California Collaborative Co-Sponsors Symposia on Common Core Implementation

The California Collaborative on District Reform co-sponsored a pair of symposia called Moving Forward with Common Core State Standards: Fostering a Learning Culture for English Learners and their Teachers, one held in Irvine on February 25 and the other held in Oakland on February 26. The event brought together district leaders and other stakeholders from across the state and used a combination of presentations and breakout sessions to examine the latest research, resources, and best practices to support English Learners (ELs) within the context of CCSS implementation, including state-sponsored tools, frameworks, and professional learning modules. The symposium featured contributions from two Collaborative members. Aída Walqui, Director of the Teacher Professional Development Program at WestEd, delivered a keynote address and gave two presentations on the use of formative assessment with ELs. Bill Honig, chair of the California Department of Education’s Instructional Quality Commission, gave a presentation on California’s draft English Language Arts/English Language Development Curriculum Framework. REL West and California Education Partners partnered with the California Collaborative to co-sponsor the event. These organizations co-sponsored similar symposia focused on other elements of Common Core implementation in August 2012, June 2013 and November 2013.