Name: Rethinking Instruction for English Learners
Start: 2026-10-01T14:00:00ZEDT
End: 2026-10-01T16:15:00ZEDT

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English learners represent one of the fastest-growing student populations in U.S. schools, yet district leaders and educators consistently face challenges in building equitable systems that support them. This forum will examine how K-12 leaders can reimagine instruction, screening, and family engagement for English learners across all grade levels.

Through interactive sessions, expert panel discussions, and data insights, we will unpack how school structures impact daily instruction, the risks of high-stakes screening in early childhood, and the practical implementation of AI-powered translation tools.

Attendees will gain:

Research-backed insights on play- and story-based screening tools that prevent the early misclassification and tracking of young multilingual learners
Concrete frameworks for evaluating how a district structures daily English learner instruction and where instructional responsibility falls
Practical guidelines for leveraging AI translation tools to bridge family language gaps while protecting student data privacy and maintaining cultural accuracy
Strategies for measuring general education, teacher preparedness, and more!

Join us to explore teacher preparedness, privacy-compliant family communication, and play-based assessment strategies to ensure equity and opportunity for every student.

First time K-12 Essentials Forum attendee? Learn more about our free virtual forums.

Event Agenda

We’ll highlight key insights from Education Week reporting on instruction for English learns and give you a preview of the content to come in this event.

Daniela Franco Brown

Assistant Managing Editor, Education Week

Daniela Franco Brown is an Assistant Managing Editor for race, opportunity and equity.

This session will explore how schools structure English learner instruction. We’ll examine pull-out practices, classroom placement models, and where the primary responsibility for EL learning lands in their districts.

Daniela Franco Brown

Assistant Managing Editor, Education Week

Daniela Franco Brown is an Assistant Managing Editor for race, opportunity and equity.

Ileana Najarro

Staff Writer, Education Week

Ileana Najarro is a reporter for Education Week covering race and opportunity in schools across the country.

Sponsor content provided by Lexia

More information coming soon.

When screening tools misread young children’s natural development, early identification can quickly slip into premature tracking. This panel will look at the shift toward play- and story-based screeners, the risks of misclassification, and how longitudinal data tracking can help schools support every child’s potential from pre-K onward without reliance on high-stress testing.

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens

Staff Writer, Education Week

Caitlynn Peetz Stephens is a reporter for Education Week who covers special education and school district management.

Sponsor content provided by Sora

Multilingual learners are one of the fastest-growing student populations in U.S. schools – and equitable access to tools that support their needs is essential for their success.

During this session, you’ll learn how digital reading platforms designed for the classroom can support language acquisition, increase access to relevant texts, and provide built-in scaffolds for multilingual students. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas to boost literacy, engagement, and academic outcomes across diverse language needs.

Meredith Wemhoff

Account Executive, Sora

Meredith Wemhoff works with K-12 schools to increase access to ebooks, audiobooks, and digital resources. With experience supporting districts across the U.S. and around the world, she helps educators leverage digital content to engage diverse student populations, including multilingual and English learner students. Wemhoff began her career as a high school Spanish teacher and remains committed to helping every student find books that inspire a love of reading.

As school districts turn to artificial intelligence to bridge language gaps with non-English-speaking families, educators face a high-stakes balancing act between accessibility and accuracy. This session will delve into how K-12 leaders can harness AI-powered translation tools without compromising student data privacy, misinterpreting crucial cultural nuances, or risking communication errors in high-stakes scenarios.

Alyson Klein

Assistant Editor, Education Week

Alyson Klein is an assistant editor for Education Week.

This session will examine how general education teachers integrate language development into core content and measure up in specialized instruction.

Daniela Franco Brown

Assistant Managing Editor, Education Week

Daniela Franco Brown is an Assistant Managing Editor for race, opportunity and equity.

Ileana Najarro

Staff Writer, Education Week

Ileana Najarro is a reporter for Education Week covering race and opportunity in schools across the country.

We’ll recap the big ideas and key insights from the event.

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Rethinking Instruction for English Learners

Event Agenda

Welcome & Introduction

Interactive Session | Where, How, and with Whom English Learners Spend Their Day

Industry Perspective

Panel Discussion | Rethinking Early Identification for Young English Learners

Industry Perspective | One Platform, Every Language Learner: Digital Tools for Multilingual Students

Panel Discussion | Lost in AI Translation: Navigating Equity, Accuracy, and Privacy

Interactive Session | Beyond 'English-Only': Assessing Teacher Preparedness and Language Integration

Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

Event sponsored by

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Rethinking Instruction for English Learners

Event Agenda

Welcome & Introduction

Interactive Session | Where, How, and with Whom English Learners Spend Their Day

Industry Perspective

Panel Discussion | Rethinking Early Identification for Young English Learners

Industry Perspective | One Platform, Every Language Learner: Digital Tools for Multilingual Students

Panel Discussion | Lost in AI Translation: Navigating Equity, Accuracy, and Privacy

Interactive Session | Beyond 'English-Only': Assessing Teacher Preparedness and Language Integration

Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

Event sponsored by

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