-Bond earned her bachelor's degree at Harvard University, where she graduated, magna cum laude, in 2006 with an A.B. in Philosophy and a certificate from the university's Mind, Brain, and Behavior program. She is a published writer who has researched, written, and edited texts on philosophy, travel, and popular culture. At edCount, Ms. Faulkner-Bond directs communication and editorial projects and provides support on research and technical assistance projects as needed.

Sara Waring, Ph.D., is a Senior Associate at edCount LLC with over 20 years' experience serving ELs and the adults who support them. In her career as an education professional in South Dakota, Dr. Waring's roles have included: an ESL teacher at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; district-level coordinator of a professional development program to train ESL and mainstream teachers; Director of Federal Programs and Grants Management for the Sioux Falls Public School District; and State Director of Title III at the South Dakota Department of Education. Dr. Waring has also served as an officer in the National Association of State Title III Directors, and is an assistant professor at South Dakota State University, where her ongoing work centers on instructing pre-service teachers and graduate students on teaching English as a second language, and differentiating content instruction for ELLs. In 2008-2009, Dr. Waring participated in a roundtable discussion and follow-up meetings specifically addressing Native American and Alaskan Native Children in Schools.

Diane Staehr Fenner, Ph.D., is a Senior Associate at edCount whose work experience focuses on EL assessment and instruction, including practices for ELs with disabilities and students with interrupted formal education. In addition to teaching English as a Foreign Language abroad, Dr. Staehr Fenner spent a decade working within the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system in Virginia, serving the county's 20,000+ ELs in various capacities. Her roles included: high school level ESOL teacher, Spanish/English Dual Language Assessment Teacher, and ESOL Assessment Specialist. Dr. Staehr Fenner has also participated in recent efforts by both Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to update professional standards for teachers of ELs, and has served since 2007 as the program coordinator between TESOL and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Laura Kuti, M.A., is an Associate at edCount who has worked at the classroom and state levels to improve instruction and assessment for English learners. Ms. Kuti has taught both Spanish and ESL to ELs of all ages from kindergarten to adults; she has also provided support and instruction to ESL and mainstream instructors at the Virginia Commonwealth University. Ms. Kuti spent three years as a Limited English Proficient (LEP) Assessment Specialist at the Virginia Department of Education, where she oversaw all aspects of developing, designing and implementing Virginia's English language proficiency (ELP) test, and processed statewide ELP results to inform instruction and classroom practices.