At ESCORT, we advocate and engage in professional development and technical assistance activities that are systemic in nature. To this end, we engage our clients in discussions about their goals, needs, audience, and reform initiatives to get a clear picture of the SEA, district, school or program.
In planning workshops, we consider duration, audience participation, content focus, active learning components to be implemented, and then work with clients to select the best training strategies.
Consultation - Meeting with clients to help them review their program plans, policies, or practices. May include information dissemination, referrals, program guidance, and research.
Serves to improve and/or develop plans, policies, or practices.
Examples of our work:
Professional Development - Providing a range of learning options that will have the best chance of improving teachers' and administrators' practices. Intensive, ongoing training delivery models are given priority (e.g. 2-3 day ESL Institutes, Lab Schools, series of workshops v. "one-shot").
Increased knowledge and skills - the result of the intensive, ongoing training will contribute to boosting the achievement of the clients' language minority students and fostering home/school partnerships with their families.
Examples of Our Work:
Convening - Organizing and facilitating a meeting or event that will bring together working groups with common interests and goals.
Increased knowledge and collaboration - For example, arranging a meeting between an ESL and Special Education administrator can improve communication and practices on appropriate referral and assessment of ELL students.
Examples of our work: