DSF Consulting, a woman owned small business based in the Washington, DC area, continued working diligently in February 2012 to ensure that English learners (ELs) receive an equitable education and achieve in the K-12 setting.

Some of the most important news is that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has awarded the University of Massachusetts Boston and DSF Consulting a grant to develop and deliver four online courses for ESL teachers who are currently working with a waiver to increase the numbers of licensed ESL educators teaching students who are English learners.

Diane Staehr Fenner represented DSF Consulting in February with several publications, presentations, and reviews of a scholarly article and book chapter regarding EL education.

• Signed a contract to write a book on EL education for Corwin Press that will be published in early 2013. The book will present a new approach to EL education and will be targeted to teachers and administrators.
• Final preparations were made for Diane’s book with Natalie Kuhlman,Preparing effective teachers of English language learners: Practical applications for the TESOL P-12 Professional Teaching Standards,
• Presented a webinar titled “ELL Programs: Legal Concerns and Strategies” for Progressive Business Publications that drew attendees from across the country.
• Co-presented preliminary research findings related to the assessment of science for ELs in “ONPAR Science: Next Generation Testing for ELs” with Laura Wright from the Center for Applied Linguistics at the Virginia ESL Supervisors’ Association (VESA) conference
• Facilitated a focus group hosted by Ellevation Education at the VESA conference to hear ESL directors’ challenges and strategies in the education of ELs as well as related compliance issues
• Presented on the current landscape of education for ELs at the Massachusetts State Board of Education prior to the board’s vote on the Rethinking Equity and Teaching of English Language Learners (RETELL) course DSF Consulting is developing with the University of Massachusetts Boston
• Served as a peer reviewer for a scholarly article for the American Educational Research Association’s Review of Educational Research on  science instruction for ELLs
• Reviewed a sample chapter at Corwin Press’s request from a publication proposal on the application of the Common Core State Standards in the instruction of ELs