The school year 2024-25 WIDA Professional Development registration and full menu of the in-person, virtual, and hybrid workshops is live on the ISBE-Sponsored WIDA Workshops webpage. This school year, we are offering two virtual professional development sessions specific to dually identified ELs and two virtual sessions specific to math and science. All WIDA workshops are at no cost. Professional development hours are awarded to educators for participation.

Upcoming In-Person Workshops

• Oct. 8: Collaboration Practices and Potentialities (Maine Township HSD 207)

  • See more information and registration. Enroll by Oct. 1.

Upcoming Hybrid Workshop

• Oct. 3: Teacher Leaders: Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework [Webinar Module]

  • See more information & registration. Enroll by Sept. 19.

• Oct. 10: Teacher Leaders: Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework [In-Person Module] (Maine Township HSD 207)

  • See more information and registration. Enroll by Sept. 19.

Upcoming Live Webinars

• Sept. 20 & 27: Nurturing Speaking Growth

  • See more information and registration.

• Nov. 4 & 11: Mathematical Meaning-Making: Collaborating for Equity

  • See more information and registration.

• Nov. 21: Considerations when Educating Bilingual Learners with Identified Learning Disabilities (ICMEE)

  • See more information and registration. Enroll by Sept. 16.

• Dec. 4 & 11: Expanding Reading Instruction with Multilingual Learners

  • See more information and registration.

Self-paced e-workshops for FY 2025 are available through Aug. 31, 2025. Log in to your WIDA Secure Portal to register for them. If you do not have a WIDA Secure Portal, please contact esanchez@isbe.net.

Educators can receive professional development hours upon completion of any workshop. A Certificate of Completion will be generated for the participant at the end of each webinar and self-paced e-workshop. The participant must download the certificate and email a copy to multilingual@isbe.net. An ISBE-approved Evidence of Completion form will then be emailed to the educator to register professional development hours in their ELIS account.

Are you an educator looking for ideas on how to request permission to participate in a WIDA professional development session? Consider using this template.

The Illinois Resource Center (IRC) provides professional learning services to our state’s educators via contracts with the Multilingual/Language Development Department. These professional learning opportunities, offered in a variety of formats, focus on ELs and are provided free to Illinois educators. Workshops and webinars are led by IRC’s education specialists and are sponsored by ISBE.

IRC offers both in-person and virtual workshops. Participants earn two professional development credits for a virtual workshop or webinar. See a full list of PD opportunities on the IRC Free Workshops and Webinars webpage.

The Local Education Agency (LEA) Self-Assessment Report is a tool for districts that are being formally monitored or wanting to self-assess for compliance. Updates have been made to the evidence-required column for clarity of English Learner (EL) program monitoring. Please discontinue the use of the previous LEA Self-Assessment Report and use this updated form moving forward. Learn more about the formal EL program monitoring process through our updated program manual.

We have observed, in recent monitoring cycles, a rise in school districts not fully complying with requirements regarding communication with parents and guardians of ELs and non-English learners whose native language is non-English. To address this, the department has created an FAQ document that answers common questions and outlines the requirements specified in 23 Ill. Admin. Code Part 228, Illinois School Code ILSC 14C, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legend has it that gnomes live underground, where they guard the nearby plant life (as well as their stashes of buried treasure). Supposedly, rays of sunshine could turn a gnome to stone. But unlike evil trolls, who also turned to stone in sunlight, gnomes were said to be good creatures who helped plants grow. Gnomes are known as a symbol of good luck. They are still used today to watch over crops and livestock, often tucked into the rafters of a barn or placed in the garden. Next time you are visiting LASEC, you might want to look around...

Leadership is an activity not just a position...

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October 4, 2024, 2PM-School Psychologists

October 9, 2024, 12PM-Think Tank

October 22, 2024, 8AM-Technical Assistance Supervisors

October 25, 2024, 9AM- Speech and Language Pathologists

ALSO

October 11, 2024, 8:15 AM - 12:00 PM- NCI Full Training D84 team