WABE 2025 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

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8:00am PDT

From Scores to Success: Using the WIDA Language Charts for Classroom Assessment

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Join us for an introduction to the new WIDA Grade-Level Cluster Interpretive and Expressive Language Charts. Learn to integrate digital tools to understand language proficiency, plan instruction, monitor progress, and collaborate with colleagues. Enhance your assessment practices for multilingual learners.

Speakers

Virginia Morales

Assistant Director - Multilingual Education, Washington Office Of Superintendent Of Public Instruction

Virginia Morales is the Assistant Director of Multilingual Education at OSPI. Virginia has over 20 years of experience working with multilingual learners as an educator in California, Wisconsin, and Washington. Previously, Virginia was a Professional Learning Specialist with WIDA... Read More →

Cheyen Herseth

Elementary Multilingual Learning TOSA, Issaquah School District

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Regency A-D, (2nd Floor, Cascade Tower)

Breakout Session

Audience Teachers
Academic Range K-12

8:00am PDT

Improve Accurate Identification of Multilingual Learners with Disabilities

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Evergreen G/H (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Let's come together to ensure we meet the Civil Rights requirements for serving our Multilingual students, starting with pre-referrals for Special Education evaluations to collaborating with Special Education case managers to align language and IEP goals. Join us as we share lessons learned from our district to address disproportionality rates by considering the differences between language and literacy acquisition from disability. Example resources will be shared for you to try out with your team.

Speakers

Lily Martin

Professional Development Coach, Bellevue School District

Amber Snapke

TEACHER COACH- MULTI LANGUAGE LEARNERS, Bellevue School District

Jill Suresh

TEACHER COACH- MULTI LANGUAGE LEARNERS, Bellevue School District

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Evergreen G/H (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Breakout Session

Audience Administrators
Academic Range K-12

8:00am PDT

Planificación de Objectos Lingüísticos con el Marco DALE WIDA

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Evergreen I (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

En esta sesión, vamos a focalizarnos en la planificación de objetivos lingüísticos específicos usando el Marco de los estándares del desarrollo auténtico del lenguaje español de WIDA (Marco DALE) que le permiten a los estudiantes expandir su repertorio lingüístico y cultural y desarrollar un desarrollo metalingüístico de las diferencias y similitudes lingüísticas entre el español y el inglés.

Speakers

Dr. Patricia Venegas-Weber

Dual Language Program Supervisor, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)

Dr. Patricia Venega-Weber is a former ESL, Bilingual and Reading Specialist teacher with over 20 years of experience. She has a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Bilingual Education. She has also worked as an English/Spanish... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Evergreen I (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Breakout Session

Audience Dual Language Teachers, Coaches, Administrators
Academic Range K-12

8:00am PDT

Welcoming Newcomers: Thriving in K-12 Schools

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Evergreen B (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Starting at a new school can be exciting and challenging, especially for newcomers adjusting to a new environment by fostering a sense of safety, belonging, and empowerment. This session is designed to support K-12 students as they navigate their academic and social journey, building meaningful connections and celebrating newcomers' unique identities. We’ll cover essential topics like understanding school expectations, accessing resources, building friendships, parent involvement, and embracing cultural diversity. This session will provide educators with instructional routines and resources to help newcomers feel safe, valued, connected to their school community.

Speakers

Maria Ceja

Director of Multilingual Education, Sunnyside School District

Maria Ceja serves as the Director of the Multilingual Department in the Sunnyside School District. With over 24 years of experience in education, she has dedicated her career to supporting multilingual learners in a variety of instructional settings. Maria taught for 20 years and... Read More →

MEGAN ANDERSON REILLY

TOSA, YAKIMA SCHOOL DISTRICT

Megan Anderson Reilly is a multilingual specialist and a mentor for early career educators for Yakima School District. Megan has extensive teaching experience working with multilingual learners in a variety of instructional contexts. She is an advocate for equitable practices, programs... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Evergreen B (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Breakout Session

Audience Teachers, Instructional Coaches, Para Educators
Academic Range K-12

8:00am PDT

Sponsored Session - Unlocking the power of Biliteracy Trajectories with Renaissance Learning

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Evergreen C (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

In this session we will be discussing how Renaissance uses an asset-based approach to student learning and provide educators with accurate data and resources to accelerate student learning for all.
Through our work in Biliteracy Trajectories educators can

Assess students’ literacy development in both Spanish and English
Inform instructional decisions in each language
Support bilingual students’ success
Empower students by providing an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in both languages

Speakers

Dr. Carol Johnson

International Education Officer, Renaissance Learning

Carol Johnson is a bilingual educator and International Education Officer at Renaissance. She holds a PhD in Second Language Acquisition & Teaching, specializing in Applied Psycholinguistics—how people learn second languages.Her years spent teaching English as a second language... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Evergreen C (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

11:15am PDT

Moving students’ linguistic power forward one sentence at a time: Language objectives and sentence deconstruction

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Evergreen E (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

How do your M/ELs tackle difficult sentences while reading and writing? How do they move their language forward at the sentence level? Pair a sentence deconstruction strategy with language objectives and PLDs to boost reading and writing proficiency. Leave with resources to easily implement this strategy across content areas.

Speakers

Dr. Jennifer Cowgill

Director of Multilingual Learning, ESD 123

Janae Bell

ELA Teacher, Finley Elementary School

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Evergreen E (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Breakout Session

Audience ML Specialists, Teachers
Academic Range K-12

11:15am PDT

Rolling out the WIDA Standards Framework with Coaching and Collaboration

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Evergreen G/H (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Learn how to develop a successful implementation plan for rolling out the WIDA Standards! We’ll share how Quincy developed systems for coaching and co-planning to integrate language and content with the WIDA standards. This session will include strategic steps, real examples of collaborative planning, and ideas to use in your district.

Speakers

Danielle Fortner

QIA ML SPECIALIST, Quincy School District

Danielle Fortner: Danielle Fortner has taught for 10 years in the Quincy School District with experience in elementary education and language development. Currently, Danielle is a member of Eastside ML Teacher Leader Cohort to support implementing the WIDA Standards Framework.

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Evergreen G/H (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Breakout Session

Audience Teachers, Administrators
Academic Range K-12

11:15am PDT

Supporting Mathematical Sensemaking in Word Problems

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Evergreen A (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

If you have seven pencils and I have 14 apples, how many chickens will fit on the roof? Mathematical word problems can feel nonsensical, especially for multilingual learners! Learners thrive when given appropriate language scaffolding rather than decontextualized or over-simplified problems. This workshop supports educators in identifying and implementing language supports to promote mathematical literacy and sensemaking.

Speakers

Dr. Beth Dillard

Associate Professor and Director Multilingual Education Community Programs, Western Washington University

Beth Dillard is Associate Professor and Director Multilingual Education Community Programs - Renton in the Woodring College of Education at Western Washington University. In addition to teaching courses in the Multilingual Education Program, she coordinates two Grow Your Own (GYO... Read More →

Saraswati Noel

Western Washington University

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Evergreen A (1st Floor, Olympic Tower)

Breakout Session

Audience Teachers
Academic Range K-12