Improving Outcomes for English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities Through Evidence-Based Practices for High-Quality Instruction

Content Start

The Gulf Comprehensive Center (Gulf CC) will partner with the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) to codevelop, implement, and scale two instructional guides on evidence-based practices for high-quality instruction that meet the needs of English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities (SWD). The ELL Instructional Guide will focus on Florida’s new ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Teaching Standards. The SWD Instructional Guide will focus on Specially Designed Instruction (SDI). Both guides will have a section on strategies and approaches for dually identified students (i.e., ELL students with disabilities). Staff from the Bureaus of Student Achievement through Language Acquisition (SALA), School Improvement (BSI), and Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS) will codevelop the instructional guides, which will be used to train regional-, district-, and school-level leaders who will pilot the Instructional Guides in a small set of districts. Professional learning communities will be used in training classroom teachers and leaders in these districts on the evidence-based practices exemplified in the Instructional Guide. In addition to developing the two instructional guides, Gulf CC will consult with FDOE on the review of the ESOL Endorsement Matrix that institutions of higher education (IHEs), educator preparation institutes (EPIs), school districts, and charter management organizations with approved ESOL Add-On Endorsement Programs are required to submit to the FDOE for approval by June 1, 2026. Gulf CC’s support will include development of a searchable database that will be used to catalog resources submitted on ESOL Endorsement Matrices and reviewer decisions on each submitted resource as a tool and reference for reviewers. The project team in collaboration with its state partners expects to achieve several short-term (1 year), medium-term (2-3 years), and long-term (4+ years) outcomes as described below.

Expected Outcomes

• Short-Term Outcomes
  • Increased state and regional capacity to administer components of EL Toolkit for Examining English Learner Supports
  • Increased state and stakeholder knowledge on evidence-based practices for identifying and serving English learners with disabilities
  • Increased state capacity to develop a response to federal assessment requirements
• Medium-Term Outcomes
  • Increased state- and district-level capacity to use data from the state’s district self-assessment toolkit for selection, implementation, and continuous improvement of language programs, practices, and high-quality instruction for ELs
  • Increased teacher and leader knowledge of evidence-based practices and programs for ELs
  • Increased state, district, and school leader capacity to select, implement, scale, and sustain evidence-based language assistance programs, practices, and instruction for ELs
• Long-Term Outcome
  • Increased state and district capacity to scale the district-EL Toolkit