News Release

College partners to host three–day ESL conference

July 17, 2008

A three-day conference aimed at enhancing the education of English language learners and featuring leading figures in instruction and policy from throughout the nation comes to the Hilton Harrisburg August 11 to 13.

Presented by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in partnership with Penn State Harrisburg and the Center for Schools and Communities, the conference entitled “Multiple Cultures, Multiple Voices: Preparing Diverse Learners in an Era of Globalization,” will offer research-based tools, strategies, and resources to strengthen and support the academic and career success of English language learners. 

The event is structured to be of interest to education researchers, school administrators and teachers, school board members, ESL content and migrant educators, legislators and policy-makers, workforce development personnel, and parents.  Participants will hear from national researchers, access dissemination of current research findings, explore the implications and effects of related public policies, and present effective practice changes and workable solutions to support academic and career success.

Given the many issues effecting the limited English speaking population, the 2008 Pennsylvania ESL conference will bringing together various systems that work with and support English Language learners and will offer diverse conference sessions in four issue driven areas. 

Education Preparation and Instruction

• Undertake practices which will strengthen undergraduate and graduate P-16 preparation and allow for the effective design of classroom content to increase accountability and promote academic success in order to effectively educate ELL students for life–long success.

Transitions and Supports

• Develop and maintain the strong supports necessary for English language learners to meet academic success and transition successfully through P-16 to the general workforce.

Partnerships

• Build effective partnerships that transfer knowledge and accurately inform educators, employers, policymakers, parents and the community about the challenges and complexities facing limited English speaking population.

Impacts and Contributions

• Recognize contributions made by the ESL population toward the economic growth and development of the Commonwealth.

This year’s conference will feature three Keynote and general session speakers – Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pedro A. Cortes, Dr. Eugene Garcia, Vice President for Education Partnerships which coordinates teacher preparation across colleges and universities in Arizona, and Edward Steinman, professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law and a civil rights attorney. 

Workshop presenters from across the Commonwealth and beyond will address a variety of topics aimed at strengthening education and educational transitioning for English language learners.

A highlight of the conference will be a free research symposium on August 12 from 1 to 5 p.m.. Designed to explore effective instructional and curricular practices, policies, models, and programs, the symposium will feature Dr. Garcia and the following presenters:

• Dr. Carol Scheffner Hammer, Associate Professor of Communications Sciences and Disorders, Penn State University - University Park;
• Dr. Stephen Herzenberg, Executive Director, Keystone Research Center, Harrisburg;
• Dr. Beatrice Adera, Assistant Professor of Special Education, Penn State University - Harrisburg;
• Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Director of Intake and Operations, Welcome Center for New Pennsylvanians, Philadelphia;
• Dr. Robert Garraty, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, Harrisburg; and
• Scott Sheeley, Executive Director, Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board.

The moderator will be recently retired Penn State Harrisburg Assistant Professor of Community Systems and Afro–American Studies Clemmie Gilpin.

The registration fee to attend the conference is $75 per person which includes conference registration fees, sessions, and conference-related meals.  There is no fee to attend the symposium, but registration is necessary.  For more information and registration, visit the web at www.eslportalpa.info.