Thank you for your interest in DSF Consulting! Please take a look at ways in which we have been supporting English learners’ success during the past month.

DSF Consulting Projects Underway

• We began an exciting new project with the Peace Corps. This project will include developing a relationship with an accrediting body or academic partner for the Peace Corps Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Training Certificate program. We will also develop TEFL Certificate standards and assessments, training materials for the TEFL Certificate, and a framework for evaluating the program. The Peace Corps TEFL has 34 posts around the world, and we are looking forward to supporting this important program.
• Ayanna Cooper provided expertise in Maryland, Alabama, Maryland, and Georgia facilitating professional development on WIDA standards and assessments. The topic for the TESOL academy in Maryland was how to analyze ACCESS for ELLs score reports as a way of working towards EL student growth.
• We completed the online ESL Resource Room for the American Museum of Natural History. Included are multiple Earth Science Unit plans that we scaffolded to meet the needs of ELs at varying English proficiency levels. We also included resources at varying reading levels that can be used with these and other Earth Science units for ELs.

DSF Consulting Expertise Featured:

• Diane will write an article for the International Reading Association’s E-ssentials magazine. It will be about the Common Core for English learners. The article is expected to be published in Fall 2013.
• The TESOL International Association’s Common Core State Standards Report on the changing role of the ESL teacher, authored by Diane, was featured on the American Immigrant Policy Portal, which is in association with Rutgers University and the Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.
• Diane was asked to present on advocacy for English learners at TESOL International Association’s K-12 Dream Day in March 2014.

Diane wrote the following blogs on the Common Core for ELLs for Colorin Colorado:

• Writing “Just Right” Research Questions: Strategies for ELLs
• Year-End Review:  A Recap of Our CCSS for ELLs Posts
• Year-End Review: A Recap of Our CCSS for ELLs Posts (Part 2)
• Assessment of ELLs on the CCSS

Website Update

Finally, we have redesigned the DSF Consulting website a bit to feature some of our products linked to our services. We now include samples of professional development, EL curriculum design, and technical assistance, research, and technical writing. Please take a look!