Event Description
Determining whether a student's apparent learning difficulties are due to cultural or linguistic difference vs. an intrinsic disorder is one of the more difficult tasks school professionals face on a daily basis. The normal process of second language acquisition itself is often characterized by the same types of issues that typically represent speech-language, learning, and other types of developmental disorders. This workshop will provide a developmentally-based overview regarding the manner in which culture, language, cognition, and academic skills interact with each other in a dynamic way that changes the very nature of their educational progress and instructional needs relative to age and grade level expectations. Beyond helping participants understand the factors and variables that affect the academic development of English learners (ELs), frameworks for appropriate instruction, intervention, and assessment will be presented as models for best practice that can assist educators in providing services that are effective in increasing comprehension, promoting learning, and methods for evaluating progress and current performance that are grounded in fairness and equity and minimize bias that accompanies typical interpretation of such data. The workshop will have both a pre-referral and post-referral (assessment) focus that will be appropriate for individuals working with ELs at any level and in any setting in a break out session format that will focus on training for professionals involved in instruction/intervention or assessment/evaluation. The workshop will include a final Q&A session to address any issues that may require further clarification and which may be helpful in consolidating the day's information. Taken together, the knowledge and skills acquired by participants in this workshop will provide immediate preparation for engaging in services with ELs that constitutes current and defensible best practices.
Dr. Samuel Ortiz is a  Professor of Psychology and former Director of the School Psychology Program at St. John's University, Queens, New York. Dr. Ortiz trains and consults nationally and internationally on topics ranging from nondiscriminatory assessment to contemporary evaluation of learning disabilities. He combines practical and research based experience with specialized education and training in working with culturally and linguistically diverse children and parents.
Dr. Julie Esparza Brown is a professor in the Special Education Department at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. She taught in bilingual, special education at all levels in San Diego and Vancouver, Washington for 15 years and worked as a practicing bilingual school psychologist for one year. Currently, her teaching, research, and publications focus on the interface of bilingual and special education.
Connie Vidotto Ruf is a school psychologist in Santa Barbara.  She served students, families and parents in Rogue Valley schools for 20 years prior to returning to work in California.  Connie began her work and passion for bilingual education and service to culturally and linguistically diverse students as a bilingual math and science teacher in San Diego.  Graduate work in counseling and school psychology at San Diego State fostered her work in non-biased assessment, Dynamic Assessment, and equity in education for emerging multilingual learners.  She endorses a strong MTSS system as foundational to this work.

Agenda

9:00-12:00	Morning Session with Dr. Ortiz, And Dr. Esparza Brown https://soesd.zoom.us/j/97442620874
12:00-1:00	Lunch on your own
1:00-2:00	Choose your Breakout Session with our three presenters https://soesd.zoom.us/j/93548175010
2:00-3:00	Panel Discussion with our presenters
3:00	Adjourn

Location
Online

Site

Curricular Group
Interdisciplinary

Fee
Free

Contact Information
Charlie Bauer
541-776-4595
charlie_bauer@soesd.k12.or.us

Start: Friday February 18th, 2022 at 09:00 am
End: Friday February 18th, 2022 at 03:00 pm
PDUs: 5.00