The Research

ExC-ELL was developed through a 5-year study funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. ExC-ELL develops teachers’ skills, confidence, and efficacy in teaching vocabulary, reading, and writing to all students – especially multilingual learners / English learners – in all content areas. To read more about this research, click on “The Research” tab above.

Face-to-Face ExC-ELL Institutes (Looking for virtual PD? Click here!)

The three-day ExC-ELL Institute provides the latest research and evidence-based practices that have been tested with ELLs in mainstream, ESL, SPED, newcomer and SIFE classrooms, either self-contained or with mainstream students. We also offer the ACE-LERA institute in Spanish for dual-language educators interested in the same content. For the complete experience, add lesson planning & coaching support after the ExC-ELL or ACE-LERA institute! The basic components of ExC-ELL and ACE-LERA training are:

  • Day 1: Vocabulary Instruction & Academic Discourse
  • Day 2: Reading Comprehension in all subject areas
  • Day 3: Writing Skills in all subject areas

For even more impact, add on two days of professional learning for administrators:

  • Days 4-5: ExC-ELL Training for Administrators

ExC-ELL Lesson Planning & Coaching Support

ExC-ELL Coaching includes:

  • Lesson Integration
  • Teacher Learning Communities
  • Peer Coaching with the ExC-ELL Observation Protocol™ (EOP™)

After the ExC-ELL or ACE-LERA Institute, follow-up support consists of three or more visits to each teacher’s classroom during the year to observe and give feedback on their performance. At the end of each day, an additional refresher mini-workshop or lesson development coaching session is offered. Administrators and other school leaders are invited to participate.

Each coaching day begins with a 45-minute overview for teachers and administrators on how to use the ExC-ELL Observation Protocol™ (EOP™) and the Walk-through of Instructional Strategies with ExC-ELL (WISEcard™).  Administrators and coaches are invited to shadow the ExC-ELL trainers and practice using the observation tools and giving specific feedback on ExC-ELL strategies.

Before the Coaching Day:

  1. Select six or seven teachers to be observed and coached
  2. Send in drafts of the lessons our ExC-ELL trainers will observe
  3. Ask teachers what they would like us to observe (e.g., ten minutes of vocabulary instruction, five minutes of Think-Aloud, ten minutes of partner reading, etc.)
  4. Create a schedule that includes time to observe each teacher plus ten minutes to give feedback (immediately after the lesson or later in the day)

Sample Coaching Schedule:

8:00-8:45: Overview of EOP™
9:00: Classroom #1 Observation and Feedback
9:30: Classroom #2 Observation and Feedback
10:00: Classroom #3 Observation and Feedback
10:30: Break
10:45: Classroom #4 Observation and Feedback
11:30: Lunch
12:00: Classroom #5 Observation and Feedback
12:30: Classroom #6 Observation and Feedback
1:00: Classroom #7 Observation and Feedback
1:30-3:00: Mini-Workshop

In Between Coaching Sessions:

Teachers are invited to participate in E-Coaching between onsite visits by sharing videos via Dropbox or SWIVL Cloud for our coaches to view and provide feedback.

Observation and Coaching Tools

The ExC-ELL Observation Protocol (EOP) and Walkthrough of Instructional Strategies with ExC-ELL (WISEcard) are used in classrooms for the following purposes:

  • To use as a teacher guide for planning lessons
  • For teachers to reflect on their own instruction after a lesson
  • For authentic assessment / performance assessment and monitoring student progress
  • For peer coaching: visiting peers’ classrooms and helping to implement ExC-ELL or another instructional approach with fidelity and creativity
  • As a tool for professional conversations in Teachers’ Learning Communities (TLCs) or Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
  • For coaches to observe teachers and students and provide on-target feedback
  • For administrators to observe teachers and students and provide on-target feedback
  • To conduct classroom action research, particularly for teachers pursuing advanced degrees

Professional Learning for Coaches and Supervisors

Coaches learn how to observe instruction on vocabulary, oracy, reading, writing, cooperative learning, and classroom management with the EOP.  Coaches learn how to give technical feedback that is non-threatening through a cycle of pre-conference, observational data collection, feedback, teacher reflection, and goal setting.  Coaches learn how to inspire teachers to reflect on their teaching and to take action that leads students closer to their learning goals. 

Professional Learning for Leadership Teams

School and district leaders learn how to:

  • Gauge when students are and are not learning, and how to promote adjustments to instruction or program structures
  • Establish a collaborative climate in the school through effective teachers learning communities
  • Support and sustain continuous teacher professional development
  • Principals, assistant principals and teacher leaders learn how effective empirically tested instruction for ELs also helps the rest of the student population attain higher levels of academic achievement.  
  • School leaders learn how the EOP, as a formative assessment tool, has the ability to transform the way teachers teach and students learn.

ACE-LERA: Acelerando la comprensión en español: Lectura, escritura y razonamiento académico

ACE-LERA (Acelerando la comprensión en español: Lectura, escritura y razonamiento académico) is a 3-day Institute in Spanish for Dual Language/Bilingual Teachers focusing on Academic Language, Reading Comprehension, and Writing to Meet Core Standards in Spanish.  

The ACE-LERA Institute and follow-up coaching are provided in Spanish.  Participants will be immersed in academic Spanish.  ACE-LERA (Acelerando la lectoescritura y razonamiento académico) is the Spanish version of ExC-ELL (Expediting Reading Comprehension for English Language Learners).  The two professional development models were developed and tested under the auspices of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

The ACE-LERA training provides theory, modeling of evidence-based instructional practices in bilingual/dual language/ELL classrooms, with opportunities for participants to experience and practice the strategies at the training site.  Each segment is followed by reflection, debriefing of application strategies, and question/answer opportunities.  Lesson templates that can be adjusted to district requirements accompany the training.  Discussion of coaching and working in Teachers Learning Communities is addressed.

By the end of the three days, the teachers will be able to:

  • Select key vocabulary from their core texts, curricula, and standards to teach their students
  • Teach tier 1, 2, and 3 vocabulary before, during and after reading
  • Teach academic discourse for rich discussions
  • Model and monitor the use of reading comprehension strategies for close reading
  • Use a variety of reading strategies to reach students at different levels of reading abilities
  • Select and teach academic language for a variety of domain-specific writing structures
  • Develop higher levels of academic Spanish, semantic awareness, and become more conscientious of their own discourse in Spanish
  • Prepare lessons using the ACE-LERA process